SUNDAY READING.
"LIFT UP NOW THINE EYES." A Divine command for the soul longing for blessing. Shall we take it as God's message to us for the New Year a To whom were the words originally addressed? To a man who had obeyed God's call. God had said unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy Father's house, unto a land that I will show thee." "By faith Abraham . . . obeyed; and he went, out not knowing whether he went" (Heb. xi. 8). It is to those who have thus far responded to the Divine call that this message comes to-day. Conversion precedes instruction. Again, the words came to a man who had had revealed to him God's will. "And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land." We may see God's purpose concerning us, though as yet we may realise littleor nothiugof His blessing. The Scriptures are a revelation of God's will touching His purposes of grace towards fallen man. We may have a clear view of what He wills, though as yet we may not enjoy what He bestows. When a man comes into an estate he reads the will, and he sees that the property is his. But seeing this or possessing the will is not the same thing as holding the property. So to see what God's purpose is, and to have the Scriptures, is not the same thing as to know that we possess Christ as our present inheritance.
To those, therefore, who in simple faith have obeyed God's call, and have seen someiiing of His purposes of love towards them, this Divine message comes: "Lift up now thine eyes." Look up. Those who are weighed down by care or who are walking by sight are looking down"Lift up now thine eyes." It may be the act of a moment. A lifetime spent in gloom and sadness may suddenly be transformed into one of joy ana gladness simply by a change of attitude. Attitude and attainment are not the same. How many who are sincere • and earnest resemble that woman we read of in Luke's Gospel: There was a woman which h;,d a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, _ and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself." But power came to her with the command of Christ, so that she obeyed, and "immediately she was made straight, and glorified God' (Luke xiii. 13). This oommand came to Abraham, however, "after that Lot was separated from him." Lot was no help spiritually to Abraham. On the contrary, he was a hindrance. How many are let and hindered by the companionship, not, it may be, of those who openly reject Christ, but. of those who, though professing to be His disciples, are worldly-minded, ana carnal in their thoughts and desires. There is one thing contained in these words that is especially encouraging : " Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art." How often we have sighed because we did not stand where some brother or sister, whose lives we had envied, were standing 1 No, it is from the place where thou art. The Lord is willing to deal with you as you are—in your present circumstances. Of course, it is assumed that you have come out of the old position (like Abraham) into the new. You are a Christian ; you stand in Christ. But you have, it may be, but little knowledge. Your experience is dot a bright one; your life is not a triumphant one. As you look back upon the year that is past you are filled with shame and confusion of face. Still, your | only plea is Christ, in all His matchless perfection—the Lord your Righteousness. Well, "Lift up now thine eyes and look" from that place of safety and acceptance "where thou art." When God bids us " look" we may be sure there is something that is worth seeing something that we cannot behold without receiving a blessing. From that point of safety—it matters not which way we look—we shall behold a land of plenty ou every side—"northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward." And as we behold the rich pastures, and abounding resources of grace and glory that lie before us, how gladdening it is to hear the Lord say, " All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it!" It is one thing, however, to see clearly God's provisions and gifts for us in Christ ; it is another thing daily to be appropriating them. And so God adds another command : "Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it, and in the breadth of it." Abraham was not to confine himself to one or two favourite spots in the land, however sacred these spots may have become because of their hallowed associations- He was to walk through the whole land. It was in this way it became his, in a sense that it was not before, though God had given it to him. " Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that have I given unto you" were the Lord's words to Joshua centuries afterwards (Joshua i. 3). Justification by faith is a hallowed spot to the believer and sometimes he is temptedto keep so exclusively to that snot that he refuses to go to other parts of the land of his inheritance. To such a one let the message come to-day : " Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art." And not only look and see the gracious provisions for a life of fruitfulness, and power, and victory, but take possession of them. " Arise, walk through the land." May this year, dear reader, be a season in your life, marked by an enrichment of soul, and a fulness of grace in your experience and walk, such as you have never known before. This can only come to pass as we hear the Lord's call, to " look up" and see what an abundance He has bestowed upon us in Christ; and, as we obey His command, to " Arise" and take possession of our possessions.
• "DO THE NEXT THING." [BY REV. JOHN BRASH.] Many believers begin the New "tfear in solemn renewal of their covenant with God. While some are encouraged to do this by the recollection of victories won, others are saddened by the remembrance of similar acts of consecration, quickly followed by a relapse into the old life of alternate liberty and bondage, sunshine and cloud. ■ Amid various reasons for their failure the chief probably is that, in their daily walk, they were not careful to "do the next thing." They trustfully yielded themselves to God through Christ, and received the blessed token of their acceptance, but did not " walk in the light" of steady obedience. In things which seemed to them insignificant they consulted inclination rather than duty. Instead of taking up each cross as it was presented, some they chose to bear, others they passed by. The duties that were pleasant were performed, while those that were unpleasant were allowed to lie over until a more. convenient - season, and in the end altogether neglected. * We.are, sanctified, as we are justified, by faith; bps where there is heart condemnation sanctifying faith is impossible, t, This * condemnation is incurred by the doing, not only of doubtful things, but of right' things at a wrong time. Sometimes "the next thing" is irksome; we therefore do the next bat one, conscious . all * the while that we are grieving the Holy Spirit. In its turn it would be right, out of its turn it is wrong. Perhaps the next thing", is retirement for meditation and prayer, while the next but one. is the newspaper. But the order is reversed, and the result is spiritual dead"W '■% Conscience is uneasy, and prayer is
hindered by the disquieting knowledge th V the gratification of curiosity has been n ferred to fellowship with God. "Then? 6 * thing" is a letter to a friend but we , distrustful of our ability to write it satisfy tordy,' and therefore take up other wort" which f.n its turn is inefficiently done becau*' of the feeling which haunts us that weouJ!? to be otherwise employed. "The next thin"' is preparation for the pulpit, or the Sunday school class; but wo shrink from the mental strain, and' glide into occupation requirin' less effort, and that which -ought to hav been " the next thing" is at last done hastily and imperfectly, bringing physical exhaj tion and perturbation of spirit, besides rob bing us of the quiet hour that? should ha*e been spent in seeking heart preparation and asking the Master's blessing. "The next thing" is to carry help and "consolation to a sick or poor neighbour; but an interesting book lies at the elbow, or the company j« congenial, and the neighbour pines awayir loneliness. "The next thing is to speak seriously to a friend on his spiritual condi. tion ; but we easily persuade ourselves thai the opportunity is not favourable, and evtrv thing else we do is spoiled by the oppressive conviction that we are neglecting a clearlv revealed, duty. y Then " do the next thing," and "doit heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men " If it be done " heartily" it is more likely to be done quickly and well. , And if it be done " as to the Lord" it will be done with a quiet mind. Men are often unreasonable. They are ignorant of our difficulties-aiul disqualifications. A dozen men, if consulted, would map out for as a dozen different modes of spending the same day. He who seeks to please them all may wear his life away and find that he has pleased none. But God's knowledge of our circumstances and capabilities is perfect. He never requires that we shall be in two places at once, nor docs He so crowd His commands upou us that the work must be hurriedly and inefficiently done. If we set Him always before us we may not attain to our ideal, and may often be disappointed with the result of our efforts, but the disappointment will not irritate or depress the spirit. iTrettulness over incompetency usually proceeds from wounded self, love, and is an indication that submission te the will of God is not complete. Sometimes the accumulation of work wait, ing to be done is so heavy that the heart sinks at the sight of it; but if, instead of looking at the mountain, we heartily do "the next thing" we shall soon be surprised to find how rapidly it is disappearing, and how greatly the task" before us had been magnified by our fears. And if " the next thing" be done " as to the Lord" we shall not be annoyed at interruptions in our work, nor shall we be slaves to that "lust of finishing" which is almost as mischievous as slothfulness. Plans we must have; but, acknowledging the providence of God in ail the events of life, we shall ever be ready to lay aside for a time our plans, that we may take up His. Any attentive reader ojj the Gospels will see how entirely the life of our great Pattern was regulated by this ' rule, and how ready He was to take up the work that Providence laid in His path. "Do the next thing ;" and while thus giving to Christ, every day and all day long, all you have to give—that is your will, for doing or suffering, you will find it easy to take by faith from Christ all He has to give—a constant and full salvation from sin.
SOME THOUGHTS ON HOW TO MAKE IT A HAPPY NEW YEAR. I. Happy, because " happy is that people whose God is the Lord" (Psa. cxliv. 15), and " whoso trustcth in the Lord, happy is he" (Prov. xvi. 20). For " Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusted in Thee" (Isa. xxvi. 3). An officer in time of war bore testimony to his friend of being thus kept in perfect peace in the thickest of the fight, He said this text (Isa. xxvi. 3) was God's message to him all through the day. May it be His message to us, for the year; and let us seek to stand continually before Him, hearing His voice (11. Chron. ix. 7). 11. New creatures in Christ Jesus (11. Cor. v. 17). Old things will pass away, all things become new. A new heart is God's gift to us (Ezek. xxxvi. 26). Those who have not yet received this change, let them ask Him for it, and commence the year created anew in Christ Jesus. I heard of a little band of African women out in a small mission station in East Africa who met every week for prayer; and their earnest cry was that God would give them clean hearts, and then use them in His service. When we have this new heart, the Lord puts a new song in our mouth, so that many see it, and are led to trust in the Lord (Psa. xl. 3). Then being made free from sin (Rom. vL 22) we bear new fruit (Ezek. xlvii. 12). Oh, to bear fruit upward (Isa. xxxvii. 31) this year ! It will then he a Year of Jubilee (Lev. xxv. 13), because a year of liberty (Ezek. xlvi. 17). "If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Then it will be a Year of Rest, for Christ, who is our Shepherd, will lead us in green pastures, and by the waters of rest (Psa. xxiii. 2). .
"GO FORWARD." • Exod. sir. 15 ; Phil. iii. 13, 14. Not looking back, but pressing towards the mark, Although the road be rough, the night be dark. Go forward! Not looking round, but pressing towards the prize, Although the blinding spray, and billows rise, Go forward! Though mountain path be high, and steep, and long; Though thunder-voices gather loud and strong ; Go forward! High above all the clamour and the din, The crosses, losses, turmoil, and the sin, Go forward! For One is watching, waiting near the goal, Who beckons, " Come to Me for rest of soul; Come forward 1* Faith sees the victory won through every strife, Knows no defeat, but, straight with rigorous life,' Goes forward! Leaping the torrent where it cannot swim ; Spanning the gulf, and seeing only Him, Cries, " Forward? Reaches its object through the blinding rain; Through mist and mirage, misery and pain, Straight forward! Forward ! where weary hearts are sighing, breaking: Forward 1 where sin-sick souls are dying, achini;! Forward ! where He, our Lord and Master trod; Clothed in the armour of our living God ! Go forward! Rose Benn
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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9711, 5 January 1895, Page 4 (Supplement)
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2,478SUNDAY READING. New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9711, 5 January 1895, Page 4 (Supplement)
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