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T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
Have you ever heard two persons give identically th e same description of something they have seen? Usually one lays emphasis on one th ing and th e o th er on ano th er MY GLASS do they not? Now OF GIRLS th a t does no t mean C lara Sillim an th a t w hat one or the o th er says is no t tru e bu t it does mean th a t th e two look a t things from a different point of view. In th is lesson we find how a number of men w ent out to view a land; they all looked a t th e same things, b u t they b rough t back a varied rep o rt because they did no t all look a t it from th e same viewpoint. The Spies Sent F o rth . The. children of Israel had come from th e b arren stretch of burning desert to th e borders of th e Prom ised Land where th ere were grass, trees, flowers, an abundance of fru its and springs of w ater. Now Israel w anted to find out how large Canaan was, the num ber of people in th e land, and w hether they lived in fortified cities or in ten ts; the kinds of fru it raised there, and th e rich ness of th e soil. There was no need for Israel to send spies to find out these th ing s for God had told them all about it. He had selected th e land and given it to Israel and His testim ony should have been enough. (Deut. 8 :7 -9 ). Israel did not believe God, for simple tru stin g h earts would never have though t of spying ou t th e land. A les son comes home to our own h earts rig h t here, girls, for we too, read in God’s Word of the wonderful things He has in store for us, yet we do not believe it. If we did we would claim th e prom ises and possess th e blessings th a t are ours for th e taking. God gave Israel a Land, b u t Israel had to go up and tak e possession before it really belonged to them . God has given thousands of prom ises for you and me in th e Bible. How many have we made our own by possessing them ? * God knew th e h ea rts of th e Israelites, as
is only the fear of God th a t can deliver us from th e fear of man.—W itherspoon. W h at can th a t man fear who takes care to please a Being who is able to crush all his adversaries?— Addison. H e will b rin g u s in to th is land. Out of diffi culties grow m iracles.— Bruyere. Diffi culties are God’s errands, and when we are sent upon them , we should esteem it as a compliment from God.— Beecher. T ru st God for g reat things. W ith your five loaves and two fishes He will show you a way to feed thousands.— Bush- nell How calmly may we commit our selves to th e hands of H im who bears up th e w orld!— R ichter. W hat will be your blessedness if you will b u t su rrender yourself into th e Hands of God, perm it ting Him to do w hatever He will, not according to your desires, b u t according to His own p leasu re!— Fenelon. v. 9. They a re b read fo r ns. Diffi culties overcome by faith become streng th and nourishm ent to th e child 0f (jod.— o u r Hope. B read (m ann a). The manna, when ou t of th e shade, melted though h ard ; so th e h earts of our enem ies would m elt away no t hav ing Jehovah for th e ir shade or defence. —-Comp Bible. The Lord is w ith us. H alf our fears are baseless, th e other h alf discreditable.— Bovee. F e a r is the ague of th e soul— a passion man cre ated for himself.— Hill.' F ear never was a friend to the love of God or man, to conscience, tru th or honor. It can never make a good citizen, least of all a good Christian.— Brooke. There is a virtuou s fear which is th e effect of faith , and th e re is a vicious fear which is th e product of doubt. The form er leads to hope as relying on God in whom we believe; th e la tte r inclines to despair as not relying on God, in whom we do not believe.— Paschal. v. 10. Stone them . Unbelief robs men of all reason, blinds th e ir eyes, rushes them into despair, and prompts them to become m urderers.—Anno. Bible.
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