December, 1935
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
447
The author of this article spent several months this year in conference work in America. Everywhere he went, the Lord used him in the quickening of believers and the awakening of the unsaved. During this period, several of Mr. Lockyer's books and booklets were published in this country, and they began at once to enjoy a large circulation. Having returned to England, at the present time Mr. Lockyer plans to visit America again in the early part of 1936, in order to accept as many as possible of the invitations that have been extended to him.
Every D a y o f the Y ear
B y HERBERT LOCKYER Liverpool, England Illustration by Ransom D. Marvin
And, further, we are destitute o f true wisdom until we seek the Lord. “ The fear o f the Lord ig the beginning of wisdom.” All other aspects o f wisdom are futile if this is missing. We must be prepared to part with our own fan cied wisdom and greatness, and, bending low before Christ, the Wisdom of God, declare that the wisdom o f this world is as foolishness in His sight. These wise men were pilgrims, and so are we. All o f us are traveling from the City o f Destruction to the Celestial City and Land o f Supernal Light, or to the Caverns of Eternal Darkness. Yes, and all of us meet at His feet. His cradle, like the cross, gathers adoring souls from every
the weight of their iniquity, crying out, “ Where, where is He who was born to save ?” T hey W ere G uided by a S tar God not only provides the remedy for man's .sin, but also offers the very means leading to it. He “ deviseth means” (2 Sam. 14:14, R .V .). The wise men are found saying, “ We have seen his star,” and this star went before them. And God still leads in a similar way. There are pre paratory forces at work, even in those who are at present unsaved. Whoever and whatever leads to Christ, is a spirit ual star. Carlyle enjoined us to “ hitch our wagon to a star” ; or, in other words, we must follow the divine leading
quarter. The wise men represent the educated; the lowly shepherds, the poor; the angelic host, the holiest; the oxen and asses, the material creation. The question is : Are you at His feet? If not, then join the wise in their pilgrimage to Jesus. T hey W ere A nxious I nquirers A p p r o a ch in g ou r S a v io u r ’ s birthplace, they asked: “ Where is he . . . ?” And if you are desirous like the Greeks toSsee Jesus” and are willing to receive Him as your personal Saviour, then you will ex perience a Christmas every day. Perhaps you have noticed the con nection between the opening ques tion of the Old Testament, and that o f the New Testament. The first leads to the second; the second com pletes the first. “ Where art thou?” (Gen. 3 :9 ). This is God’s question to man. Heaven is searching for the lost sinner. “ Where is he . , .?” (Matt. 2 :2 ). This is man’s question about God. Here we have the lost
and apply ourselves to higher spirit ual forces. Stars! Why, they are as numerous as those'to be found in “ The Milky Way” ! They include a mother’s love, prayers, influence; the counsel of Christian friends; the Bi ble ; conscience; your ideals, desires, ambitions; the Holy Spirit; Christ Himself as “ the bright and morning star.” Have you looked to Jesus and found in Him your Star and Sun? If saved, are you a star in some one’s sky ? And, let it be said, we can never travel far on our way to Christ if the only “ stars” we are following are cinema and music-hall stars. Many so-called “ stars” have no more heav enly brilliance about them than has a box of boot-black. May all our “ stars” be heavenly ones. Shine, O Star of Love Divine; May our soul’s affection twine Around Thee as Thou mov’st far, Star o:f the twilight, beautiful Star.
Shiloh, Prince o f Peace B y R obert C rum ly “ The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering o f the people be’\ Gen. 49:10), Come, shepherdsr look upon this Child; Come, sages from afar! Through Him we shall be reconciled To God, whose work we are: Through Him at last all strife shall cease, For this is Shiloh, Prince of Peace. No more in Judah shall arise Lawgiver, prince, or lord, For He who in this manger lies Will teach us by His Word— Bringing redemption and release, For this is Shiloh, Prince of Peace. To Him will be the gathering O f those whom God shall call; And every potentate and king— Yea, every power— must fall Before His kingdom's sure increase, For this is Shiloh, Prince of Peace!
Further, the narrative suggests that the wise men lost the star. The words, “‘When they saw the star, they rejoiced,” indicate that they had lost its brilliance and guidance for a little. They had been ill Herod’s presence and had listened to his deceit, hypocrisy, mock worship and love. Remember, Christian, that your life is a star and that you can lose its clear light through contact with some Herodian influence. Some poor seeker may lose his way and miss the road to Christ if your star is not shining. We live in the dark night of the world’s his tory, and the darkness is becoming more dense. There are not so many stars shining as there ought to be. Some used to shine, but they have lost their glow and power to guide. “ When they saw the star [again], they rejoiced with ex ceeding great joy.” Thus is it with the backslider, once light is restored. There is joy in the heart over the restoration the Holy Spirit effects. There is joy among others, for they have missed the light. The witness once cheering, blessing, and lightening the darkness is now recovered. There is joy in the heart o f the Lord, for He ever misses the glow and brightness o f our testimony. May we ever [Continued on page 469]
o f earth yearning for heaven. When we discover where we are in respect to sin, we want to know where He is— He, the One who can save. As pain drives us to a physician, sin drives us to the Saviour. These wise men were honest seekers, for they had left their home and had traveled over the desert to find Christ. No one ever seeks Him in vain. Job’s question, “ Oh that I knew where I might find him !” is answered here. And is it not blessed to know that we have no need to travel far to find Him ? He is at our side. There is no need for us to travel out o f our seat. If we seek Him right where we are, He can be found. We must, of course, travel out of the desert o f our sin, and He will help us to do this, even as He guided the Magi to Himself, for the Eternal Heart strives in every possible way to guide the anxious to His feet for pardon and peace. The tragedy o f our age, however, is the lack of con viction. Men have no sense o f sin— there is no fear of coming judgment. Oh, to see the multitude burdened with
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