DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 17, 17 December 1932, Page 12

DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

Prayer: AVe give Thee ifather for our blessings in Christ '■ thank Tlieo we have been enriched in Him and that we are His pl an ™ 0 Heavenly Husbandman, P J that under Thy care we may bnng ,orth abundant fruit unto Thee give Thee joy. Grant through y power that we may glorify 11 K ne33 bearing the fragrance and fruitfulness of Christ. In His holy name we wor ship and adore Thee.—Amen. Scripture: lAi. 58: 1-11 5 bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. — Psalm exx . AATiat will it matter, brother, . . • AA’hether we worked in sunshine, Or whether the storm-cloud rose, [f only we have the bundles, For the Master hath need of those. INSECURITY. AA’hat security of tenure have you in the things bv which you set most store in this world? None whatever. *ou do not know that you will ever see tomorrow, nor, if you do, what that tomorrow may have in store for you. The voice of God may say to you as to him of whom Jesus spoke, who laid up much treasure for himself and as not rich towards God, “This night thy soul shall be required of thee, and then whose shali these things be which thou has prepared?” You may be living for entirely wrong value and yet be living a reputable life; you uiny hardly be giving the matter a thought and yet be starving and impoverishing your soul. Pause and consider of this, 1 beseech you. “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Are you of that company? Make sure of it before another hour goes by, and God shall send forth the Spirit of His Son into your heart, crying, Abba, Father. And then, come what may, it shall be well with you in life a.nd death. —Anon. THE MIGHTY GOD IN THE MIDST (By G AV. Bunoe, Ham Common.) (Zeph. 3. 17). 1. “The Lord thy God,” His Person. 2. “In the midst of thee,” His Presence. 3. “Is mighty,” His Power. 4. “He will save,” His Protection. 6. “He will rejoice over tliee with joy,” His pleasure. 6. “He will rest in His love,” His purpose. 7 “He will joy over thee ivith singing,” His Praise. FAITH IN PRAYER. The following lines by an unknown author were recalled on listening to the broadcast of Josef Szigeti, the violinist. If Radio’s slim fingers can pluck a melody from the night And toss it over continent or sea, If the petalled white notes of a violin Can be blown across a mountain or a City’s din, If songs, like crimson roses, are culled from the thin, blue air, Why should mortals wonder that God hears prayers!—Anon. LOVE IS OF GOD. (By George Goodman, Tunbridge AVe 11s.) “And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13: 1-13). “Love is of God,” for “God is Love,” The perfect love that casts out fear; Love reigns supreme in Heaven above, Love is joy of all things there. “Love suffers long” and Love is kind, Love is stranger to all pride; No envy moves the loving mind, Love can the lowliest place abide. “Love does not ever seek its own,” But loves the good of all around; Nothing unseemly mars its tone, No ready provocation found. “Love thinks no evil,” but is ruth To find iniquity abroad ; Rejoicing ever with the truth, It has its rest in what is good. “Love bearetli all things,” all believes, Love ever hopes for what is best, Love patiently all wrong receives, And Love endureth every test. “Love never fails,” all else will pass, The world with all its treasure trove, All is quickly fading grass, But Love continues —God is Love. NOTHING TO DO BUT ACCEPT. You are anxious to be saved. There is One who knows all about you, and is ten thousand times more anxious to save you than you are to be saved. Perhaps you have been urged to pray for forgiveness, and told that you would get it if you were “earnest enough.” If this is what you are doing, you are on the wrong track. God is now beseeching you to be reconciled to Him. Hearken to His blessed words, as spoken through His servant the Apostle Paul: “As though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5: 20). If you were to obntinue pleading with and praying to God till you were a hundred years old you could not make Him 'more willing to save you than He is at this moment. _ He sends His servants to plead with you to be reconciled to Him.. You are not told to “ask” for His pardoning grace. You are not to plead with Him for mercy. You are to stretch out the empty hand of faith and accept His love-gift and praise His holy Name.- Through the wondrous work accomplished by Christ on Calvary’s Cross the claims of offended justice have been fully met, and you are welcome to life and light and joy through faith in Christ’s precious Blood. —Anon.