DEVOTIONAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 132, 4 May 1940, Page 12

DEVOTIONAL

LOVING CARE. It is important to distinguish between “care” and “anxiety.” 11l Pliilippians 4, 10, we read: “1 rejoiced in the Lord greatly that nolv at the last your care of me flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, hut ye lacked opportunity.” This care which is commended means solicitude expressed in forethought. The anxiety of the text is distracting overcare. These words are related as prudence is to meanness, or generosity to extravagance—the one a virtue, the other vice. —J. C. CARLILE. TEMPTATION’S POWER, Temptation can do nothing without the consent of the man being tempted. It can make an atmosphere around you mighty hard to breathe in, but it can’t get inside a man’s life without his consent. There is only one knob to the door of a man’s life; and that is on the inside. That door never opens except as the man inside opens it. Satan can’t get in without the man’s willing consent. It takes two to make a successful temptation, and you ure one of the two. —S. D. GORDON. CONTINUE IN PRAYER. “If while on your knees, praying for the one you would havo reconciled to God, could you see the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart, gently, but firmly triumphing over the will, how earnestly, how incessantly, would you continue to pray 1 “Courage then!—the ground may seem too dry for cultivation, but each prayer is like the hammer’s stroke that Wears away its roughness.” THE CONQUEROR. Satan laugh at our good resolutions and ridicules the pledges with which we fortify ourselves. There is only One Whom lie fears; One Who in the hour of greatest weakness conquered him; and Who has been raised far above all principality and power. He conquered the prince of this world in the days of His flesh ; and He is prepared to do as much again, in each one of us. if only we will truly surrender ourselves to Him. —E. B. Meyer. PATIENCE. Patience is one of the virtues that is woefully misunderstood. Patience implies a certain serenity, a certain occupation in present duties until the time is ripe to bring us that for which we hare been hoping. It is for this reason that, in the New Testament, patience is regarded as one of the fruits of faitli. Is there much of this patience in the world to-day—this hopeful and cheerful waiting for the ultimate outcome of God’s will ? TRUE FAITH. When a man is down he has a grand opportunity for trusting in Cfod. A false faith can only float in smooth water but true faith is at home in storms. If our religion does not bear us up in time of trial, what is the use of it? If we cannot believe God when our circumstances appear to be against us, we do not believe Him at all. The Lord is good, and. He will yet appear for His servants!" and we shall praise His Name. —Spurgeon. GOD’S TRAINING SCHOOL. I have proved “that to will what God doth will is the only science that will give us any rest, that ever and always in perfect acquiescence is perfect peace.” Yes, truly the real battle ground of human salvation, the test questions of every life is to will what God wills. But yon say you cannot force your own will. Here is our most blessed resource. It is God which worketli in you both to will and to do. Shall we not trust Him to do this for us?— E. Cunningham Pike.