Devotional Column

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 156, 4 July 1936, Page 13

Devotional Column

TRUE WORSHIP. Worship of God is not left to man’s option. God’s Word enjoins it. Over ami over again in the Psalms we are called upon to worship God (Psa. 45; 11; GG: 4; 05: G; 90: 5,9). The Lord Jesus summed up the matter of worship for us when he said, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy. God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4: 10). And God not only desires but seeks man’s worship. To the Samaritan woman at the well, the Lord said: “The hour comcth, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father iu spirit and in truth; for the Father scckctb such to worship Him.” (John 4: 23). God has created man that he might glorify Him (Rom. 14: 8; 1 Cor. 10: 31), and one of the ways in which •vc may glorify God is through worship. “REVIVAL.” Vj want a revival, a revival we need, That saints shall awaken, and sinners take heed. 0 Lord our Creator, our Father and God, Pour out the revival as proclaimed iu Thy Word. A mighty revival, revival we sing, Praise to Ilis greatness, Jcsu3 our King, A mighty revival, shout revival ouoe Acre, Till the echo “revival” resounds shore to shore.

'Tis in that sweet portion, Three-Mala-chi-tcu, That Heaven’s rich blessing shall pour out on men, So now wo are praying that ready we’ll be, For the mighty revival, coming right down from Thee.. —E. W. Gillman. EZRA'S PRAYER. “I fell upon my knees,” Christ fell cu His face and prayed. Soul agony has i‘ degrees. We bow the head, bend thw knees, or lie prostrate before Uod a- best suits our inward distress. Infinite is the distance between His agony and ours. The more we realize that God, u..d God alone, can help, the more we shall be found iu the room of the throne of grace. More real blessing comes t ; » this world from tho mercy seat than from earthly judgment seats. God’s approval annuls all tho damage done by the world’s frown. When we call upon Him our enemies retire. Pray for all church prayer meetings. OUTSIDE.

(By M. Manningtou Dexter.) ACTS 3 : 2. Llark 1 Do you bear them weeping iu the dark outside gate! Lame are they, and sin-sick, and 10, the ho' is late. Hark? Do you hear the inusiv ring in tho House of Prayer?— And these beyond the threshold lost in their dark despair. Hark ! Do you hear God calling to the worshippers within, “Go to My lost ones lying crippled and bound by sin; To them belongs the music, aud grace of lifted prayer; They lie at the gate of My temple, will you leave them lying there?” Still take the name of Jesus, and the lame shall hear aud leap; Still take the name of Jesus to the souls that sin and weep, Till in through the gate to the temple shall pascs a resistless tide Of the lame, who once in their sorrow ■lay iu the dark outside. A GENERAL’S FAVOURITE. General Robert E. .Leo was a man of a fervent religious spirit, and those who were associated with him iu war and in peace recognised the deeply devotional nature of the military man and educator. Two books he constantly used were the Bible aud the Book of Common Prayer. Ilis favourite hymn revealed his noble Christian spirit :

How firm a foundation, .ye saints of the Lord, [s laid for your faith in His excellent word ! At the limo of his funeral the assembled company sang this hymn. Men of such different tastes as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson delighted in this hymn, and at the funeral services of each of these great American leaders the same hymn was sung. . A man's life means : tender teens, teachable twenties, tireless thirties, fiery forties, forcible fifties, serious eighties, shortening breath, the sod, God. A little boy was asked to explain forgiveness. He gave this beautiful answer : “It is the odour that flowers urea the when they are trampled upon,”