=April 17th.=
_It is God which worketh in you, both to will and to
do of His good pleasure. Phil. ii. 13._
Full salvation is to realize that everything we see in Christ, our
Example, may be ours, not by imitation, but by reproduction.--_Selected._
=April 18th.=
_Lo, I am with you all the days. Matt, xxviii. 20. (R.
V., margin.)_
"ALL THE DAYS"--in winter days, when joys are fled; in sunless days,
when the clouds return again and again after rain; in days of sickness
and pain; in days of temptation and perplexity, as much as in days when
the heart is as full of joy as the woodlands in spring are full of song.
That day never comes when the Lord Jesus is not at the side of His
saints. Lover and friend may stand afar, but He walks with them through
the fires; He fords with them the rivers; He stands by them when face to
face with the lion. We can never be alone. We must always add His
resources to our own when making our calculations.--_F. B. Meyer._
=April 19th.=
_Having . . . boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus . . . let us draw near with a true heart.
Heb. x. 19, 22._
Oh, the glory of the message! For fifteen centuries Israel had a
sanctuary with a Holiest of All, into which, under pain of death, no one
might enter. Its one witness was: Man cannot dwell in God's presence;
cannot abide in His fellowship. And now how changed is all! As then the
warning sounded: "No admittance! enter not!" so now the call goes forth:
"Enter in! the veil is rent; the Holiest is open; God waits to welcome
you to His bosom; henceforth you are to live with Him." This is the
message. Child! thy Father longs for thee to enter, to dwell, and to go
out no more forever.--_Andrew Murray._
=April 20th.=
_There stood by me this night the angel of God . . .
saying, Fear not, Paul. . . . God hath given thee all
them that sail with thee. Wherefore . . . be of good
cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it
was told me. Acts xxvii. 23, 24, 25._
An active faith can give thanks for a promise, though it be not yet
performed; knowing that God's bonds are as good as ready
money.--_Matthew Henry._
=April 21st.=
_In everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto
God. Phil, iv. 6._
The natural temptation with every difficulty is to plan for it, to put
it out of the way yourself; but stop short with all your planning, your
thinking, your worry, and talk to Him! "Cast thy burden upon the Lord,
and He shall sustain thee." You may not always be able to do this in a
moment or two. Then keep on with supplication until you know He has it,
and prayer becomes praise. Rest, trust, and wait, and see how He does
that which you wanted to do, and had so much care about. "Stand still
and see the salvation of the Lord."--_A. E. Funk._
=April 22nd.=
_They that wait upon the Lord shall . . . mount up with
wings as eagles. Isa. xl. 31._
All creatures that have wings can escape from every snare that is set
for them, if only they will fly high enough; and the soul that uses its
wings can always find a sure "way to escape" from all that can hurt or
trouble it.--_Smith._
=April 23rd.=
_Perfect love casteth out fear. 1 John iv. 18._
Fear and love rise up in antagonism to each other as motives in life,
like those two mountains from which respectively the blessings and
curses of the old law were pronounced--the Mount of Cursing all barren,
stony, without verdure and without water; the Mount of Blessing green
and bright with many a flower, and blessed with many a trickling rill.
Fear is barren. Love is fruitful. The one is a slave, and its work is
little worth. The other is free, and its deeds are great and precious.
From the blasted summit of the mountain which gendereth to bondage may
be heard the words of the law; but the power to keep all these laws must
be sought on the sunny hill where liberty dwells in love and gives
energy to obedience. Therefore, if you would use in your own life the
highest power that God has given us for our growth in grace, draw your
arguments, not from fear, but from love.--_Alex. McLaren._
=April 24th.=
_The love of Christ constraineth us. 2 Cor. v. 14._
The love of Christ is too large for any heart to hold it. It will
overflow into others' hearts: it will give itself out, give itself away,
for the enriching of other lives. The heart of Christ is a costly thing
for any one to have. It will lead those who have it where it led Him. If
it cost Him the cross, it will cost them no less.--_J. M. Campbell._
=April 25th.=
_I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying
unto thee, Fear not, I will help thee. Isa. xli. 13._
Don't try to hold God's hand; let Him hold yours. Let Him do the
_holding_, and you do the _trusting_.--_H. W. Webb Peploe._
=April 26th.=
_Consider how great things He hath done for you. 1
Sam. xii. 24._
Look back on all the way the Lord your God has led you. Do you not see
it dotted with ten thousand blessings in disguise? Call to mind the
needed succor sent at the critical moment; the right way chosen for you,
in stead of the wrong way you had chosen for yourself; the hurtful
thing to which your heart so fondly clung, removed out of your path; the
breathing-time granted, which your tried and struggling spirit just at
the moment needed. Oh, has not Jesus stood at your side when you knew it
not? Has not Infinite Love encircled every event with its everlasting
arms, and gilded every cloud with its merciful lining? Oh, retrace your
steps, and mark His footprint in each one! Thank Him for them all, and
learn the needed lesson of leaning more simply on Jesus.--_F.
Whitfield._
=April 27th.=
_He . . . said . . . I . . . hid thy talent in the
earth. . . . His Lord answered and said unto him, Thou
wicked and slothful servant. Matt. xxv. 24-26._
Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not
do, the danger is that we shall do nothing.--_Monod._
=April 28th.=
_To Him be glory both now and forever. 2 Pet. iii.
18._
Believer, you are anticipating the time when you shall join the saints
above in ascribing all glory to Jesus; but are you glorifying Him _now_?
The apostle's words are, "To Him be glory both _now_ and forever."--_C.
H. Spurgeon._
=April 29th.=
_Thou shall know that I am the Lord: for they shall
not be ashamed that wait for me. Isa. xlix. 23._
J. Hudson Taylor says: "Quiet waiting before God could save from many a
mistake and from many a sorrow."
=April 30th.=
_Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Matt. xv. 28._
Oh, the victories of prayer! They are the mountain-tops of the Bible.
They take us back to the plains of Mamre, to the fords of Peniel, to
the prison of Joseph, to the triumphs of Moses, to the transcendent
victories of Joshua, to the deliverances of David, to the miracles of
Elijah and Elisha, to the whole story of the Master's life, to the
secret of Pentecost, to the key-note of Paul's unparalleled ministry, to
the lives of saints and the deaths of martyrs, to all that is most
sacred and sweet in the history of the Church and the experience of the
children of God. And when, for us, the last conflict shall have passed,
and the footstool of prayer shall have given place to the harp of
praise, the spots of time that shall be gilded with the most celestial
and eternal radiance, shall be those, often linked with deepest sorrow
and darkest night, over which we have the inscription, "Jehovah-Shammah:
The Lord was there!"--_A. B. Simpson._
[Illustration: MAY]
=May 1st.=
_Thou art my God: early will I seek Thee. Psa. lxiii.
1._
In a world where there is so much to ruffle the spirit's plumes, how
needful that entering into the secret of God's pavilion, which will
alone bring it back to composure and peace! In a world where there is so
much to sadden and depress, how blessed the communion with Him in whom
is the one true source and fountain of all true gladness and abiding
joy! In a world where so much is ever seeking to unhallow our spirits,
to render them common and profane, how high the privilege of
consecrating them anew in prayer to holiness and to God.--_Archbishop
Trench._
=May 2nd.=
_In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John i. 4. Ye are the light of the world. Matt. v.
14._
In the light we can walk and work. We walk in the light and become
entirely children of light. We let our light, the light of God, shine,
so that men may see our good works, and glorify our Father in heaven.
Gently, silently, lovingly, unceasingly, we give ourselves to transmit
the light and the love God so unceasingly shines into us. Our one work
is to wait, and admit, and then transmit the light of God in
Christ.--_Andrew Murray._
=May 3d.=
_Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord. 1 Cor. xv. 58._
Activity in doing good is one recipe for being cheerful Christians; it
is like exercise to the body, and it keeps the soul in health.--_Bishop
Ryle._
=May 4th.=
_Looking up to heaven He sighed. Mark vii. 34._
Too often we sigh and look within; Jesus sighed and looked without. We
sigh, and look down; Jesus sighed, and looked up. We sigh, and look to
earth; Jesus sighed, and looked to heaven. We sigh, and look to man;
Jesus sighed, and looked to God.--_Stork._
=May 5th.=
_We glory in tribulations. Rom. v. 3._
Have you ever thought that some day you will never have anything to try
you or anybody to vex you again?--_A. B. Simpson._
=May 6th.=
_Set your affection on things above, not on things on
the earth. Col. iii. 2._
He who has his affections set on things above is like one who hangs on
by the skies; and, having a secure hold of these, could say, though he
saw the world roll away from beneath his feet, "My heart is fixed; my
heart is fixed; O Lord, I will sing and give praise!"--_Guthrie._
=May 7th.=
_The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
Luke xxiv. 34._
_They . . . gladly received (Peter's) word; and the
same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls. Acts ii. 41._
Before the Lord can use us in His service we must have close individual
dealing with Himself. He always will have to do in _secret_ with that
soul that He intends to use in blessing others.
Do you want to speak for Jesus to those around you? Then you must go to
Jesus Himself for your message. What you say _for_ Jesus must be got
_from_ Jesus.
Oh, how much breath falls powerless on every side because it has not
been inhaled in the sanctuary! We want more secret dealing with the
living God. We run without being sent: we speak before God has spoken to
us: no wonder we so often fail. Oh, what secret prayer and what
heart-searching discipline the heart needs before God can use it!--_F.
Whitfield._
=May 8th.=
_The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul.
Prov. xiii. 25._
Christ must satisfy; then, if we are not satisfied, it must be because
we are not feeding on Him wholly and only. The fault is not in the
provision which is made.--_Frances Ridley Havergal._
=May 9th.=
_Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth. Heb. xii. 6._
It has been well said that "earthly cares are a heavenly discipline,"
but they are even something better than discipline; they are God's
chariots, sent to take the soul to its high places of triumph. In the
Canticles we are told of "a chariot paved with love." We cannot always
see the love lining to our own particular chariot--it often looks very
unlovely; but every chariot sent by God must necessarily be paved with
love, since God is love. It is His love, indeed, that sends the chariot.
Look upon your chastenings, then, no matter how grievous they may be for
the present, as God's chariots, sent to carry your souls into the "high
places" of spiritual achievement and uplifting, and you will find that
they are, after all, "paved with love."--_Smith._
=May 10th.=
_The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from
all sin. 1 John i. 7._
Learn a lesson from the eye of the miner, who all day long is working
amid the flying coal dust. When he emerges in the light of day his face
may be grimy enough; but his eyes are clear and lustrous, because the
fountain of tears in the lachrymal gland is ever pouring its gentle
tides over the eye, cleansing away each speck of dust as soon as it
alights.
Is not this the miracle of cleansing which our spirits need in such a
world as this? And this is what our blessed Lord is prepared to do for
us by His cleansing blood, if only we will trust Him.--_F. B. Meyer._
=May 11th.=
_Whatsoever He sayeth unto you, do it. John ii. 5._
Florence Nightingale said: "If I could give you information of my life,
it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability has been led by
God in strange and unaccustomed paths to do in His service what He has
done in her. And if I could tell you all, you would see how God has done
all, and I nothing. I have worked hard, very hard, that is all; and I
have never refused God anything."
=May 12th.=
_I know how to abound. Phil. iv. 12._
It is a dangerous thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is
a less severe trial to the Christian than the refining-pot of
prosperity. It needs more than human skill to carry the brimming cup of
mortal joy with a steady hand; yet Paul had learned that skill, for he
declares, "In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be
hungry." When we have much of God's providential mercies it often
happens that we have but little of God's grace; satisfied with earth, we
are content to do without heaven. Rest assured, it is harder to know how
to be full than it is to know how to be hungry, so desperate is the
tendency of human nature to pride and forgetfulness of God. Take care
that you ask in your prayers that God would teach you "how to be
full."--_Spurgeon._
=May 13th.=
_Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he
that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke xiv. 11._
. . . If you ask the way to the crown--'tis by the cross; to the
mountain--'tis by the valley; to exaltation 'tis he that humbleth
himself.--_J. H. Evans._
=May 14th.=
_For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also
might be sanctified through the truth. John xvii. 19._
Do you remember, when Jesus was sitting with His disciples at the last
supper, how He lifted up His voice and prayed, and in the midst of His
prayer there came these wondrous words: "For their sakes I sanctify
myself, that they also might be sanctified"? Is there anything in all
the teachings that man has had from the lips of God that is nobler, that
is more far-reaching than that--to be my best not simply for my own
sake, but for the sake of the world? You can help your fellow-men--you
must help your fellow-men; but the only way you can help them is by
being the noblest and the best man that it is possible for you to
be.--_Phillips Brooks._
=May 15th.=
_He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a
city. Prov. xvi. 32._
More dear in the sight of God and His angels than any other conquest is
the conquest of self, which each man, with the help of heaven, can
secure for himself.--_Dean Stanley._
=May 16th.=
_For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me
my petition which I asked of Him: therefore also I
have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he
shall be lent to the Lord. 1 Sam. i. 27, 28._
God sometimes bestows gifts just that love may have something to
renounce. The things that He puts into our hands are possibly put there
that we may have the opportunity of showing what is in our heart. Oh,
that there were in us a fervor of love that would lead us to examine
everything that belongs to us, to ascertain how it might be made a means
of showing our affection to Christ!--_George Bowen._
=May 17th.=
_Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added
unto you. Matt. vi. 33._
We need have only one care, that we put the first thing
first--faithfulness to God. Then all else we need for both worlds will
be supplied. God will never fail us; but we forget, sometimes, in our
rejoicing over such an assurance, that we must fulfil our part if we
would claim the divine promise.
It will not always be easy. To-morrow it may mean a distasteful task, a
disagreeable duty, a costly sacrifice for one who does not seem worthy.
Life is full of sore testings of our willingness to follow the Good
Shepherd. We have not the slightest right to claim this assurance unless
we have taken Christ as the guide of our life.--_J. R. Miller._
=May 18th.=
_His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psa.
xxxiv. 1._
Let not thy praises be transient--a fit of music, and then the
instrument hung by the wall till another gaudy day of some remarkable
providence makes thee take it down. God comes not guestwise to His
saints' house, but to dwell with them. David took this up for a life
work: "As long as I live, I will praise thee."--_Gurnall._
=May 19th.=
_I am not able to bear all this people alone, because
it is too heavy for me. Num. xi. 14._
It is most needful for all servants of Christ to remember that whenever
the Lord places a man in a position of responsibility, He will both fit
him for it and maintain him in it.
It is, of course, another thing altogether if a man will rush unsent
into any field of work, or any post of difficulty or danger. In such a
case we may assuredly look for a thorough breakdown, sooner or later.
But when God calls a man to a certain position, He will endow him with
the needed grace to occupy it.
This holds good in every case. We can never fail if we only cling to the
living God. We can never run dry if we are drawing from the fountain.
Our tiny springs will soon dry up; but our Lord Jesus Christ declares,
"He that believeth in Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water."--_C. H. M._
=May 20th.=
_Then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone: because I am
a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the
King, the Lord of hosts. Isa. vi. 5._
It is not the sight of our sinful heart that humbles us; it is a sight
of Jesus Christ. I am undone because mine eyes have seen the
King.--_Andrew A. Bonar._
=May 21st.=
_While I was musing the fire burned. Psa. xxxix. 3._
My soul, if thou wouldst muse more, the fire would burn more. Why dost
thou not retire oftener with thyself? Thou wouldst be better fitted for
the world if thou wert less worldly. If thou hadst more heavenly fire
thou wouldst have more earthly power.
Is there no secret pavilion into which thou canst go and warm thyself?
Is there no holy of holies where thou canst catch a glow of impulse that
will make thee strong? Is it not written of the Son of Man that "as He
_prayed_ the fashion of His countenance was altered"? Yes; it was from
His prayer that His transfigured glory came. It was from the glow of His
heart that there issued the glow of His countenance. It was when He was
musing that the fire kindled.
O my soul, wouldst thou have thy life glorified, beautified,
transfigured to the eyes of men? Get thee up into the secret place of
God's pavilion, where the fires of love are burning. Thy life shall
shine gloriously to the dwellers on the plain. Thy prayers shall be
luminous; they shall light thy face like the face of Moses when he wist
not that it shone. Thy words shall be burning; they will kindle many a
heart journeying on the road to Emmaus. Thy path shall be lambent; when
thou hast prayed in Elijah's solitude thou shalt have Elijah's chariot
of fire.--_George Matheson._
=May 22nd.=
_Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these
little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a
disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in nowise
lose his reward. Matt. x. 42._
We are in danger of looking too far for opportunities of doing good and
communicating. In reaching for rhododendrons we trample down the
daisies.--_Selected._
=May 23rd.=
_Hide thyself by the brook. 1 Kings xvii. 3._
Not by the _river_, but by the _brook_. The river would always contain
an abundant supply, but the brook might dry up at any moment.
What does this teach us? God does not place His people in luxuriance
here. The world's abundance might withdraw their affections from Him. He
gives them not the river, but the brook. The brook may be running
to-day, to-morrow it may be dried up.
And wherefore does God act thus? To teach us that we are not to rest in
His gifts and blessings, but in Himself. This is what our hearts are
always doing--resting in the gift, instead of the Giver. Therefore God
cannot trust us by the river, for it unconsciously takes up His place in
the heart. It is said of Israel that when they were full they forgot
God.--_F. Whitfield._
=May 24th.=
_His kingdom ruleth over all. Psa. ciii. 19._
_His kingdom ruleth over all_--therefore thou canst find nothing which
is not matter for praise, since there is nothing which is not the matter
of thy Lord's gracious permission, or planning, or control. _Over
all_--nowhere canst thou step outside His realm, nor in anything get
beyond His care and government. _Over all_--therefore take all as from
God; hold all as from God; and by thy gratitude give all back to God
again, and thus complete the circle, making Him the Alpha and Omega, the
Beginning and the Ending of all things.--_Mark Guy Pearse._
=May 25th.=
_If we suffer we shall also reign with Him. 2 Tim. ii.
12._
The highest bidder for the crown of glory is the lowliest wearer of the
cross of self-denial.--_A. J. Gordon._
=May 26th.=
_Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are
the issues of life. Prov. iv. 23._
He who would keep his heart pure and holy, must plant a sentinel at
every avenue by which sin may find access there, guarding against none
more than the "little" sins, as they are called.
The man of God has his _eyes_ to keep, and so Job said, "I have made a
covenant with mine eyes"--his _tongue_, and hence the exhortation, "Keep
thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile"--his _ears_, and
hence the warning, "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth
to err"--his _feet_, and hence David says, "I have refrained my feet
from every evil way, that I might keep Thy word." And since there is no
gate of the five senses by which the enemy may not come in like a flood,
unless the Spirit lift up a standard against him, we have need to guard
every port, and write over every portal, "Here there entereth nothing to
hurt or to defile."--_Guthrie._
=May 27th.=
_Whatsoever ye do, . . . do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus. Col. iii. 17._
Do little things as if they were great, because of the majesty of the
Lord Jesus Christ, who dwells in thee; and do great things as if they
were little and easy, because of His omnipotence.--_Pascal._
=May 28th.=
_Him they compelled to bear His cross. Matt. xxvii.
32._
There are many Christians of whom this is true. They are compelled to
bear the cross, but how does it come? It comes by their running away
from it. They make up their minds they won't have Christ's cross; and
they find when the cross does come that it comes in a more terrible
form, with a more crushing weight than ever it would have come had they
only been content to submit themselves to the divine direction; for the
cross has to come to all who are to be prepared for glory
hereafter.--_W. Hay Aitken._
=May 29th.=
_Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave Himself for our sins
that He might deliver us from this present evil world.
Gal. i. 4._
Attachment to Christ is the only secret of detachment from the
world.--_A. J. Gordon._
=May 30th.=
_Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on
an hill cannot be hid. Matt. v. 14._
Lamps do not talk, but they do shine. A lighthouse sounds no drum, it
beats no gong; and yet far over the waters its friendly spark is seen by
the mariner. So let your actions shine out your religion. Let the main
sermon of your life be illustrated by all your conduct.--_Spurgeon._
=May 31st.=
_Without me ye can do nothing. John xv. 5._
_I can do all things, through Christ which
strengtheneth me. Phil. iv. 13._
Apart from Him we can do nothing. Whilst we are abiding in Him nothing
is impossible. The one purpose of our life should therefore be to remain
in living and intense union with Christ, guarding against everything
that would break it, employing every means of cementing and enlarging
it. And just in proportion as we do so, we shall find His strength
flowing into us for every possible emergency. We may not feel its
presence; but we shall find it present whenever we begin to draw on it.
There is no temptation which we cannot master; no privation which we
cannot patiently bear; no difficulty with which we cannot cope; no work
which we cannot perform; no confession or testimony which we cannot
make, if only our souls are living in healthy union with Jesus Christ;
for as our day or hour, so shall our strength be.--_F. B. Meyer._
[Illustration: JUNE]
=June 1st.=
_As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John
xx. 21._
We should never leave our room until we have seen the face of our dear
Master, Christ, and have realized that we are being sent forth by Him to
do His will, and to finish the work which He has given us to do. He who
said to His immediate followers, "As my Father hath sent me, even so
send I you," says as much to each one of us, as the dawn summons us to
live another day. We should realize that we are as much sent forth by
Him as the angels who "do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of
His word." There is some plan for each day's work, which He will unfold
to us, if only we will look up to Him to do so; some mission to fulfil;
some ministry to perform; some lesson patiently to learn, that we may be
able to "reach others also." As to our plans we need not be anxious;
because He who sends us forth is responsible to make the plan, according
to His infinite wisdom; and to reveal it to us, however dull and stupid
our faculties may be. And as to our sufficiency, we are secure of having
all needful grace; because He never sends us forth, except He first
breathes on us and says, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." There is always a
special endowment for special power.--_F. B. Meyer._
=June 2nd.=
_A fountain . . . for sin and for uncleanness. Zech.
xiii. 1._
You that have faith in the Fountain, _frequent it_. Beware of two errors
which are very natural and very disastrous. Beware of thinking any sin
too great for it; beware of thinking any sin too small. There is not a
sin so little, but it may be the germ of everlasting perdition; there is
not a sin so enormous, but a drop of atoning blood will wash it away as
utterly as if it were drowned in the depths of the sea.--_James
Hamilton._
=June 3rd.=
_I am black . . . as the tents of Kedar. Song of Sol. i.
5._
_I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. Song
of Sol. vii. 10._
Nothing humbles the soul like sacred and intimate communion with the
Lord; yet there is a sweet joy in feeling that _He_ knows _all_, and,
notwithstanding, loves us still.--_J. Hudson Taylor._
=June 4th.=
_David enquired of the Lord. 2 Sam. v. 19._
Christian, if thou wouldst know the path of duty, take God for thy
compass; if thou wouldst steer thy ship through the dark billows, put
the tiller into the hand of the Almighty. Many a rock might be escaped
if we would let our Father take the helm; many a shoal or quicksand we
might well avoid if we would leave it to His sovereign will to choose
and to command. The Puritan said, "As sure as ever a Christian carves
for himself he'll cut his own fingers." "I will instruct thee and teach
thee in the way which thou shalt go," is God's promise to His people.
Let us, then, take all our perplexities to Him and say, "Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do?" Leave not thy chamber this morning without
_enquiring of the Lord_.--_Spurgeon._
=June 5th.=
_A certain man . . . who never had walked . . . heard
Paul speak: who . . . perceiving that he had faith to
be healed, said . . . Stand upright on thy feet. And he
leaped and walked. Acts xiv. 8, 9, 10._
Where true faith is, it will induce obedience and where it does induce
obedience, it will always, in one form or another, bring a
blessing.--_W. Hay Aitken._
=June 6th.=
_Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord . . . I know that
. . . whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it
thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise
again. Martha saith unto Him, I know that he shall
rise again in the resurrection at the last day. John
xi. 21, 22, 23, 24._
Beware, in your prayer, above everything, of limiting God, not only by
unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect
unexpected things, _above all that_ we ask or think. Each time you
intercede, be quiet first and worship God in His glory. Think of what He
can do, of how He delights to hear Christ, of your place in Christ; and
expect great things.--_Andrew Murray._
=June 7th.=
_As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have
put on Christ. Gal. iii. 27._
Not simply the righteousness of our Savior, not simply the beauty of His
holiness or the graces of His character, are we to put on as a garment.
The Lord Himself is our vesture. Every Christian is not only a
Christ-bearer but a Christ-wearer. We are so to enter into Him by
communion, to be so endued with His presence, and embued with His Spirit
that men shall see Him when they behold us, as they see our garments
when they look upon our bodies.--=A. J. Gordon.=
=June 8th.=
_Thou shalt never wash my feet. John xiii. 8._
Whatever hinders us from receiving a blessing that God is willing to
bestow upon us is not humility, but the mockery of it. A genuine
humility will ever feel the need of the largest measures of grace, and
will be perfected just in the degree in which that grace is bestowed.
The truly humble man will seek to be filled with all the fulness of God,
knowing that when so filled there is not the slightest place for pride
or for self.--_George Bowen._
=June 9th.=
_Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain
thee. Psa. lv. 22._
He that taketh his own cares upon himself loads himself with an uneasy
burden. The fear of what _may_ come, expectation of what _will_ come,
desire of what will _not_ come, and the inability to redress all these,
must needs bring him continual torment. _I_ will cast my cares upon
_God_: He hath bidden me. They cannot hurt Him: He can redress
them.--_Hall._
=June 10th.=
_Well done, good and faithful servant. . . . Thou
wicked and slothful servant. Matt. xxv. 21, 26._
God holds us responsible not for what we _have_, but for what we _might
have_; not for what we _are_, but for what we _might_ be.--_Mark Guy
Pearse._
=June 11th.=
_Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship.
Matt. xiv. 22._
Jesus _constrained_ them to go! One would think that if ever there was
the certain promise of success in a mission, it was here. Surely, here,
if anywhere, a triumphant issue might have been confidently predicted;
and yet here, more than anywhere, there was seeming failure. He sent
them out on a voyage, and they met such a storm as they had never yet
experienced.
Let me ponder this, for it has been so with me, too. I have sometimes
felt myself impelled to act by an influence which seemed above
me--constrained to put to sea. The belief that I was constrained gave me
confidence, and I was sure of a calm voyage. But the result was outward
failure. The calm became a storm; the sea raged, the winds roared, the
ship tossed in the midst of the waves, and my enterprise was wrecked ere
it could reach the land.
Was, then, my divine command a delusion?
Nay; nor yet was my mission a failure. He did send me on that voyage,
but He did not send me for _my_ purpose. He had one end and I had
another. My end was the outward calm; His was my meeting with the storm.
My end was to gain the harbor of a material rest; His was to teach me
there is a rest even on the open sea.--_George Matheson._
=June 12th.=
_Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth. 2 Tim. ii. 15._