DEVOTIONAL COLUMN.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 July 1933, Page 6

DEVOTIONAL COLUMN.

Precept. Watc-h, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth cometh. Matt. 24, 42. Promise. * "Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Heb. 9, 28. Prayer. Lord, I am ready to go with Thee. Luke !22, 23. PRAYER'S HOLY GHOST ETFECTUALNESS. (By J. Hudson Taylor.) A young man had been called to the foreign field. He had not been in the habit of preaching, .but he knew one thing, how to prevail with God; and going one day to a friend lie said: "I don't see how God can use me on the field. I have no special talent." His friend said: "By brother, God wants men on the field who can pray. There are too many preachers now and too few prayers." He went. In his own room in the early dawn a voice was heard weeping and pleading for souls. AH through the day, the shut door and the hush that prevailed made you feel like walking softly, for a soul was wrestling with God. To this home, hungry souls would flock, drawn by some irresistible power. In the morning hours some would call and say: "I have gone by your home so many times and have longed to come in. Wall you tell me 'how I can be saved?" Or from some distant place another would call saying: "I heard you would tell us here how we might find heartrest."

All, the mystery was unlocked. In the secret chamber lost souls were pleaded for and claimed. The Holy Ghost knew just where they were and sent them along. Mark tihis: If all who read these lines would thus lay •hold on God, with the holy violence and unconquerable persistence of faithfilled prayer, a good many things would give way, against which we have been beating with our puny human, wisdom and power in vain. The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity in any church. If we want to see mighty wonders of Divine grace and power wrought in the 'place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let the whole Church answer God's standing challenge: "Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jer. 33: 3).

SPIRITUAL BREVITIES. Arm-chair criticism ie not a mark of godliness. God demands a whole heart,, but He accepts a broken one. He who preaches a joyless Gospel preaches a fruitless Gospel. When men speak ill of thee, live so that no one will believe them. The place of strength is always that of being forced to lean upon God. It is only the Infinitely Wise and tie supremely ignorant who never change. The Lord cannot have communion with a defiled saint, but He can- and will cleanse him. He that gives up truth to-day will be prepared to give up Christ to-mor-row, except God steps in with His special grace. He that would refrain his foot from walking in a forbidden path must first refrain his heart from approving of the same.

Nothing so blinds the judgment to the weight of adverse considerations as the desire to substantiate a preconceived idea. WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO-DAY? We shall do much in the years to come, But what have we done to-day? We shall give our gold in a princely sum, But what did we -give to-day? We shall lift the heart and dry the tear, We shall plant a hope in the place of fear, We shall speak the words of love and cheer, But what did we speak to-day? We shall reap such joys in the by and by. But what have we sown to-day? We shall build us mansions in the sky, But what have we built to-day?

'Tis sweet in idle dreams to mask, But here and now, do we our task? For this is ,the thing our souls must ask ; ' Wihat have rwe done to-day? A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY. Monday — Hebrew Benediction: The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. —Numbers 6:24, 25, 26. Tuesday — Way to Life: He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to -walk humbly with thy God? —Micah 6:8. Wednesday — Finding the Bight Way: Seek ye the Lord while he may tbe found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the ° wicked forsake his way, and the tin-

righteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.—leaiah 55:6, 7. Thursday — The Peace of God: The peace of God, which passe'th all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:7. Friday — Love Destroys Fear: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. —1 John 4: 18. Saturday—^ Abundantly Satisfied: How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of .thy wings. They Shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of uhy pleasures.—Psalm 36: 7, 8.