November 1930
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whole-hearted obedience to the will of God. If we will only render this, if the whole nature is brought under His blessed dominion, if heart and conscience and will are wholly surrendered to Christ, then we may know as individuals what Israel knew as a people. W e may have the glory of God resting upon us, dwelling with us. W e may walk with God, live in God, work with God. We may be filled with the Spirit of God and by that Spirit be instructed, guided, upheld, made perfect in all things to do God’s will until we at last are led by Him to our eternal home. —George H , C. MacGregor. It is always weakness to be fretting and worrying, questioning and mistrusting. Can we gain anything by it? Do we not unfit ourselves for action, and unhinge our minds for wise decision? W e are sinking by our struggles when we might float by faith. Oh, for grace to be quiet! Oh, to be still and know that Jehovah is God! The Holy One of Israel must de fend and deliver His own. W e may be' sure that every word of His will stand, though the mountains should depart. He deserves to be confided in. Come, my soul, return unto thy rest, and lean thy head upon the bosom of the Lord Jesus. —Selected. — o— November 21— “Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed ; for Tl'am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee ; yea, I will uphold thee with thè right hand o f my righteousness” (Isa. 41:10). God never means harm to our lives when He sends afflictions to us. Our dis appointments are God’s appointments, and bring rich compensation. Our losses are designed to become gains to‘ us as God. plans for us. There is nothing really evil in the experience of a Christian, if only God be allowed to work out the issue. Our Father sends us nothing but good. No matter about the drapery; be it somber qr gray, it enfolds a gift of love. —Selected. —o — November 22— “ Get thee up into the. high mountain" (Isa. 40 :9). ! W e ought not to rest content in the mists of the valley when the summit of Tabor awaits us. How pure are the dews of the hills, how fresh is the mountain air, how rich the fare of the dwellers aloft, whose windows look into the New Jerusalem ! Many saints are content to live like men in coal mines, who see not the sun. Tears mar their faces when they might anoint them with celestial oil. Satisfied I am that many a believer pines in a dungeon when he might walk on the palace roof, and view the goodly land and Lebanon. Rouse thee, O believer, from thy low condition! Cast away thy sloth, thy lethargy, thy coldness, or whatever in terferes with thy chaste and pure love to Christ. Make Him the source, the center, and the circumference of all thiy soul’s range of delight. Rest no longer satisfied with thy dwarfish attainments. Aspire to November 20—“In quietness and in con fidence shall be your strength” (Isa. 30: 15). _
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o— a— ». (Daily Devotional (Readings A Message for Everg D ag of fhe Month e
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November IS— "Thou . . r shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full” (2 Ki. 4 :4 ). Up to tliis point the whole process had been one o f dry faith and obedience, with out signs and evidences, apart from the simple word of the prophet. A t the mo ment that the widow took the little pot of oil and began to pour it out into an empty vessel, at that moment the omnipotent: Spirit of God began to multiply the oil. Then, and only then, the miracle was wrought, omnipotence was uncovered, the unseen hand of the mighty God was made bare, and she and her sons had all the evidence they needed. This is God’s method of working still, for He hides Himself until our faith and obedience have touched the point, or the condition, which He has prescribed. The miracle was wrought right at the point where the oil fell from the little pot into the large vessel. In feeding the,,five thousand men, the bread and fish were* multiplied at the point where they left the hand of Jesus and were passed into the hands of the disciples. It is the breaking and giving out of things that causes the increase. The increase of a grain of corn never be gins until it is broken by the sprouting in the moist earth and it climbs up into a stalk with a hundred grains to one. And right here lies the glory and wonderful fruitfulness of our highest service for God— in breaking ourselves and pouring out ourselves without stint or fear or a mental reservation in His service. —G. D. W. — o— ) November 16— “ Thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried, ,Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidest affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our beads-, we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place” (Psa. 66:10-12). I Paradoxical though it be, only that man is at rest who attains it through conflict. This peace, born of conflict, is not like the deadly hush preceding the tempest, but the serene and pure-aired quiet that fol lows it. It is not generally the prosperous one, who has never sorrowed, who is strong and at rest. His quality has never been tried, and he knows not how to stand even a gentle shock. He is not the. safest sailor who never saw a tempest. He will do for fair-weather service. But when the storm is rising, place at the most important post the man who has fought out a gale, who has tested the ahtP, who knows her hulk sound, her rigging strong, and her anchor-flukes able to grasp and hold by the ribs of the world. When first affliction comes upon us, how everything gives way! Our clinging, ten dril hopes are snapped, and our heart lies prostrate like a vine that the storm has torn from its trellis. But when the first shock is past, and we are able to look up,
and say, “It is the Lord,” faith lifts the shattered hopes once more, and binds them fast to the feet of God. Thus the end is confidence, safety, and peace.— Selected. — o— November 17:— “He was a burning and a shining light” (John 5:35). Shining is always costly. Light comes only at the cost of that which produces it. An unlit candle does no shining. Burning must come before shining. W e cannot be of great use to others without cost.to our selves. Burning suggests suffering. W e shrink from pain. W e are apt to feel that we are doing the greatest good in the world when we are strong, and able for active duty, and when the heart and hands are full. When we are called aside and can only suffer, when we are sick, when we are consumed with pain, when all our activities have been dropped, we feel that we are no longer of use, that we are not doing anything. But if we are patient and submissive, it is almost certain that we are a greater blessing to the world in our time of suffering and pain than we were in the days when we thought we were doing the most of our work. W e afie burning now, and shining because we are burning. — EveningThoughts. — o— November 18— "And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilder ness, being forty days tempted o f the devil” (Lie. 4:1, 2). Jesus was full of the Holy Ghost, and yet He was tempted. Temptation often comes upon a man with its strongest power when he is nearest to God. As someone has said, “The devil aims high.” He caused one apostle to say he did not even know Christ. Very few men have such conflicts with the devil as Martin Luther had. Why? Because Martin Lu ther was going to shake the very kingdom of hell. Oh, what conflicts John Bunyan had! If a man has much of the Spirit of God, he will have great conflicts with the tempter. God permits. temptation because it does for us that which the storms do for the oaks— it roots u s; and what the fire does for the painting on the porcelain — it makes us permanent. You never know that you have a grip on Christ, or that He has a grip on you so much as when the devil is using all his force to at tract you from H im ; then you feel the pull of Christ’s right hand. — Selected. — o— November 19— “ Obey my voice, and . . ye shall be my people” {far. . “He that doeth the will o f God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17). W e have to learn that the secret of real and abiding blessing is implicit, full,
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