as a boy, enjoying the opportunity of going to my friend’s home for an afternoon to play. It was a particular delight if the mother of the boys would invite me for dinner. She -al ways had such delectable food as macaroni and cheese or spaghetti, and then for dessert, homemade apple pie or chocolate cake. She served nothing distasteful like spin ach or Brussels sprouts! When it came time to go home, however, I was apprehensive. There were no street lights and the long hike to my house several blocks away led across eerie areas. There were no other houses around. I could imagine some one's following me, or perhaps a sin ister figure waiting to pounce out from behind a tree groaning in the wind. As fast as I could go, I would hurry until nearly out of breath and panic-stricken, I reached the safety of my front door. The next day, however, when the sun was out, it all seemed so foolish. So it is with the light of eternal life which God gives. He is the Light of life. We can calmly trust the Saviour for all of the problems which may confront us. With the Father of lights, we read, there is no variableness. (That’s a twenty-five cent word found no where else in the New Testament. It means God is immutable, or that life never changes.) What do you know today that’s the same as it has al ways been? Hair styles change, clothes change, laws change, boun daries of countries change, areas in which we live change; yes, life is constantly changing. If you go away from one place for a few years and then return, you will hardly recog nize the place because of the many changes which take place. God never changes. Without being sacrilegious, we could say that He could work a crossword puzzle with a fountain pen! In addition, there is no shadow caused by turning. We don’t find eclipses of God as we do the sun.
When we experience an eclipse on our globe, it is not the sun’s fault. Some other object has come into the way. The problems of life come when we move away from the sun of God’s righteousness, when something of this world gets in the way. His face is never hidden. Scripture right ly says that your sin has separated between you and God. Remember that first gift I men tioned a moment ago, which my daughter Peggy gave me ? It was the one as a small child she made and wrapped herself. Suppose I said to my daughter, “Darling, that’s a won derful gift you’ve given me, I’d like to buy it from you. How much should I pay you?” In shocked amazement, she would probably say, “But Daddy, it’s not for sale; I made it for you. It’s a gift.” A lot of people treat God’s grace the same way. The Lord has provided His free Gift of salva tion in His Son, yet they say, “Well, I have to join a church; I have to clean up my life; I have to keep this ritual and that vow.” Scripture tells us that it is not by works of right eousness which we have done, but by His mercy that He has saved us. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Remember, however, a gift is not a gift unless it’s received by the one for whom it was intended. The Lord has extended to you His free gift. It is meaningless, however, unless you accept it completely by faith. Sunday will be Christmas. Have you received God’s good and perfect gift, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variable ness, neither shadow of turning? * * * Welie to Godin prayer if we do not rely on Him after we pray. * * * Whenever the going seems easy, it's well to make sure that you're not heading downhill.
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