DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 31 July 1937, Page 12

DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

ONE-WAY PRAYERS. Back in some sections of the country in America some people will remember they have what is known as the “one-way” ’phone. You can always call up “central,” bub “central” cannot call you up. How many of our lives are the same way ? AVe are forever calling up God, for this thing and that, and we only call when we want a favour, not for a friendly heart-to-heart talk. He wants to get our ear so much and tell us how we can enlarge our lives, how we can be of greater power in the world, but we are too busy with our own pet schemes to hear the call. AVAIT AND TRUST. AVait, patiently wait, God is never late; Thy budding plans are in thy Father’s holding, And only wait His grand Divine unfolding; Then wait, wait, Patiently wait. Trust, hopefully trust, That God will adjust Thv tangled life; and from its dark concealings, AVill bring His will, in all its blight revealings; Then trust, trust, Hopefully trust. —J.C.AV. CULTIVATE FRIENDSHIP. I have one bit of counsel to offer to those who are seeking to be the friends of the Lord. Keep your friendship with the Lord in good repair. There is a German proverb which says that “Friendship is a plant that we must often water.” It must not be allowed to take its chance. Human friendships have to be tended, for there is no fair thing in the world which can thrive in an atmosphere of neglect. And therefore we must carefully attend to our friendship with the' Lord. The very consciousness of His presence begets a peace which in itself is a medium of discernment, and we are able, on the most ordinary road, to know some of “the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him.” _ J. H. Jowett, At.A., D.D. CONSTANT RENF.AVAL. Forms of godliness, types of doctrine, are apt to become substitutes instead of channels, weights instead of wings. Here is the most subtle danger of idolatry. Doctrines and systems of doctrine are like portraits more or less faithful and vivid of a beloved and beautiful countenance. But they are necessarily imperfect. They recall same aspects, expressions, characteristics; they are helpful to recall the reality and fulness of which they are incomplete representations. But we must not substitute them in our minds and imaginations for the living face. . . . AA r e must keep our hearts in communion with God, that out of the ocean of light and life we may receive constant renewal and revival. —Adolph Sapliir, D.D. CONSIDER I I wonder if there is any book in the world that asks more disturbing questions than the Bible? Those people who would expect the preacher to speak only smooth, comforting words cannot, surely, expect liim to speak the whole Word of God. For the avowed intention of this Book would seem to be to combat all mental apathy and sloth, to prevent men from taking life as it’ comes, and things as they are. But is not this as it should be? AVliat is it that differentiates man from the animal ? Is it not the noble gift of reason? And what could bo more hurtful than when man refuses to exercise this godly endowment? That was the burning indictment against His people Israel.—Donald Davidson, Pli.D. THE CRIB AND THE CROSS. (By Theodore H. Kampman.) The shadow of the Cross Falls dark upon the crib, Tli© manger-crib, where in the hay The holy Child of Mary lay. For He was born to be The man of many griefs, Tc bear the sins of men, to die, And lowly in the 'tomb to lie.. The glory of the Cross Illuminates the crib, The darkened stable where He lay Shines fairer than the height of day. For He was born to die, The ransom for our guilt ; He saved us with His dying breath : He took away the 6ting of death. RELATIONSHIP AND RESEMBLANCE. There ai’e two things regarded as being essential if we are going to be entitled to call ourselves Christians, and the two things are very simple and verv elementary. The two things are these. Relationship to Jesus Christ and resemblance to Jesus Christ. No man or woman is a real Christian in the New Testament sense of the word unless they have both of those, not only relationship hut also resemblance; not only relationship to Jesus Christ, right relationship to Jesus Christ, redeeming relationship, but also resemblance. And we have no right to deny or to ignore any claim that Jesus Christ made lor Himself and at the same time call ourselves Christians. —AA 7 . H. Ald is.

USE OF TIME. A 7 ou can utilise almost any kind of waste except waste of time. One would imagine Paul was writing to keen merchants, urging them to grasp at each opportunity like merchants who eagerly buy up a scarce commodity. The eager mind never has a superfluous moment. Time for him is always too short, it is never too long, it never drags. He is not guilty of that most ruthless of all murders, the killing of time. For time killed has no resurrection. If it yields any advantage at all. it makes the sorrowful and regretful mind the more keen on using what margin of time and life is left. To walk circumspectly means the attitude of the girded loin and the sandalled foot. —John Alacbeath, ALA.