December 1931
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give time a new start and man himself a new existence. —J ohn M ac B eath . DECEMBER 26 “Count it all joy, my brethren,' when ye fall into manifold temptations; knowing that the proving of your faith worketh pa tience" (Jas. 1:2, 3, R. V.). Temptation, remember, is the price, which we pay for all spiritual progress. The untempted life, if there were such a thing, would be the unprogressive life, and the fact that you are capable of being tempted means that you are capable of re sisting temptation, that you are capable of discovering in Jesus Christ the resources necessary to meet and conquer the temp tation, and in that discovery there lies all the promise of progress for the -future. “What mighty troubles hast thou shown Thy feeble, tempted followers here 1 We have through fire and water gone, But saw Thee on the floods appear, But felt Thee present in the flame, And shouted our Deliverer’s name.” —J. R ussell H owden . DECEMBER 27 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11). The Man of Sorrows had joy set before Him. And it was for this that He “en dured the cross, despising the shame.” He needed it, and so do we; for “he that sanc- tifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one.” He found in it strength for the bearing of the cross and the endurance of the shame. So may we, for as the path He trod is the same that is given us to tread in, so the strength is to be found where our Forerunner found it. There is joy instore for its, even as for Him—joy not only like His own, but His very own joy. This makes us willing to bear the cross in all its weight and sharpness; nay, it lightens it so that ofttimes we do not feel its pres sure. We can glory .both in the cross and the shame. We have less of these than He had, and we have all His consolation, and all His joy. —H oratius B onae . DECEMBER 28 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to an other" (John 13:35). Come what may, hold fast to love. Though men should rend your heart, let them not embitter or harden it. We win by tenderness, we conquer by forgiveness. Oh, strive to enter into something of that large celestial charity which is meek, en during, unretaliating, and which even the overbearing world cannot withstand for ever 1 Learn the new commandment o f the Son of God, not merely to love, but to love as He loved. Go forth in this spirit to your life duties; and win victories for God by the conquering power of a love like His. —F rederick W. R obertson . DECEMBER 29 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Pet. 5:7). Care Thou for me 1 Let me not care! Too weak am I, dear Lord, to bear The heavy burdens of the day; And oft I walk with craven feet Upon life’s rough and toilsome way; How sweet to feel, how passing sweet,
am, therewith to be content" (Phil. 4:11). “I press toward the mark for the prize” (Phil. 3:14). The same apostle who said, “I have learned to be content,” said also, “I press toward the goal.” To be content with the divine ordering of our lives, receiving that which comes to us with grateful and lov ing trust, is essential to that serenity of soul, without which, whatever its outward conditions, life is a dismal failure. We cannot be at our best when discontent rules the spirit. If we are willing to have God choose our paths, we need no longer be a prey to wearing anxiety, gloomy forebod ing, and heart-sickening dread. To be con tent is to have the peace of God that pass- eth all understanding. On the other hand, to be satisfied with our attainments in the spiritual life is dishonoring to God. In the spiritual life, there are heights to be scaled, plains to be occupied. A goal is set before us, and with the single-mindedness, pas sion, and intensity of the runner, we are to press on toward that goal. The swiftest and most unwearied among us have not yet attained. Contentment with the ways of God toward us, dissatisfaction with our at tainments in the heavenly way—this is the true ideal of the Christian life. —W atchman -E xaminer . JANUARY 1 “The Lord’s mercies . . . are new” (Lam. 3:22, 23). The millennium is ever nearing ! Let me not forget it. Let the thought so take pos session of me, this New Year’s night, that the light of eternity may fall over the com monplace, that my perspective may be truer and my horizon wider . . . Dawn is near. New Year, you will bring it nearer. What matters if you take me down solitary trails to dark valleys 1 What mat ters pain and weakness and the winds from hell ! Thou are coming, Lord ! And while I wait for Thy glorious appearing, Thou art holding my hand. Let me glory in Thee snfl Thy cross. Thou art even now my “hiding place” and a “covert from thé tem pest.” Thou are “rivers of water in a dry place” and the “shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” —A nna J. L indgren . JANUARY 2 “Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it" (Psa. 81:10). We have a God who grudges us nothing. He gives liberally. He satisfies—fills—the longing soul. When He is going to work a miracle, He says, “Fill .the waterpots with water.” When the widow was going to have her need supplied, the prophet said, “Borrow as many vessels as you can.” When the Israelites hungered, God gave them manna every morning for forty years.. When Samson was ready to die of thirst, he prayed to the Lord, and the Lord gave him a whole well. Solomon asked for wis dom, and God gave him a heart so large it was like the sand of the seashore. Elijah prayed for rain, and he had to hasten un der cover from the torrents that came down. When the poor and needy seek water, God opens rivers in high places. The Lord is never contented with doing a small thing for His people. He likes to do great things.
A Help to Missionaries A missionary in Bolivia writes: “My wife and I appreciate your kindness in sending T he K ing ’ s B usiness to us free o f charge. Those who help to send the maga zine to workers in other lands per haps do not realize the joy that they give. It is good to read the inspiring messages and to use the material in various ways.” Would you like to know the joy that comes from this kind of giving? A number of missionaries’ subscrip tions have been necessarily discon tinued because of lack of funds. Any contribution for this purpose ($1.75 for an annual subscription in any foreign country) will be appre ciated. Thy watchful presence everywhere! Care Thou for me 1 Let me not care 1 Care Thou for me 1 Why should I care, And looks of gloomy sadness wear, And fret because I cannot see (Thy wisdom doth ordain it so) The path Thou hast marked out for me? My Father’s plan is best, I know, It will be light, sometime—somewhere— Care Thou for me! Why should I care? Care Thou for me! Let me not care 1 This, each new day, shall be my prayer, Thou, who canst read my inmost heart, Dost know I am exceeding frail; Both just and merciful Thou art, Whose lovingkindness ne’er shall fail; My human nature Thou wilt spare; Care Thou for me! I will not care 1 DECEMBER 30 “I would have you without carefulness” (1 Cor. 7:32). Little daily worries are heaven-sent mes sengers to help you on the way home. What would you think of a sailor com plaining of the wind that bears him home ward? A day spent among these worries is a day in God’s school. One might say that the way to make the best of them is to make the least of them. ■—’A ndrew B onar . What a vast proportion of our lives is spent in anxious and useless forebodings concerning the future—either our own or those of our dear ones! Present joys, presen: blessings, slip by, and we miss half their sweet flavor, and all for want of faith in Him who provides fo r the tiniest insect in the sunbeam. Oh, when shall we learn the sweet trust in God that our little children teach us every day by their con fiding faith in us—we, who are so mutable, so faulty, so irritable, so unjust; and He, who is so watchful, so pitiful, so loving, so forgiving? Why can not we, slipping our hand into His each day, walk trust ingly over that day’s appointed path, thorny of flowery, crooked or straight, knowing that evening will bring us sleep, peace, and home?— P hillips B rooks . DECEMBER 31 I have learned, in whatsoever state 1 —W estern R ecorder .
, “Thou art coming to a King; Large petitions with thee bring,
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