Devotional Column

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 133, 8 June 1935, Page 13

Devotional Column

Precept. Humble yourself in tho sight of the Lord. James 4, 10. Promise. He shall save tho humble person. Job. 22, 29. Prayer. O God, lift, up Thine hand: forget not the humblo. Psalm 10, 12.

THE FLOOD TEST OF CHARACTER. (End of Sermon on tlic Mount). Section 21.—Matthew 7. 24-29. 24. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doctli them, 1 will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25. And the rain descended, and the Hoods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 20. And every one that heareth these sayings if mono, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27. And the rain descended, and the Hoods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 28. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29. For lie taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes,

FINDING THE LORD. “Oil, that I know where I might find Him!” (Job xxiii. 3). ‘‘l want my muvvor!” cried a little lost child. The heart cries out till Christ is found, “L want a Saviour!” There arc many ways in which we need to' find Christ. 1. We need to find Him as the Saviour, as Zaccheus did (Luke xix. 9). 2. To find Him as our Righteousness as Paul did (Phil. iii. 9). 3. To find Him as our Lord, as Mary did (John xx. 1(3). 4. To find Him as the Cleanser, as the leper did (Mark i. 41). 5. To find Him as the Liberator, ns the demoniac did (Mark v. 13). (3- To find Him as the Satisfier, as Mary of Bethany did (Luke v. 15). 7. To find Him as the Power and Peace as the disciples did (John xx. 19-22).

“MY HOUSE LIETH WASTE.” “Is it time fo'r you, 0 ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, aud this house lie waste?” . . . “110 that carneth wages carneth wages to put into a hag with holes.” (Ilaggai 1: 4, 6)-. What is so mean as a purse with holes? Put in a shilling, and sec it drop, Falling at last on the level floor, Polling awhile until it stop. What is so mean as a life that’s lived Wholly for self, no thought of God, Deaf to (lie sound of the Saviour’s voice, Turning aside from the path He trod? Thing of your houses, trim and ceiled, Think of the fortunes spent on play, Think of the millions yet unsaved, And Christ is calling—why delay? —E. E. Trusted. GOD’S GREATNESS. lie givclk to all life, and breath, and all things.—Acts 17.25. God is great in great things, but very great in little things. A party stood on the Matterhorn admiring the sublimity of the scone, when a gentleman produced a pocket microscope, and having caught a fly, placed it: under the glass. He reminded us that the legs of the household lly in England were naked, then called attention to the legs of this little fly, which were thickly covered with hair, thus showing that the same Gee: who mado the lofty Swiss mountains attended to the comfort of the tiniest of His creatures, even providing socks and mittens for the little fly whose homo these moun tains were. This God is our God. —HY. DYER.

OUE UNCHANGING GOD. “I am the Lord, I change not.” — (Malachi 5:0; Hcb, 1:11, 12). Life is changing, changing ever, As the seasons come and go; Friends we loved no longer with us, Thus ’tis ever so; But Jehovah chaugeth 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 eliangeth never, He abides the same for over.

Yes! below there’s naught remaiuctli All is frail and fleeting here; But this word our soul sustoiueth, This our path doth cheer: That Jehovah chaugeth never, Nothing from His love can sever.