February, 1940
T p E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
07
DAILY Devotional Readings
throne saying, “It is done.” Faith is the echo of God's voice. Let us catch it from on high.—A. B. Simpson. 9. Prayer for Laborers “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers £tre few; pray ye therefore” (Matt. 9:37, 38)1 Wherever there is a complaint of the want of helpers, or of fit helpers in God’s work, prayer has the promise of a supply. There is no Sunday-school, or district visiting, or rescue work, where God is not ready and able to provide. It may take time and impor tunity, but the command of Christ to ask the Lord of the harvest is the pledge that the prayer will be heard: “I say unto you, he will arise and give him as many as he needeth.” —Andrew Murray. 10. Oneness in Christ “If We love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12)7 If we all have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts, we shall coalesce —we shall be as one; there will be unity, not only union—union of life, oneness of heart. If we are in a condition o f soul harmony with God, coming right into His presence, and if we all come to that one center; we shall all draw nigh to one another.—E. H. Hopkins. 11. The Secret Citadel "He that believeth on me, as the scrip tures hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38, R.V.)./ Could there be any more gracious privilege than to look to Jesus Christ and say: “Oh, Lord, I have seen Thee, I have Seen something of the character of this mighty blessing . . I am no longer content to be a mere worker, a mere teacher. I want to be delivered out of this ineffectiveness in which I find myself. Deal with my innermost being’, the secret citadel. Fulfill- the promise that, through me shall flow the Holy Ghost.”—T. M. Bamber. 12. Christ Revealed "It pleased God . . . to reveal his Son in me” (Gal. 1:15, 16). When did Paul’s career, in all its flaming grandeur and sacrifice, really begin? Was it when he was blinded by the brilliance of the revelation of Christ, on the Damascus road? No! It did not begin with the exterior revelation of Christ, but with an interior revelation . . . From the moment of that revela tion, Paul’s life took a new direction. He was possessed and controlled by a power far transcending even his out standing mental and physical powers. He henceforth protested: “I no longer live . . . Christ lives in me.” Now he is able to conquer sin, endure hardness, and accomplish unbelievable work, not
1. Not Rebellious "The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious“” (Isa. 50:5). Shall we claim this word as a prom ise of what the Lord will do to those parts of our being which are rebellious, and which we long to have brought into union with His will? Take your special trial to Him, and say: “Lord, Thou hast desired to bless me through this, and I . have been rebellious: I now take it from Thy loving hand and accept it as a precious gift from Thee.” —Alma E. Doering. Faith never goes home with an empty basket.—Selected. 2. A Hindrance “Fret not thyself” (Psa. 37:1). There is nothing commoner than Worry. Every one Se 6 ms to worry. Poor worry; rich worry. Worry is not concern, but distress of mind. Some- tithes worry is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength. •“Build a little fence of trust Around today; Fill the space with living work And therein stay; . Look not through the shelter ing bars Upon tomorrow; God will help thee bear what comes Of joy or sorrow.” —S. D? Gordon. Perfect Trust “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me” (Psa. 138:8). Mere common sense ought to tell us that He whose way is perfect can make no mistakes, that He whose minute care counts the very hairs of our heads and forms for us our circumstances must know better than we the way to for ward our truest interests and to glortfy His own name.—J. Hudson Taylor. If Sacred melodies and sweet heart harmonies are sounding within, we shall care but little for the turmoil. • —Thomas a Kempis. 4. Rest, Not Restlessness "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Col. 3:15, R.Y.)..' There is a life in the will of God, so quiet, so at rest in His joy, so perfectly content that He is doing best, that the lines in the face are wiped out, the fever is gone from the restless eye, and the whole nature is still. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him, and then spend in helping your fellow men the Strength other men spend in fussy anxiety.—F. B. Meyer. 3.
5. Fading Flowers "At thy right hand there are pleas ures for evermore” (Psa. 16:11). “The flowers which grow in earth’s garden wither in our hands while we smell at them.” . . . Which of earth’s joys is better than her flowers? Health flies, wealth takes to itself wings, honor is a puff of air, and pleasure is a bubble, only from heaven can we expect “pleas ures for evermore,” and “everlasting joy.” The Lily of the Valley, which is Jesus Himself, outlasts all time—yea, He is the only Everlasting Flower. Henceforth, my soul, gather thy hearts ease in the garden of the Lord, pluck thy forget-me-nots from beds which Christ has planted. —Charles Haddon Spurgeon. 6 . Intercession “He ever liveth to make intercession” (Heb. 7:25). He of old, the Man of Sorrows, Pleads before the Father’s face, Knowing all the needed solace, Claiming all the needed grace. ' Girded with the golden girdle, * Shining as the mighty sun, Still His pierced hands Will finish All His work of lovq begun. —Gordon B. Watt. His eye watches over us; His heart loves us; His hand leads us; His lips pray for us. Let us fear no more. He will bring us safely through to victory. —R. E. Neighbour. 7. Hie Making “For we are his workmanship” (Eph. 2 : 10 ). What does this “making” mean? Just what Jesus Himself has so c l e a r l y stated. “Come ye after me, and I will make you . . .” ! “We are his workman ship”—His making! “The Greek word,” says Dr. F. B. Meyer, “might be liter ally rendered ‘His POEM’ ! As the metre varies in the poems of a laureate, so does the course of one life differ from another, but God has a thought, a plan, a purpose for each one.” —B. McCall Barbour. 8 . Faith in God “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mk. 11:24). Faith is not working up by will power a sort of certainty that something is coming to pass, but it is seeing as an actual fact that God has said that this thing shalj come to pass, and that it is true, and then rejoicing to know that it is true. Faith is the answer from the
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