590
THE KING’S BUSINESS
no less than 'ten occasions on which He went aside for communion with His Father. The same is true of the Apostles in their life, for in proportion as they went alone with God they came forth with renewed vigor and power. The reason why our lives are so superficial is that we are not enough alone with God. Tennyson says that “Solitude is the mother-country of the strong” and we shall never be “strong in the Lord,” if we do not take time, and even make time, to go apart with Him in meditation upon His word. The little boy unconsciously explained the secret of his father’s power, when he told someone that “Daddy always talks with God in the drawing-room before breakfast.” This is what the Psalmist meant when he said, “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:31). Divine Instructor, gracious Lord, Be Thou forever near ; Teach me to love Thy sacred Word, And view my Saviour here.
(5), Then, when our Bible meditation is thus daily, diligent, direct and definite, it will also be delightful. Like the Psalmist we’ shall say, “How sweet are Thy words to my taste.” “I rejoice at Thy word as one that findeth great spoil.” “Thy words were found and I did eat them; they were to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jen 15:16). DELIGHTS OF MEDITATION It is impossible to exaggerate the import ance > of this aspect of Bible study. Not only is it the secret of spiritual power in personal character, but it is the source of all blessing and influence oyer others. In deed, we may go a s . far as to say that the springs of all revival, individual and collective, are to be found in the silent places of life. It is1 not without point that the Day of Pentecost came after ten days of waiting on God. Our Lord had His times of quiet for meditation and prayer, and it is striking that in the busy life recorded in Mark’s Gospel, there are
i M
-
L I GH T ON PUZZLING PASSAGES and PROBLEMS By R. A. TORREY =
m s
Qlllllllllll[||||||||||||||||||||||||[|[||||||||||||l!llllllll!lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllffl^ Why is it that God does, not answer the prayer of true followers of Christ, who,- according to their light and opportunities, are living earnest and active Christian lives? Sometimes for one reason, sometimes for another. Oftentimes it is because they think that the fact that they “according to their light and opportunities, are living earnest and active Christian lives,” estab lishes a claim upon God and puts God under obligation to answer - their prayers. In other words, they are approaching God in their own name on the ground of some
claim that they imagine they have upon God. But God has taught us plainly in His word that if we are to approach Him in prevailing prayer we are not to approach Him in our own name, i.e., on the ground of any claim we fancy we have upon God, but in the name of Jesus (John 14:13, 14), i.e., on the ground of the claims that the Lord Jesus has upon God, upon the ground of His atoning death and His acceptance before God. Many Christians fall into the snare of thinking that because they are faithful servants of God that fact consti tutes a claim upon God. None of us have
Made with FlippingBook HTML5