THE POWER OF INFLUENCE.
I cannot do great things for Him
Who did so much for me;
But I would like to show my love,
Lord Jesus, unto Thee;
Faithful in very little things,
O Saviour! may I be.
In the course of her daily missionary work Mrs. Knowles met with the
following interesting case which she herself records:
"Calling on a poor afflicted widow, I found her in great want, much
discouraged, and very sad; she said she did not feel much _desire to
live_.
"'Can you not trust God?' I said. 'Have you not always been cared for?'
"Her little boy, a child of six years, was sitting by her side
scribbling on a slate. He looked up and said:
"'Mamma, do you know what God says?'
"'What?' said she.
"'He that believeth in me hath everlasting life; and God don't want our
money. He don't want us to pay the debt with money.'
"'What does He want?' said she.
"'He wants our hearts, and won't you trust Him, mamma?'
"This roused the mother at once.
"'Oh, how wicked I have been!' she exclaimed, 'to murmur against the
will of the Almighty. I will trust Him, for He has always cared for me
in the past, and I will trust Him for the future.'"
I cannot refrain from making a few comments on this case, and drawing a
lesson therefrom.
Trust in the Lord, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and
verily thou shalt be fed.--Ps. xxxvii. 3.
He hath given meat unto them that fear Him; He will ever be mindful of
His covenant.--Ps. cxi. 5.
I will abundantly bless her provision, I will satisfy her poor with
bread.--Ps. cxxxii. 15.
He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.--Ps. cxlvii. 14.
The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul.--Proverbs xiii. 25.
Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap,
nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them: Are ye
not much better than they?--Matt. vi. 26.
And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied.--Joel ii. 26.
Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: Behold, my
servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty.--Isaiah lxv. 13.
* * * * * *
SUGGESTIVE OBSERVATIONS FOR CHRISTIAN WORKERS.
What a deeply interesting and instructive picture is here presented to
our view. Notice the synopsis:
_Destitution._--"_In great want._"--This missionary was sent by God to
this house--sent like the raven to Elijah. Man's extremity is God's
opportunity. He frequently overrules poverty, and it contributes to the
good of His children.
_Discouragement._--Confidence in God's promises, the great panacea for
all the difficulties of life. "_Won't you trust Him?_" the child asked.
_Despondency._--This widow was "_very sad_." When there is no bread in
the house and the children are clamorous for food, it is enough to
produce despondency. But afflicted women should remember that God has
promised to be a husband to the widow and a father to the fatherless.
_Despair._--"_No desire to live._"--A sad, very sad condition! When God
sends affliction it is our duty _to pray_ and not despair. Amid the
gloom of earth's trials, the Holy Spirit alone can cheer; sorrow and
despair can be changed, by God's matchless grace, into gratitude and
gladness. Newton used to say, when inclined to dark, foreboding
feelings:
Begone, unbelief, for my Saviour is near,
And for my relief will surely appear;
By prayer let me wrestle and he will perform;
With Christ in the vessel, I can smile at the storm.
* * * * * *
LIGHT AMID DARKNESS.
_God's Word assures us that a little child shall lead them._--"Mamma, do
you know what God says? He that believeth in me hath everlasting life."
To behold Christ the light of the world is everlasting life.
_Strong devotion to children will lead us to notice their sayings and
doings._--What a beautiful and forcible illustration is this incident
recorded by her, the sayings of Christ, "out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings he hath perfected praise." God is always doing wonders. He
confounds the mighty.
_Children are Christ's best representatives._--To teach the disciples
humility he set the child in their midst and said, "Except ye be
converted and become as little children ye shall in no wise enter into
the kingdom of heaven." The day spring from on high visited this family.
* * * * * *
LOVE REMEMBERED BEGETS CONFIDENCE IN GOD.
_I will trust Him for He has always cared for me in the past._--How
beautifully appropriate in this connection is the twenty-third Psalm,
that we used to sing among the purple heather in the sunny days of
childhood with those who have gone home to yonder land of light and
love.
The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want.
He makes me down to lie
In pasture's green; he leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
My soul he doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness
Ev'n for his own name's sake.
Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,
Yet will I fear none ill,
For thou art with me; and thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
My table thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God's house for evermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Said an old Christian (a member of my church) seventy-eight years of
age, whose dear partner of his joys and sorrows whom I called to see in
her deep affliction (for she had fallen and broken a limb), as I read
the above psalm to them before engaging in prayer, "I remember when a
boy at home of hearing my dear kind mother rocking the children to
sleep singing that good old psalm of the Hebrew bard."
I received a telegram recently to call and see a wealthy manufacturer's
mother from Ayrshire, who was stricken with paralysis. As I entered the
room and took her hand, I said:
"I suppose you feel now in your sickness that the Lord is your
shepherd."
"Yes," said she, "and He leadeth me beside the still waters." Shortly
afterward she peacefully fell asleep in Jesus.