DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 28, 3 January 1931, Page 11

DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

THE PRESENCE THAT NEVER FAILETH.

“The Lord thy God hath been with thee.” Deut. 2:7. “The Lord Thy God is with thee.’ Josh. 1:9. . - “The Lord thy God will- be with thee.” 1 Chron. 28:20. The new untried year is here. The passage of time, with its reminder of human mortality., and solemn entail of responsibility to God, should make an impression, moral and spiritual, upon all our hearts. To face these new things may fill us a little with fear. No matter how hard or difficult tho old year lias been wo now know tho worst that it has for us. Of the new we know not what awaits us.

These three texts however bring a three-fold message that ought to thrill every one who knows God, the Lord. “Tliy God hath been —is—will be with thee.” OUR UNCHANGING GOD. “I am the Lord, I change not.” (Malachi 3:6; Heb. 1:11, 12). Life is changing, changing ever, As the seasons come and go; Friends we loved no longer with us, Thus ’tie ever so; But Jehovah changeth never, Nothing from His love can sever. All around is swiftly fading, Fading as an autumn leaf; Earthly fame and earthly honour, All below is brief; But Jehovah changeth never, He abides the same for ever.

Yes 1 below there’s naught remaineth All is frail and fleeting here; ■But this word our soul sustaineth, This our path doth cheer: That Jehovah changeth never, Nothing from His love can sever. ONLY ONE TO SPEND. I saw a tiny little boy in a candy store. He wandered from case to case with the utmost gravity, studying each assortment with deep seriousness.

His mother, tired of waiting, called to him, “Hurx-y up, son, spend your money. AVe must be going.” To this he replied, “But, mamma, I’ve only one penny to spend and I’ve got to spend it carefully.” That little lad had learned a great lesson of life. if he had had a pocket full of pennies he could have afforded to- be careless in the spending of one. But he had only one. That the problem serious. I wonder if he will spend Iris life as carefully. If I had ten lives to invest I could afford to spend one of them perhaps, in merely having a good time, or in only making money.. But I have only one. I must make it count for the most.

I cannot afford to invest my one life in every passing whim and fancy. I must learn to see the difference between the good and .the necessary. My time, my energy, my strength and my talents are too sacred to be thrown carelessly about. I have but. one life to invest. 1 must consider it carefully. The Christian Church exists as an evidence that the gospel of salvation was really meant for tire whole world. This gospel has met and satisfied the need and the hope of human nature for pardon and communion with God, and it is meeting them to-day. Millions exult in their present faith and die at peace and in hope of a blessed and an everlasting life. The Bible and the church are the foundation of this faith and peace and hope. The history of Israel is continued in the history of the Christian Church. He who attacks one attacks both. United . they stand, divided they fall. Unitedly they present a reasonable foundation for the belief that God has never left Himself without a witness that He loves mankind and will have all men to believe and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”—Robert Dick AVilson, Ph.D., D.D. BISHOP HANDLEY MOULE. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15. No believer can be absorbed in Godlikeness and at the same time engrossed in worldliness. He will see that some things divide attention, divert affection, and make spiritual duties and delights distasteful; and he will naturally 'turn from ,;them. Godly people are always conspicuous for faith, for simple faith. They begin by the simple receiving from Him of salvation; then they advance a stage further, and learn the secret of reckoning on Him for all He promises; and then they find it easy to advance to the point of riskiing everything for Him, whom they find can be reckoned to keep His word. His truth is His troth. —A. T. PIERSON, D.D.

“WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE ' HEALED.” (By Rev. James M. Gray, D.D.) My sins laid open to the rod The back which from the law was free; And the eternal Son of God Received the stripes once due to me.

Nor beam was in His eye, nor mote, Nor laid to Him was any blame; And yet His cheeks for me were smote Tire cheeks that never blushed for shame.

I pierced those sacred hands and feet That never touched or w'alked in sin; I broke the heart ,tliat only beat The souls of sinful men to win.

That sponge of vinegar and gall Was placed by me upon His tongue; And when derision mocked His call I stood that mocking crowd among.

And yet His blood was shed for me, To be of sin the double cure; And balm there flows from Calvary’s

tree That heals my guilt and makes me pure.

HOW CAN THE CHURCH EVANGELISE THE WORLD.

(1) By Missionaries. “Do we pray ‘Thy Kingdom come’; but never say ‘Here am I, send me?’ ’’ “Whilst vast continents are shrouded in almost utter darkness, and hundreds of millions suffer the horrors of heathenism, the burden of proof lies upon you to show that’ the circumstances. in which God has placed you were meant by Him to keep you out of the foreign mission field.” (Falconer). “How shall they hear without a preacher?” (2) By Money. Every church should support at the verv least two pastors, one at home ana one abroad. No investment in the world promises such returns as missions. Every dollar sent to the foreign field is treasure laid up in heaven. “Not how much of my money will I give to God, but, How much of God’s money will I keep for myself?” “How shall they preach except they be sent?”

(3) By Prayer. “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” By a careful study of missions it i*

possible to spend a short time every day in each of the great foreign fields.

“Pray, ye the Lord of the harvest that He will thrust forth laborers into His harvest.”

Upon the Church of Jesus Christ rests the responsibility of praying out missionaries and praying in money.