Everyman’s Hut

Camp News, Volume 1, Issue 32, 19 July 1940, Page 5

Everyman’s Hut

jide with me; fast falls ■ the eventide ; . 7 ie darkness deepens ; Lord, with me abide; hen other helpers fail, and comforts flee, ilp of the helpless, oh, abide with me.” 7 . : Vhat a picture of the world is preted in this verse. The sun of and prosperity is hidden behind i black clouds of war and confusion, iiging darkness over the face of ; earth. For . many peoples the day freedom is approaching its even- . and the night of bondage t<? ruthless tyrant is beginning to (pen. Ahead lies the gloom with one star of hope to be seen. Help<relied upon have failedeveryv ig seems to be lost. Our own na.7, which for long has stood as the tnpion of the oppressed and the 4er of the helpless, has had to fall < and for the time being, abandon 11 nations to a common' enemy,— $ more, she is even now steeling eijelf for an onslaught of fury, from . e? that knows no honour or reason, it: cold blooded cruelty and force, ?e the birds of prey are preparing ounce upon the possessions which" ■ be snatched away with safety ng the conflict. Where then are to look for help, for surely the “its of the past nine months should once anyone that “vain is the help .khan!” It is easy to say “Look t he Lord, the helper of the help--1(7 but the sober truth is that since var of 1914-1918, the world in •al, including our own nation, has glected and turned from and des- ' God, that we have not yet reacha*e stage and condition where we r ook to Him. We still hope for F. turn in the international situ<®|to give us victory, we still hope cca-ist hope that everything, will turn Alright in the long run, and so we ent I , not yet reached the state of heir essness necessary before God line intreated. He is the helper of [ii helpless, not of those who think iel own strength is sufficient - to jijiZ them through. Many are prayir jfor victory without fulfilling the itions necessary to ensure victory, s. the individual so is the nation. ir) ftwo thieves at Calvary are symof the people of our nation jjjiy. The evil threatening us is dialso against the £hrist Himj We have all been thieves in our ■ude towards God. Content in our self sufficiency, we have neglectcis claims on us —more —we have - n to ourselves the credit for prosj f[ ty that has come to us only •ugh the goodness of God working /ugh the forces of nature. And J' We stand condemned ‘ and in our .unity we cry to God. Many are the unrepentant thief “save Thy- ' , and us.” We’re in trouble, get l; out with as little loss , and discomJ as possible, save our skins, so can still go on the old way, living . ourselves and thieving from God.

But there are those who realise that they are suffering justly, reaping the due reward of their sins, but with the assurance that Christ lives and in His own time will give the victory and will establishd His power over all. And with repentant hearts to God for past sins and neglect and with the sincere desire to cleave to Him in the days to come, no matter what has to be endured they can pray “Lord remember us.” Oh, that these words might find a resting place in our every heart. “Righteousness” (not self-righteousness, but the righteousness of a humble, contrite heart) “righteousness exalteth a nation.” Therein lies the path to victory. Let us, therefore, all who know these things — band together in earnest prayer and example, that our nation may speadily be brought to helplessness before God at no matter what cost, that in His strength we may be exalted.

On Sunday evening Mr., Gordon Blair spoke on “Fulfilled prophecies” illustrated with slides, showing how the . judgments of God against those who rejected Him and the blessings on those who received Him had been fulfilled down' through the ages, closing with a beautiful slide of Holman Hunt’s “Light of the World” and calling upon the men to clear away the vines of sin and open the door of their hearts ere He leaves them for ever. May they be given grace and courage to obey. /