THE QUIET HOUR

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11932, 25 January 1936, Page 2

THE QUIET HOUR

encouragements

(Psalm God's throne is the first encouiagement. The Lord reigneth. Thy throne is established of old: thou are from everlasting. The floods have mted up. O Lord, the Hoods have lifted up then voice; the Hoods have lifted up U loll ' waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

This is the witness of faith by which we are called to honour God in broken days. In spite of loud assertions to the contrary, in spite of all attempts to ignore or deny the Divine will, the Lord reigneth. We acknowledge to-day that the world has not broken loose from His control. He does reign supreme. The nations may have turned unruly, but He rules; His throne is set and stable.

This is the first article of our faith, especially during times of stress and dismay. Many have received strength to die in that faith. Many also have received strength to live by it, t\hon death has come up into their homes: they have been enabled to say. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks he to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Chi Ist. Many more are surviving in soul as well as in body, because they stay themselves morning by morning on the old cry and confidence. Thy throne is established of old. And wc must all set ourselves to this, for, if we are to carry on, we must he carried by this unflnehing reliance on Him whose throne is subject to no earthly revolution. If a man’s wisdom is to be judged by his hopes —and surely that is a fair and searching test of human life —it is the measure and the quality of our trust in God’s power which may he said to classify us, proving that some are less ardent and tenacious than others. Yet in the faith and fellowship of Jesus Christ we nave all a living assurance that God’s kingdom is God’s care. Whatever we may miss in the shape of outward and immediate evidence, ours is the inner guarantee that no floods of wrong can sweep away the order of His will. In his company we make our act of faith still, and honour Him as we rally ourselves by retaining our hope unabated.

In King Arthur’s day, we are told how Merlin built him a mighty palace, over which a statue of the king himself was erected. Britain was seething with turmoil, but the statue towered and shone over the countryside round Camelot, to remind the harassed peasantry that there was still a king in power, to redress their wrongs. The very sight of it was a visible sacrament of courage and endurance.

“And eastwards fronts the statue, and the crown And both the wings are made of gold, and flame At sunrise till the people in far fields, Wasted so often by the heathen hordes, Behold it crying, ‘We have still a King.” So with us in our faith and fellowship to-day. Looking out over a sorrowful Empire, we, in the Church of the living God, lift our eyes to the Cross and Throne of the Lord, crying, “We have still a King.” The Lord does reign.

But God’s throne would not be enough for us. We need One who will not only reign over us, but speak to us. And so we read, Thy testimonies are very sure'. They are more sure than our testimonies to Him. For God testifies to Himrelf, tells us something of His purpose, reveals to us glimpse and hint of His meaning under it all. Let us have ears for His voice* The other and lower voices are loud around us. The floods have lifted up their voice, sometimes blustering, sometimes subtle, whispering to us that it is no longer any use for us to go on, threatening us with evil if we dare to persist. We are plagued and troubled by these voices, even those of us who have not to stand the drenching onset of the wave itself. But faith is still lifting up the witness; The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters. Thy testimonies are very sure. It is a saving experience to have our ears open every day, before we open our newspapers in the morning, to the still, small voice of the Lord, speaking, to us of Himself, to nerve our wills, to encourage our hearts, and to check our godless passions and impatience. His testimonies are not dreams of our wistful spirits; they are very sure, reliable and real communications, voices that reach us from the great Beyond, assuring us that “all is well’’ with our beloved who have gone before us, and that all shall be well with us, whatever comes upon the earth. Our faith is the response to this revelation. If God is our Father and King, He must wish to say something to us, to assure us personally that His goodness is never without purpose, and His purpose never without goodness at its heart. And this is our second strength and succour, that we have a God who does speak to us, a God who lets us know something of what He is and of the direction in which He is moving. A God who reigns is much; a God who speaks is much; but a God who shelters is more. A throne may be far away. Even testimonies might come from a distance. But the saving of life is in a God who is near, in fellowship with us, touching and holding us. And this also is ours. Holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, for ever. That is the last word of the psalm, the climax of man’s confidence. God provides a sanctuary and shelter for us in His household, when we are exposed to this rough and bleak world. We are with Him, not only as those over whom He rules, not only as those to whom He speaks, but as those for whom He makes intimate provision. We are His household, and it becomes us to be “holy”—that is, to live in the spirit of His household, obedient to His discipline and loyal i to His orders.

Holiness means a good life, good because it belong to God, sharing His interests and aims. Our Lord Jesus

has translated this ror us, by assuring us that it means doing the will°God. Whoso dootli the will of M; Father in heaven, the same is & brother and sister and mother. The®* are the simple and exacting terms 0 - the Holy Family. God’s household

is, to-day, for all who can say, "W j will be done.’’ Nothing can put l! j out of that Divine household CXf'h i our own wilfuiness, our disposition I® gvj be selfish and to spare ourselves, O'J secret rebelliousness against the ~ ders of the household, our way w ness, our indolence. Short of tb»£. we are safe in His sanctuary. ;

ours to make this saving truth oar [ own, by diligent submission ** f cheerful compliance. For we | never be strangers to God. We *•* ; not left to ourselves, not for ot ‘ moment. His household is invloUt* for us, if we but choose to rcfflU 51 within His care and order, as it W*: comes us. 1 Fear tells my heart that I ntay 1 * f Some dav an alien from Thy oo > s May cease Thy lovely face to see, - And hear Thy whispers never DU*

Tell me that hour shall never co»«’ Plant me so deep Thy cotm s

anions. That I may have my linal home And end. whore I my son ff *