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T h é K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
September 1932
CDailyCDevohonalSieadì ings A M E S S A G E F O R E V E R Y D A Y O F T H E M O N T H
ward God consists o f several elements, chief among them being submission, desire, trust, fellowship. There is, first and fore most, the submission o f the soul to God, the attitude of surrender whereby we are in harmony with the will o f God. Then there is the desire o f the soul for God, the aspiration and longing for His presence and grace. . . . Then comes the confidence of the soul in God, the sense o f dependence on Him, and the utter distrust o f self and our own will and way. Last of all, there is the fellowship o f the soul with God, the delight* in His presence and freedom o f communication with Him at all times. —W . H. G r if f it h T h o m a s . SEPTEMBER 20 B l e s se d to b e a B l e s s in g “Declare all that thou seest to the house o f Israel” (Ezek. 40:4). As commands always lead up to priv ileges, so privileges again lead on to fur ther commands. Not for ourselves alone are we to see and hear. When we have seen the Saviour, we are to make known abroad the saying which was told us con cerning Him. When we have seen the King, we are to tell it out that He reigneth. “Hear with thine ears, . . . and speak.” Let us very simply and very humbly bow before this “His commandment,” and ask Him to enable us to obey it exactly as He means us to obey it, neither losing the spirit in the letter nor ignoring the letter in the spirit. Lord, speak to me, that I may speak In living echoes o f Thy tone; As Thou hast sought, so let me seek Thy erring children, lost and lone. Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach The precious things Thou dost impart; And wing my words that they may reach The hidden depths of many a heart. Oh, fill me with Thy fullness, Lord, Until my very heart o’erflow, In kindling thought and glowing word, Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show. — F r a n c e s R id l e y H a v e r g a l . SEPTEMBER 21 I n v in c ib l e “All things are possible to him that be- lieveth” (Mk. 9:23). If the believer’s faith reach to the full extent o f the promises, he shall find all things possible which God hath promised; yea, he shall be able to do all things through Christ strengthening him. If he always take up arms in absolute depend ence on the Divine General, to give him courage, to order him how to attack his en emies, to bestow strength upon him daily to resist them, then victory will be certain. Yea, he will be invincible while he stands strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.— R o m a in e . SEPTEMBER 22 How J e s u s T a u g h t “He taught them as one having author ity” (Matt. 7:29). When you think o f the teaching of Jesus, sometimes it was the overflow o f gracious ness, sometimes the fragrance of perfume, but sometimes He spoke and men drew back from Him as from a mountain that burned, when every word was a sizzling thunderbolt or an angry flash o f lightning. But for sublim ity'of character and pur pose and for truthful profoundness, the
SEPTEMBER IS C h o s e n i n E t e r n it y “Chosen . . . in him before the founda tion o f the world" (Eph. 1:4 ). In the very beginning, when this great universe lay in the mind o f God, like un born forests fn the acorn-cup; long ere the echoes walked the solitudes; before the mountains were brought forth ; and long ere the light flashed through the sky, God loved His chosen creatures. Before there was creatureship—when the aether was not fanned by the angel’s wing; when space itself had not an existence; when there was nothing save God alone; even then, in that loneliness o f Deity, and in that deep quiet profundity, His love moved for His chosen. Their names were written on His heart, and then were they dear to His soul. — C h a r l e s H a d d o n S p u r g e o n . Jesus, thou Joy of loving hearts! Thou Fount of life 1thou Light o f men! From the best bliss that earth imparts W e turn unfilled to Thee again. — B e r n a r d o f C l a ir v a u x . SEPTEMBER 16 J o y A m id T r ia l s “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee” (Ex. 3:12). There is no more cheering fact than that God is with those who trust Him and obey Him. For the strengthening o f our own con fidence in God’s presence with us and with all who walk with Him by faith, there are given the records o f God’s promises and of their fulfilment. To Joshua the Lord said: “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Josh. 1:5). “And, behold, this day I am going the way o f all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed o f all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning y ou ; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof” (Josh. 23:14). As we go forward into this new day, perhaps with fear and trembling because o f threatened trials, we rely upon our Lord to fulfill His promise, “ Lo, I am with you alway.” Strengthened by Him, we shall be vic torious over all that opposes His will. - - T h e B ib l e T o d a y . SEPTEMBER 17 A b s o l u t e l y C h r is t ’ s “ Ye are not your oven . . . y e are bought with a price" (1 Cor. 2 :20, 21). Did you, my Christian reader, ever real ize the conception that you are absolutely Christ’s? You may not own it; you may not live beneath its pow er; nay, you may seek to cast the thought aside, as Onesimus, who, when he fled from Ephesus to hide himself, truant that he was, in the slums of Rome, tried to forget the claims which Philemon, his master, had over him, by right o f purchase. All this you may do: and yet, in spite o f all, you are as much Christ’s property as any slave would be
the chattel o f the man who had paid down his price in the market............... Paul was proud to call himself the bondslave of Jesus Christ. He chose as his motto the immortal words (badge o f a slavery which does not degrade, but ennobles all who bend beneath its yoke), “Whose I am, and whom I serve.”—F. B. M e y e r . SEPTEMBER 18 T h e S e cret o f S u c c e s s “Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21). The heavenly hosts had sung with won dering gladness when chaos was clothed with beauty; and the work o f creation was completed. But now they see with greater wonder the Creator Himself veiled in hu man form and self-emptied, lying in a manger. They knew the grace o f our Lord, as never before, when they saw Him as Jesus Christ, who “though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor.” The wisdom of God and the power of God have under taken our deliverance, and in order to ac complish it, seek no alliance with the wis dom, the wealth, the nobility o f earth, but intelligently take the lowest place as that best adapted for carrying out His pur poses of love and grace. Have we learned this lesson? Are we willing to learn it? ■— J . H u d s o n T a y l o r . SEPTEMBER 19 T r u e P r a y e r “ Continuing instant in prayer" (Rom . 12 : 12 ). The word translated “continuing” in prayer, includes the ideas o f “ clinging closely to” and “ remaining constant in,” and implies continuous devotion expressed in steadfastness and earnestness. It means, therefore, very much more than frequently recurring times of prayer. This is to water down the true idea; for the thought is an attitude rather than an act, even though it be frequently performed. Prayer is some thing vastly beyond the utterance of w ords; it is the relation and constant atti tude of the soul to God. This attitude to- Big Business on a Small Capital Many want to know why Chris tians fail. It is because they do not come to God for grace. Men fail be cause they try to do too large a business on a small capital. So with Christians; but God has grace enough and capital enough. What would you think o f a man who had one million dollars in the bank and only drew out a penny a day! That is like you and me, and the sinner is even blinder. The throne o f grace is established, and there we are to obtain all the grace we need.—D. L. M o o d y .
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