Devotional Column

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 181, 3 August 1935, Page 13

Devotional Column

PRAYER. Our Father/ we thank Thee that Thy AVord has made so plain the great central commandments that Thou wouldst have Thy children follow. AYo pray Thee that in our daily lives we may exemplify what Thou wouldst have as deep realities in our souls, our love toward Thee, and our love toward our neighbour. May we not think of ourselves as good citizens of our country unless we are also trusting Thee for the ability to live as good citizens of Thy Kingdom. May we realise that we have a place of duty and privilege in the community in which wo live, and may we show forth to others la word and in deed what Thou hast done for us through the Lord Jesus Christ, in whoso name we pray. Amen. Rulers are set up by God, and removed at His pleasure. “By Me kings reign. ” Christ is the .Prince (Heir) of Authority. The kingdoms of this world are all to bo His, He is the “King of kings and Lord of lords.” The duty of all in executive positions is to fear God, serve Christ, keep the laiv of God, study the Scriptures, advance the welfare of God’s Church, rule the people for God, and exalt righteousness. Pray that your prayers for all in authority may measure up to the full will of God. GOD’S LAW OE INCREASE. Luke 6:38. Jesus said: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into vour bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. “REST IN THE LORD.” (Psa. xxxvii, 7). “Rest in the Lord, He eaunot fail; His promise standeth sure: Though stars shall wane, and suns grow pale, His AVord shall now endure.” THE LIFE OF HOPE. (1 Peter 1:3-9). Hope makes the Christian unashamed and gives boldness iu witnessing for Christ. All believers have the same hope; but not always iu the same degree aud brightness. “Abound in hope.” “Hold fast.” Hope has glorious objects: Salvation, righteousness, Christ's return, the glorious resurrection, eternal life, and glory. Hope gives the Christian a song in the night, supports him under trial, and brings Christ clearer in view. Hope is the Christian’s guiding star.

ABOUNDING GRACEHe giveth more grace when the burdens are greater, lie sendeth more strength when the labours increase; To added affliction, Ho addeth His mercy, To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. AVlicii we have exhausted our store of endurance, AVhcu our strength has failed ere the day is half done, AY he n we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father’s full giving is only bcgUll. Ilis love lias no limit, His grace has uo measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out. of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth and giveth and giveth again. Annie Johnson Fli f . FAITH IN ACTION. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.—Hob. !-, I, 2. lIOAV FAITH WORKS. Christ the Object of faith gives faith all its value. But tho value of faith therefore is incalculable and eternal. For in practice it means just this: Christ, relied on by mo a sinner, who immeasurably needs Him. “taitli in Christ Jesus” is tho soul’s rest, underiving always its true action. —Bishop H. C. G. Moulc. Faith links a. man to Christ, so that he is uo more a mere 'common man, with only his own poor feeble strength, but is more than a man—a. man whom Christ is using, behind whom Christ’s omnipotent energy is working . . . Then His power. His wisdom, His skill, His thoughts, His love shall flow through our souls, our brains, our hearts, our finders. That is working by faith. —J. R. Miller, D.D.

WITNESSES. "Blind Chance is God/' to me the Devil said; “This life is all and unto darkness goes, "As from the dark it came." Then, Spirit-led, I prayed for light, and God gave me a rose, Whose petals were engraven with His name, And witnessed to His Word, with tongues of flame. Day after day God sent, to me His sign, Iu "eyes that looked so tenderly in mine, The gleams of love eternal I could sec. God is, God loves, I knew; hut could my heart, So far, so sinful, in that love have part? T saw a. cross where One was lifted high, The sun was darkened and the earth was moved; 1 heard a voice that said: "For You I die." I knew .Redemption’s story, "God eo loved.” Now, at the cross for me the Light has shone; The blood of Jesus signs God's love my own. "The Jailer . . made their feet fast in the stocks. Paul cried ... do thyself no harm." Acts 16:24. 2S.

PRAYER. Our Father, may we not be confused by wrong ideas of what constitutes good citizenship. Help us, we prayThee, to go far deeper and far higher than that when wo are thinking of our duty- to our neighbour, and to tan governments under which we live. May we not be recreant iu our duties toward the country of our allegiance, but may we test all our acts by the fact tuat we are pilgrims and strangers as Christians, while related in numerous ways to the life about us. May we trcathca finer atmosphere through the life of the Spirit, than the earthly life of itself would make possible, and may we rejoice that Thou dost count ur--,: i us to put away from our thinking and our doing the things that arc unwoithy and unclean, and to live in the light of Thy presence and Thy love day by day. AYo ask it in Thy dear name, Lord J.esus. Amen. HE AVENT ABOUT DOING GOOD. Matthew 4.23, 2-1. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching iu their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 24. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they- brought uuto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. THE GREATNESS OF CHRIST IN MARK 5. The Un tameable Tamed, verses 1-15. The Incurable Cured, verses 23 34. The Impossible verses 2223; 35-43. The l’ower of Sin, verse 4. The Blague of Sin, verses 25-20. The Penalty of Sin, verse 35. Christ’s Bower over Heinous, verse S; power over Disease, verses 2729, 34; power over Death, verses 41-42. The Demoniac was hopeless, verse 4; helpless, verso 3; homeless, verse Christ available for man, verse 15; woman, verse 34; child, verse. 42. As to the woman, wo get—-the trouble, verses 25-20; the touch, verses 27-29: the truth, verse 33. A Great Herd, verse 1L Great Things, verse 19. Great Astonishment, verse 42. EL SHADDAI. Gen: xvii. Rev: I.S. Deep down into the depths of this fhyName, My God I sink, and dwell in calm de light: Thou art enough however long the day: Thou art enough however dark the night, Thou art my God—the AU-Sullicienfc Cue, Thou eanst create for me what’er 1 lack; Having Thyself, I have a sure supply. Thy mighty hand has strewn tho backward track, AVitli miracles of love and tender care For me, Thy trusting one. My God, I dare Once more to fling myself upon Thy Breast, Aud here adore Thy ways in faith’s deep, quiet rest. HIS FATHER’S WILL. A God-fearing old man was one daywalking to church with a New Testament in his hand, when a friend who met him said: “Good-morning, Air. Price! 1 ’ “Ah! Good-morning!” replied he. “I am reading my Father’s will as I walk along.” “Well, what lias he left you?” said his friend. “Why, he has bequeathed me a hundred-fold more iu this life, and iu the world to conic life everlasting!”

“TURNED INTO A BLESSING.” : (“Howbcit our God turned the curse into a blessing.”—Nell. xiii. 2.) Turned into a blessing! AVhat The curse! The thing which in itself could not be worse. Turned into a blessing! Strange indeed, and odd, Till we reflect ’twas by Almighty God. Turned into a blessiug! Not removed! A richer, grander, sovereign work thus proved! Not the withdrawing of an evil pest, — But the transforming to a thing most blest! Turned into a blessing! Can it be That He AYho wrought for them can work for me 2 Can take the thing so evil, and so strange, And to a gem of blessing can it change? Yes, into a blessing He can turn The things which make us bleed, or which so buru; Those evil things, which seem to so molest, He can transform, —to make us still more blest. J. Hanson Smith.