has given you some talent, some abili ty. Use it to praise the Lord. I’m not interested in a crusade for cleaner movies, or more decent danc ing, or for a whiter “Gay White Way.” Our business is not to clean up the world. Our purpose is not reformation, but rather regeneration, putting a new man into a shirt. When the heart is changed, the life will change. C hapter F our Verse 4 of Psalm 149 encourages our hearts with the word that “The Lord taketh pleasure in his people; he will beautify the meek with sal vation.” Have you ever asked your self, “Do I bring joy to God’s heart? What did I do yesterday which would cause the Lord to rejoice in me, or this past week, or even this past month?” The other evening I was looking at some pictures of our chil dren taken when they were much younger. We now have a daughter 19, one almost 17, and a boy 12%. Looking at pictures taken seven or eight years ago, I just spend time studying the facial characteristics of each child. I thought of them as they are now as well as recalling all they have meant to us in our home over all these years, and how much we love them. Tears began to come to my eyes, as I began to realize how much happiness and satisfaction they have brought to us. I submit that if our earthly children bring that kind of rejoicing to our hearts, as parents, what must be the feel ing in the heart of God with the real ization of His children who love Him here on earth? What a privilege to work for Him, to serve Him, to praise Him, to adorn His Gospel! Is it true with you that “The Lord takes pleasure in His people?” Then the last part of this fourth verse promises, “He will beautify the meek with salvation.” Humility is the first step. Man by nature is very proud. We don’t want
is spoken of here in the Word of God was a dancing which was always be fore the Lord. The dancing in bibli cal times was not between the two sexes but rather by individuals or men with men and women with wom en. Sometimes a single individual danced for the congregation. It was always an indication of supreme joy and gladness in the Lord. Now, notice, too, that there are other things involved in this aspect of praise. There were instruments used. One was the timbrel and the other was the harp. The timbrel was like a tambourine. Generally speak ing, the tambourine was always ac companied by the voice and perhaps other instruments. The harp, men tioned here, probably was more like the lyre with ten strings. Some translators even feel that it might have been more like our guitar. The point is this: there were the voice, the timbrel, and the harp, so that every part of man’s being was dedi cated to the praise of the Lord God Jehovah. What is your talent? It may not take a great deal of ability to play the tambourine. The Lord
Mr. Stewart Cunningham, President of the Biola Alumni Association, addresses a recent gathering of graduates at theschool. Mr. Cunningham is principal of Olivewood School, El Toro.
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