THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS Means of Growth. What the water is to the soil, that the Spirit of God is to our lives, when we make a channel of obedience for the Spirit to flow in, as the water flows into the irrigating ditch refreshing the roots of all the trees. What the food is to our bodies, that the Word of God is to our souls. It is the heavenly manna of which Jesus said, “ Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matt. 4:4. It is the only food for a strong faith and without it no one can grow in their Christian life. The story is told of a lady who was weak in body and who went to a doctor and asked for an examination. After he had asked her many questions and watched her for sometime, he said, “ Madam there is no organic trouble with you, but you are very nervous. I would suggest that you stop work each afternoon, sit down for an hour and read the Bible. Being a Christian she tried his prescription and at the end of 30 days went back to the doctor as he had requested. In the course of their conversation she said, “Why did you give me that prescription?” ■ Because, he said, “ You are a Christian and I knew that an hour’s rest a day would do you good; and more than that your faith needed the strength that comes from the Word of God.” In all we do we exercise faith. If we are fearful and uncertain in our actions it wears upon our nerves. A strong faith means well balanced being. What the air is to our lungs, purify ing, and vitilizing our blood and refresh ing the body and mind, that prayer is to our life. It is the atmosphere of the soul. To live in the atmosphere of prayer is like a child romping in the country breathing the pure air from the hillsides. But there is no real growth to the body if we have food and air, but do not have real exercise. So it is with the soul. Only those who are active in soul
685 winning, and active in the will of God are at their highest state of spiritual life. Growing -Not Worrying. Some people they are growing in the Christian life, they are growing in th eChristian life. Boys and girls never worry as to how fast they are growing. They just meet the conditions of growth and they can not help growing. A great musician was heard to say, “ If I leave off practice one day I notice it. If I leave off two days my family notices it, and if I leave off three days my audience notices it.” There must be daily obedience to the laws of growth if there is to be the full, symetrical, well rounded, beautiful, Christian life. When Twelve Years Old. v. 42. We have the story of Jesus’ birth, then we lose sight of Him for twelve years. Then we see Him again, going out to His Jewish confirmation. COMMENT We then lose sight of FROM MANY Him again for eighteen SOURCES long years.- How dim inutive and meagre is the story of the daily life of Jpsus. He worked with His own hands for His own living. That brings the Son of God in living, pulsating life, close to every man who works.— Morgan. With what thoughts and feelings must this youth have gone up. Could ones ear have caught the breathings of His young heart, he might have heard Him whis pering, “As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.” (Psa. 42:1, 87:2; 122: 1-2) Jamieson. ' Went to Jerusalem. God would never have given His Son to be born in a home that was careless about the ordinances of His house.—- Torrey. > , v. 43. They returned. Worship must in turn, give place to the duties of life. Jerusalem is good, but Nazareth is good also. Let him who neglects the one on pretext of attending the other, ponder the scene.-S<-Fausett."
Made with FlippingBook Annual report