March, 1934
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APR IL 7 How Faith Triumphs “Have faith in God” (Mk. 11:22). The reason why faith is so mighty and indeed omnipotent is that it just makes way for the omnipotence of God. There fore the two sentences are strangely and exactly parallel: “All things are possible with God,” and, “All things are possible to him that believeth.” The very same power is possessed by God and him that believeth, and the reason is that the latter is lost in, and wholly identified with, the former. Surrendering its own insufficiency, faith links itself with the all-sufficiency of God, and goes forth triumphantly exclaiming, “ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” while approving heaven echoes back, “All things are possible to him that believeth.”—A. B. S im pson . APR IL 8 Using the Royal Seal and Signature “ The writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse” (Esth. 8:8). “Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring.” Does this not remind us of another writing of our R in g : “ I f ye abide in me, and- my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” ? He places His own name and His own signet at the disposal o f His abiding ones, and says: “Ask o f me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work o f my hands com-' mand ye me.” “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee.” Should not this encourage us in in tercession? Perhaps we are saying, like Esther, “How can I endure to see the de struction of my kindred?” Have we as yet fully availed ourselves o f the “King’s name,” and the “King’s ring” ? — F rances R idley H avergal . APR IL 9 Our Example "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). Do we understand, my friends, that Christ came into the world not merely to act, but to show us how to act; not merely to suffer, but to show us how to suffer; not merely to love, but to show us how to love? If He has washed our feet, it is not merely that we should ascertain the depth o f His humility, the vastness of His love, but that we should also know what humility and love to exercise. . . . We have in the, Scriptures an exact chart of the path pur sued by Christ. Let us prove our Christ by the path, and our path by Christ. — G eorge B owen . ■APR IL 10 The Mercy of God “ God,'who is rich in mercy’’ (Eph. 2:4). What' a fund of pleasure God is ready to pour upon His children! And He de lights to do it. We trust Him in a case of difficulty, when we are powerless as to our own efforts. W e sit quietly by, leaving it all to Him, and how beautifully He brings us through— far better than if we had used the wisest exertions of our own! How de lightful it is to watch how He makes things start up in our favor that we never dreamed of, and we say,'“I could not have thought that He would have helped me so beautifully!” “Whoso trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.” — S elected .
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DAI L Y ' Devotional Readings A M E S S A G E F O R E V E R Y D A Y OF T H E M O N T H
APR IL 1 The Image of the Heavenly "W e shall also bear the image o f the heavenly” (1 Cor. 15:49). ’ Never shall I forget an incident that took place in the garden o f our Minnesota home when I was but a lad. A cousin from New England called unexpectedly. He had never seen any of the children o f my father’s family. A neighbor’s son was working near my brother, and each was wearing a broad-brimmed straw hat. Mother came with our cousin into the garden and point ing to the two boys said, “Which is my son?” Cousin Will stepped up and lifted those big hats from their faces, and point ing to Ed, said, “ There’s your son.” He was right. How did he know ? He bore “the image o f the earthy.” And so when God re moves these clay coverings and brings us forth in the resurrection, “we shall also bear the image o f the heavenly.” It has been pointed out that the little word “o f” may be translated either “o f” or “in” in 1 Corinthians 15:49. So God has here placed a precious truth. We shall bear the image o f the heavenly. That is, spiritually we shall bear Christ’s image and be ‘‘like him” (1 John 3:2 ), “conformed to the im age of his Son” (Rom. 8 :29). But also we shall bear the physical image of earth in the heavenly, every one having “ his own body.’l-ALFRED F. H am . APR IL 2 We Must Witness "And we are his witnesses o f these things *” (Acts 5:32). Does some one say, “As witnessing is such a serious matter, I decline to do it” ? Know this: You cannot escape! If you are a Christian, you cannot help but wit ness; you are either for or against the truth. God has ordained it, and men are looking for your testimony, and your very attempt to escape will be a witness to the world that Christ is a failure or you are a fraud. Rather let it be your joyful duty prayerfully to consider this subject, and yield yourself so completely to the Lord that He may glorify Himself by making you His loyal witness,— P rophetic N ew s . APR IL 3 The Test of the Judgment “A ll scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16). Thou canst not say, “I could not under stand the Bible; it was beyond m e; it was full of obstruse mysteries which I could not fathom; o f difficulties which I could not solve; o f discrepancies which I could not reconcile. And when I turned to those who professed to be Christians, I found them split up into almost innumerable sects, and divided into almost endless schools o f doctrine. And, not only so, but I saw much utter hollowness, and gross in consistency, such flagrant contradiction be tween profession and practice, that I was forced to abandon the whole subject o f re ligion with a mingled feeling o f perplex ity, contempt, and disgust.” Those objec tions will not stand in the judgment. Re
member this. There is not one, who pos sesses a copy o f the Holy Scriptures, who is not solemnly responsible before God for the use he makes o f it. — T h ings N ew and O ld . APR IL 4 Covering the Scar ■ “Love covereth a multitude o f sins” (1 Pet. 4:8, R .V .). When an eminent painter was requested to paint a great soldier, he felt a difficulty. In his wars,.the officer had been struck by a sword, and a great scar remained across his forehead. If the painter retained the scar, it would be an offense to his ad mirers; and if he omitted it, it would not be a perfect likeness. He hit upon a happy solution. He represented the em peror leaning on his elbow, with his fore finger upon his brow, accidentally it seemed, covering the scar. Might we not represent each other with the finger o f charity upon the scar, instead of representing the scar as being deeper and blacker than it actually is? — S elected . APR IL 5 Identified with Christ " I f it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24). I must learn to die daily. I must be crucified not only in what is sinful, but in desires and habits which seem harmless and innocent. I f I would save others, I cannot save myself. I f I would bless men, I must enter Gethsemane with its shadows, I must climb Golgotha with its reproach. If I would fill the world with the fra grance o f the precious ointment, I must be content to be a shattered vessel. Yes, but though the knife is sharp, though the fire burns, though the draught is bitter, let me be o f good comfort. Christ’s Calvary has budded into wondrous fertility; His death has given life to a great multitude which no man can number. There.is a winning power about the disciples who have “ fallen into the ground and died,” and risen again. ■ —A lexander S mellie . " APR IL 6 Changing the Emphasis “ Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11). Theodore Monod was once passing out from a meeting and heard a Christian say to an inquirer, “You must trust Jesus.” Quietly, then, he intervened and said, “You must trust Jesus.” The emphasis makes all the difference. It is not that you fix your eye on your faith to see whether you have the right kind of faith; even a little faith will bring blessing to'you.' Yet it is not it; it is HeMfW. Y. F ullerton .
When unto Thee I flee, Thou wilt my Refuge be, Jesus, my Lord! What need I now to fear? What earthly grief or care, Since Thou art ever near, Jesus, my L ord !
—J. G. D eck .
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