THE K I N G ’ S B U S I NE S S be removed by a material remedy. Saul needed a new heart and not even David’s harp could give him that. No worldly prescription can satisfy a sin-burdened soul. Only when Saul returned to God would God return to h im . “When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?” Job 34:29. WEDNESDAY, June 9. Eccl. 11:7-12. Serving Godi in Youth. When David was tending the sheep, he had a good deal of time on his hands. Instead of building air castles or wasting it on things of no account, he devoted himself to the study of music and became proficient upon the harp. Through this self-taught accom plishment, he was first called into pub lic life and service. He did not neglect his sheep for his harp. He was as ready to fight the lion and the bear as he was to finger his lyre. He utilized his leisure moments and spent his spare time in doing something worth while. It is well to have both a vocation and an avocation. This example of David the shepherd lad may be recommended to all young people on the ground of economy and for the sake of self-pro tection. Hugh Miller was a working mason. Michael Faraday was a book binder’s apprentice. William Carey was a cobbler. We can not all be Millers, Faradays or Careys but by doing what they did we can make the most of our selves and do the most for God and man. THURSDAY, June 10. 2 Tim. 3:14-17. Taught From Childhood. Jesse the father of David had an illus trious past behind him. He was the tenth in descent from Jacob. His sole interest to us however is that he had David among his sons. We are told nothing at all about David’s mother. This is the more remarkable as there seems to have been nothing about Jesse that explains the extraordinary ability
607 of his youngest son. David nowhere re fers to his father in any such way as to lead us to suppose that he owed him very much either intellectually or spir itually. Inasmuch as he calls himself more than once in his Psalms “ the son of God’s handmaid,” may we not infer that although the name of his mother is not even mentioned in Scripture, she had a holy influence upon him, and that from her life he first heard the wondrous story of God’s dealings with his people as well as the sweet pastoral of his great grandmother Ruth. FRIDAY, June 11. Phil. 3:1-14. All For Christ. David never did anything by halves. Energy, decision, devotion, industry, resolution, love of danger, all these are seen even in his youth. He was a man of strong passions good or bad. One of his strongest passions was the noble one of striving to do with all his might whatsoever his hand found to do. Harp or sling or sword or sceptre, it was all the same. Plenty of shepherd boys had a harp but who could play like David? Probably the soldiers of Saul had slings at their belts but no one of them sent a smooth stone into Goliath’s forehead. Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well. Whether it is preaching a sermon, or singing a song, or teaching a class, or selling a bill of goods, or plow ing a furrow, or sweeping a house, one should not stay his hand until he can say “ It is done.” SATURDAY, June 12. Rev. 1:1-8. Kings and Priests Unto God. Ziklag and Adullam were part of David’s preparation for Hebron and Jerusalem. Through much tribulation we come to the kingdom. Tribulation worketh patience and patience experi ence and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed. David is called a man after God’s own heart, not be cause he was sinless; he sinned fre quently and grievously, but he repented
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