Dail$ Devotional Home Readings Connected witk International Sunday) School Lessons
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so fill his soul th a t th e siren songs of th e tem p ter seem b u t h arsh and jang ling discords,— th a t is super-victory.. MONDAY, March 3. Josh. 1:1-9. Joshua a Patriot and Leader The soldiers fall, the b attle proceeds. The workers go, th e work goes on. Moses dies, Joshua steps into his place as th e n ation ’s head. He had served his apprenticeship under Moses and was train ed in th e science and a rt of war. Moses’ symbol was the rod. Jo sh u a’s was th e spear. The nation needs all sorts of men, as does the church. We should no t be anxious for the fu tu re of God’s cause. When tru sted leaders go, God has others in reserve. A crisis reveals bu t does not create. Jesus and Joshua were namesakes. The names are two form s of one word, meaning “ Jehovah is Saviour.” Jo shua saved th e people by statesm anship and m ili ta ry prowess. Jesus saved by sacrifice and service. Joshua had n atu re and man to co-operate and assist. Jesus trod the w ine-press alone. TUESDAY, March 4. Ex. 17:8-16. Joshua’s F irst Battle The credit for victory over Amalek a t Rephidim m ust be divided between Moses and Joshua. Moses prayed while Joshua fo u g h t.' There is always danger of a mis-placed emphasis in though t and action. The security of a nation does no t depend entirely upon arm ies and navies, munitions and men. P rayer brings infinite power to bear upon earth ly need. P ray er is w arfare. The emphasis belongs upon th e sp iritu al which is related to th e m aterial as cause to effect. Communion prepares for and precedes conflict. V ictory in th e closet brings victory on th e field. When E thelred, th e Saxon king of Northum berland, invaded Wales and was about to give b attle to th e Britons, he saw a company of unarm ed men n ear th e enemy. He asked who they were. He was told th a t they were priests praying for success upon th e ir arm s. “ In th a t case,” said th e heathen king, “ they have begun th e battle, attack them first of all.”
SATURDAY, March i , 1 John 5:1-12. Victory Through Faith V ictory is not attain ed b u t obtained. It is n eith er deserved nor achieved, “Thanks be unto God who giveth us th e victory.” C h rist is our victory. W hat ever comes th rough Christ to man is of grace, and is received by faith. Hav ing yielded all to him, we simply believe th a t he receives and gives him self to us. Many are kep t out of salvation by try ing to earn it or w.ork it out for themselves. Many Christians are kept out of victory by insisting on fighting th e ir own battles. If we were saved by our own works, God would be robbed of His glory. If we won our own vic tory, We would claim th e credit our selves. God will no t give his glory to another. He w orks while we tru st. The victory th a t sets us free from the dom inion of th e world, th e flesh and the devil is tak en by simple faith and tu rn s prayer to praise. When th e first Napoleon had escaped from th e island of E lba and was on his way back to France, an arm y was sent against him. The soldiers of th is army on meeting th e Emperor, instead of attack ing him , joined his forces and became his enthusiastic followers. Had Napoleon m et them in b attle and de feated them , he would have been a conqueror, b u t when he converted them into friends and followers, he was more th a n conqueror. When th e believer sees his duty and though it be hard and dis agreeable he bravely und ertak es it because it is his duty; when he is tempted by th e allurem ents of the world and tu rn s his back upon them because they are wrong, although he may desire them in his h e a rt; th a t is victory. On th e o th er hand, when the child of God is so filled w ith the Holy Spirit th a t th e h ard est task becomes a supreme delight; when gazing into the face of Christ, he becomes so en rap tu red w ith his beauty, th a t th e g littering tin sel of worldly show fills him only w ith disgust,—when the' melodies of heaven SUNDAY, March 2. Rom. 8:31-39. More Than Conquerors.
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