101 ?
THE KING’S BUSINESS
we can wait. This being true, that “noth ing is hid that shall not be made manifest, or anything secret, that shall not be known and come to light/’ we do well to take earn est heed as to how we hear. If we hear the truth as we ought, more truth shall be given us, but if we turn a deaf ear to the truth now offered us, the truth we already have What a wonderful view we have of our Lord in this passage. We see Him as real man, subject to all the physical limitations to which we are all subject; utterly tired out with His exhausting work, asleep, in such deep sleep that even the howling storm does not waken Him. But in a moment we see Him as God rebuking the wind and the raging water, and they ceasing at His word and a great calm taking the place of the tempest. Luke here represents our Lord as saying, “Where is your faith?” Matthew represents Him as saying, “Why are ye fear ful?” (Matt. 8:26). Which did He say? Doubtless He said both. Their fearfulness came from the failure of their faith. The whole trouble with them was they had “lit tle faith” (Matt. 8:26). Whenever we are fearful under any circumstances, even such trying circumstances as .those the Apostles were experiencing, it is because of our “lit tle faith.” One has well said, “Where fear begins, faith ends, and where faith begins, fear ends.” Just as the voice of Jesus in that time of wild tumult and tempest calmed the howling wind and raging sea, just so that same voice stills many a tempest today. We do well to ponder and find an answer to ' the' Apostle’s question, “What manner of man is this, for He commandeth even the winds and water and they obey Him?” There can be but one answer to that ques tion r He is an absolutely unique man, a divine man, the only Son of God (John 3 :16), and “in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2 :9). Monday, November 22. Luke & :26-36. We have already studied the story of this will be taken from us. Sunday, November 21. Luke 8:22-25.
where there is greater depth and a deeper appreciation of the meaning of the truth, but the soil, though deep, is pre-occupied, the riches and pleasures of this life have invaded the heart, they have a deeper hold upon the heart than the Word of God has, and the Word is choked and no fruit is brought to perfection. The fourth class aré good soil hearers. They have a real ap preciation for the Word; they are willing to make any sacrifice to retain the Word; they not only hear the Word and believe the Word, but “hold it fast.” These con tinue to “bring forth fruit with patience.” A few such hearers there were in our Lord’s time. How few they are today, but happy is. the one who, when he does hear the Word, is willing to put away anything and everything that would choke it out, and who holds it fast at any cost, and brings forth fruit with patience. Saturday, 'November 20. Luke 8:16-21. Our Lord’s words in verse 17 are very searching and solemn words. How many things most of 'u s do or say or. think in secret that we would not for a moment do or say or think in public. But we have our Lord’s own sure word for it that “Noth ing is hid that shall not be made manifest, or anything secret, that shall not be known and come to light.” If we only realized that, how many things many of us do under covér of night that we' would never do. How many things we say to someone else in private, that we would never say. How many thoughts and imaginations we enter tain that would never be permitted one mo ment’s lodgment in the mind. But while these words of our Master have a solemn side, they have an encouraging and cheer ing side, too. Not one good thing we do, no matter how the world may ignore it now; not one kind or helpful word we say, not one pure and holy and lofty thought that we entertain, but some day it shall come to light. We can afford to be mis understood now, and apparently be robbed of our reward: some day it will be differ ent, and, resting upon the Word of God,
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker