and con, concerning the United Na tions. It is hard for any Christian to understand how an organization, estab lished with a deliberate desire to rule God out of its affairs, could expect to see any real success achieved. W ith a greater desire to please atheistic and communistic nations rather than the Alm ighty, one can’t help but wonder how long such an organization can endure. But there is, an interesting story about the ballot box which was first built for the U.N. by a metalsmith who delivered it with the following note inside, “May I, who have had the privilege of making this ballot box, cast the first vote. May God be with every member and through your efforts bring peace to all the world.” It was signed, Paul Antonio, tinsmith. Certainly the Bible tells us that we are to pray for those who are in authority that wemay live peaceably in ,a world of turmoil and confusion. Our daily hearts' prayer should be that this country, our be loved land of America, may follow the exhortation of Scripture in which we are reminded, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” For, “Right eousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” * * * Putting your best foot forward doesn't mean you have a right to kick about every thing. * * * STOP PRAYING AND TRY BEGGING Most of us are well acquainted with what prayer is, but how few people, actually in a regular, systematic man ner, practice the habit of it. A mission ary in the Caribbean area was con cerned about a little native boy who was gravely ill with a lingering dis ease. Sometimes he could be with the lad when a painful attack came, and other times it was necessary for him to be away. Coming home from a trip to another area, he stopped in to see the boy who had been hit with one of his painful attacks. W ith tears in his eyes he cried, “And when it happened you wererit here to pray for me.” The mis sionary took his hand, “But surely, you
prayed for yourself, didn’t you? Didn’t you repeat the prayers I taught you before I went away?” The little boy brightened and said, “Oh sure! Yes I did. But sometimes it got to hurting so bad that I just forgot what you taught me and went to begging.” That is exactly what more of us need. Some times it is the desperate soul crying out to God that finds the answer, the peace of heart and the satisfaction of purpose. It is the determined soul which dis covers the blest relief through prayer, lesus said, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matt. 21:22). * * * The milk of human kindness should never be allowed to curdle. * * * A PURPOSE IN CRITICISM Have you ever gotten a critical letter or comment from anyone? Every broad caster does from time to time. Often they are very helpful if written in a spirit of Christian love. One Christian leader told of his feelings whenever such correspondence came by saying, “Whenever I receive one of those slam letters, I just laugh and think ,of what Dan Rice, the clown, said when the mule kicked him. He looked at the long faced animal, grinned and declared, 7 guess I ought simply to consider the source.’ ” Sometimes criticism is timely and necessary. In other instances it may merely be the hateful work of an unregenerate heart. As a Christian, make sure you are standing on the truth of God’s Word. Then count it all joy that you should have to suffer for the cause of Christ by the cruel and unthinking words of others, perhaps even friends. This is what Peter meant when he exhorted us as believers, “It is no credit to you if you are patient in bearing the punishment which you have originally deserved. But if you do your duty and are punished for it and can still accept it patiently, you are doing something worthwhile in God’s sight, indeed this is your calling. It is the w ill of God that you may thus silence the ill-informed criticisms of the foolish.” 21
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