THE QUIET HOUR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 August 1924, Page 15

THE QUIET HOUR.

JUSTIFICATION OF WORKS. (By W.L.W.) (Published by arrangement with the Hawefa Ministers’ Association). “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.” —Ps. 18-20. In the fpirmer part of this Psalm David recounts how he was delivered in a time of extreme peril. With supreme pomp and power God arose, came lorth, scattered the strong enemy, dried up tne raging flood, and set His servant in a largei place. In the 19th verse the psalmist gives a reason for this deliverance: “He delivered me because He delighted in me:.” Why did God delight in him? The psalmist declares that the ultimate reason was no arbitrary favouritism, but that God delighted in His servant because of his personal faith and character.

The spirit of this appeal is far removed from Pharisaism©; it is not an outburst of self-complacency and vaingloriousness, but the legitimate expression of conscious integrity. Some of the best characters in the New Testament bear similar witness to themselves. Now, if the Grace of God has done anything for us, why should we not simply and candidly realise and express the fact? If we have kept our raiment white, let us anoint our head with ointments; if we have conquered our selfishness and done generously, our cowardice and done bravely, our sloth and done fervently, let us frankly and thankfully celebrate our victory; if we have trusted in God in the dark days, let us sing about it; if we have kept our hands clean, let us on occasion hold them un.

We are rather shy of using language like that in the text, we shrink as if it savoured of complacency; it is, howeverj always well for us boldly to recognise the triumphs of Divine grace in our character and experience. Nothing succeeds like success l , and we are ignoring a fountain of inspiration when we timidly shut our eyes to. the clear evidences of the victories of the inner life. It is true enough that we are “miserable offenders”; but, as God’s people, we are a great deal more, and it is neither to God’s glory nor to our strengthening that we should be blind and dumb to those fairer aspects of our character which are gradually coming into sight and to'those newer and fuller victories over self and sin which we are constantly achieving. God deals with us as we deal with Him. “We love Him because- He first loved us.” We often return God’s love coldly, but He returns ours with swift and glowing delight. As we trust God he will succour us. . . A great faith, sinks Alpine heights to a plain, it crosses Atlantic depths dryshod. The lack of such faith entangles us in many embarrassments and miseries. . . “With what measure v.e mete it shall b© measured to you again.” That is true in ouir relation to God. According to the measure of our love, faith and service shall be our safety, strength and bliss. Are any poor in joy, grace power and peace ? Let them act more generously towards God. •

God deals with us as we deal with one another. Verses 25, 26. The great truth taught in those two verses is that God’s dealing with us is/regulated by our dealing with, one another, ibis is the clear, full teaching of the whole of revelation, . . . the service rendered to ithe kingdom of God is considered (by some) as so much niched from the service of humanity No mistake could be greater. v God does not judge us apart from society, but strictly in and through our relation to it.

Social duty and spiritual prosperity are closely related. When we suffer stagnation of spiritual life, we search tor the reason in neglect of Church feUowship or worship, the reading of God s Word or of the sacraments; but the) reason will just- as often be found in our failure to do justly, and .to love mercy in our social relation. God deals with us as we deal with ourselves. As we honour ourselves by keeping ourselves pure, God honours us by abundance of grace and' peace there is a true sense in which He accepts us according to our own valuation. How can we expect the gifts of God to be multiplied to us when we show little sense of His grace and o-ood-ness in the Splendid gifts already summed up in our personality? If we defile the temple of God, which temple we are, how can we expect the Lord of the temple to reveal Himself in indwelling light, i-iclies and gladness. If we would realise the fulness of the blessing, wc-i must respect; ourselves and keep from iniquity —W.L.W. A PRAYER. Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as lie rightful; that we who cannot do anything that is good without Thee may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.