DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 110, 9 April 1932, Page 11

DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

PRAYER. 0 God, the King of righteousness and love, lead us we pray Thee in the ways of justice and of peace; inspire us to break down tyranny and oppression, to gain for every man and woman their due opportunity, and from everyone their due service, that each may live for all and all may care for each; in the name of Jesus Christ— Amen. GOODNESS AND MERCY. Psalm 23: 6. Goodness and mercy, surely, Like guardian angels bright Shall garrison securely Our hearts; and guide aright. Goodness and mercy ever Shall follow up our path; And all our days will never Abandon us in wrath. Goodness, is God’s provision . Stored deep in Jesus Christ, For every known condition; Riches of grace unpriced. Mercy, is proof unfailing Of His forgiving love; Of our High Priest prevailing Within the courts above. Goodness and mercy lure us To run with joy, the race; And then, at length, ensure us A glorious dwelling-place. THE GREATEST DIFFICULTY. When James Harvey was a young curate he frequently talked - with a wise old ploughman named Clayton. One day the subject under discussion was this; “What is the greatest impediment to spiritual growth and happiness?” The curate said: “Surely to renounce our sinful self.” “No,” said the ploughman, “the greatest difficulty is to renounce our righteous self.” “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall Ho appear the second time, without sin unto Salvation.” Heb. ix., 28. “The Second Coming has a meeaning for God, a meaning for the Church, a moaning for Israel as a nation, a meaning for the Gentile nations and all unregenerate men, a meaning for Satan and a meaning for the whole creation. It means that God will yet be glorified in the earth by man (Isa. xl., 5; Matt, xxiv., 30). It means that the spiritual unity among all true believers will be perfectly manifest and that we shall be like Christ ‘for we see Him as He is.’ It means that Israel shall be brought back to her own land and the Jews will become the greatest evangelists the world has ever known (Rom. xi., 12). It means that sin will be expelled from the earth in that day and peace and blessing will be diffused among all nations, wrong will be righted, wars shall cease. Christ shall take the Kingdom and rule.”

“EVEN SO, COME LORD JESUS!” Rev. J. C. Sisemire. . Psalm 12. “Give ear, 0 Shepherd of Israel.”— A short, sharp cry for help is raised by David as lie sees, actually, or in vision, God’s true witnesses growing sol scarce that they can hardly be found, and a godly generation superseded by a godless ofie. He has listened to the daily converse around him, and his heart sickens as he discerns nothing but vanity (or falsehood) flattery and pride. The fawning lips are, to him, a certain index to the double heart within; a heart meditating rebellion against all authority, and trusting to the serpent wiliness of honeyed speech to accomplish its evil designs (v. 4). So much does David hear, but God on high is aware of much more, even of oppression and sighing, and plots to ensnare the poor and needy (v. 5, margin), and He suddenly speaks, declaring His intention of answering His servant’s prayer. In contrast with the shifting sands of falsehood and conniption all around, God’s words shine out, eternally true and steadfast, though submitted to the most searching tests again and again. Meditating upon His unchanging truth David finds comfort in the certainty—not that GocPs children can keep themselves, but that Ho will keep them for over, though the wicked walk on every side and sin is enthroned in the earth. Food for thought: “They shall never perish neither shall any mdn pluck tnem out of My hand.” | CHOSEN IN HIM. “Chosen in Him before the foundation of the world,” therefore known by Him “before the foundation of the world,” and everything known with a view to an absolute, unchanging purpose; everything in our lives falling into the line of that purpose —all our afflictions, all our trials, all our joys, all our conflicts, all our temptations, all our failures, all our shortcomings, and, singular as it may seem, all our sins. He can bend the will of devils to

effect the same. llcm' different this makes our life, viewed in the light of God’s everlasting designs, and gives us to hear with fortitude or thankfulness whatever He sends, all things working “together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” THE LORD’S HOUSE. “My house shall he called the House of Prayer.”—St. Mark xi. 17. “In all places -where I record My name I will e ’o hoe, and will bless thee.” —Ex. xx. 24. Here may ... - ..ie power of prayer To strengthen faith and sweeten caw, To teach our faint desires to rise And bring all heaven before our eves. “Lorcl, I have loved Thy house.”— Psa. xxvi. 8.