Jesus Christ, to die for your sins. While God’s hand can he seen in crea tion, His love is revealed and felt in the presence of our Saviour. Have you yielded to Him your life? “For with the heart man believeth unto righteous ness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” THE DANGER OF PRIDE Legend tells us an interesting story about a very enterprising frog. For sometime it had wanted to get away from the cold climate and head south with its feathered friends for the win ter. Some equally clever wild geese urged' the frog to join them in migra tion. It had one big problem; it didn’t know how to fly. The frog thought to itself, “I’ve got a splendid brain. Cer tainly I ought to be able to figure some thing out.” A fter long deliberation, it asked the geese to pick up a strong reed, each holding one end. The frog in turn planned to grasp the middle of the reed. One would have to admit: it was a brilliant stroke of genius. What a picture this trio made as it winged its way south. As it passed over towns and villages, people would come out to see this unusual sight. They naturally admired the inventive idea. Someone shouted out, “Who in the world thought of such a device? Who was smart enough to come up with a clever plan like that?” T h e f r og , immediately swelling with pride, just couldn’t help opening his mouth to explain, “I did it!” That self-advertisement was his undoing. The moment he opened his mouth, he let go of his hold and fell to the earth. Of course, this is only leg end, but it does illustrate the fact that pride will always meet with a fall. To be sure the Lord crowns humility, the greatest of human graces with his own blessing. The Bible says, “Let everyone who thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” THE TREASURED VINE I f you have a green thumb and en joy working in the garden, you’ll appre ciate the story of the brier growing in a ditch. A gardener came along and took pity on the unlikely plant. With his spade he went around the ugly weed and carefully lifted it out of the
ground to be placed in his wheelbar row. The brier asked itself, “What’s he doing that for? Doesn’t he know that I’m just an old worthless growth?” The thoughtful horticulturist took it home and gave it a prominent place among his flowers. The brier again ob served, “This fellow has certainly made a big mistake, planting an old bush like me among such beautiful roses!” A t a later time; the patient gardener came with his knife and made a slit in the main stem, thereby fusing a lovely flower into it. When summer came, beautiful, fragrant roses were blooming on the old bush. In explana tion of what he had done, the gardener pointed out, “Your beauty is not due to that which came out, but rather to that which I put into you.” What a per fect picture of the process of spiritual growth in grace! Alongside the useless brier of our old nature, God grafts in His new perfect life. By the power of His Holy Spirit, we then bring forth all of the exemplary flowers of testi mony and fruits of grace. A further picture of this is the myrtle tree. This luxurious plant, grow ing mainly in the Orient, produces a profusion of snow-white flowers. It emits a perfume even more exquisite than that of the rose. I t also has many tasty seeds used in the making of all spice. Thoms, thistles, and briers are reminders of the curse brought on by sin. The myrtle tree speaks of the won ders God performs in and through us by His grace. Let us never forget that it’s nothing that we have intrinsically of ourselves. “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of works, lest any man should boast.” It’s sad to realize that most people go into debt In order to keep up with those who already are. Remember when you wished you could have the income that you can’t live on now? Many wise words are spoken in jest, but too many are foolish ones spoken in earnest.
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