SONGS IN THE NIGHT
JULY
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JULY 1
And Isaac went out to meditate [to pray—margin]
in the field at eventide. Genesis
24:63
IHOW impossible it is for a child of God,
remembering and impressed by the events of the day, as to the
Lord's wisdom and care and the surety that all things shall work
for good—how impossible, we say, for such a one to retire to rest
without thankfulness of heart to him upon whose power and promises
they have leaned throughout the day: and how appropriate to bow
the knee as well as the heart, to render homage as well as thanks.
Z'85-Nov., p.4 R799:3 (Hymn 274) |
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JULY 2
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:...And not only so, but we
glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh
patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope
maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. Romans
5:1, 3-5
THIS thought is very precious to us as new
creatures. "The peace of God which passeth all
understanding" is to rule and keep our minds and hearts!
...We have peace, no matter what the outward conditions may be.
The trials and difficulties of life come to the Lord's people
commingled with joys—the rain and storm, then the sunshine. They
enjoy all righteous pleasures that are in harmony with their
consecration. They learn to cultivate patience in trial, knowing
that patience works out experience, and experience works out more
and more that hope which maketh not ashamed. Z'16-102 R5879:2
(Hymn 312A) |
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JULY 3
The Lord shall judge his people. Hebrews
10:30
IF THE Lord's people get into trouble through not
being sufficiently watchful, the Lord will give them some
experiences which will be good for them, if rightly received. Let
us remember the warning words of the Apostle Paul: "If we
would judge ourselves, we should not be judged of the Lord."
(I
Corinthians 11:31) This means that when we neglect to judge
ourselves, he has to do it for us. Then we are being chastened
with a view to our correction, that we might attain unto the
heavenly reward and favor that is to be ours as new creatures in
Christ, if we remain humble and faithful unto death. If we
continue to be meek and filled with the spirit of humility, not
craving present honors and exaltation, but willing in perfect
patience to await the Lord's own good time, our exaltation will
come; and we shall share our Savior's throne and his glory forever
more. Z'16-132 R5890:5 (Hymn 67) |
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JULY 4
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee,
that it may be displayed because of the truth. Psalm
60:4
WE ARE to tell forth this glorious message. We
are to tell it in our actions, in our words, by the printed page,
by pictorial presentations to the eye, and in every way that the
Lord shall give us the opportunity....If we refrain from telling
the glad tidings, the result will be that the fire of God's Holy
Spirit will become extinguished within us. The possession of the
truth —God's message—brings with it great responsibility. Shall
we prove faithful to it? Shall we show to our God our deep
appreciation of his loving-kindness in granting us the knowledge
of his wonderful message of salvation, his glorious plan, with its
times and seasons? Z'14-198 R5489:5 (Hymn 280) |
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JULY 5
Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither
slumber nor sleep. Psalm
121:4
THINK for a moment of the memory that never
fails; of the judgment that never errs; of the wisdom that plans
for eternity without the possibility of failure, and that times
that plan with unerring precision for the ages to come; of the
power and skill which can harness even every opposing element,
animate or inanimate, and make them all work together for the
accomplishment of his grand designs; of the tireless vigilance
that never ceases, nor seeks relief from the cares of universal
dominion—whose eye never sleeps, whose ear is ever open, and who
is ever cognizant of all the necessities, and active in all the
interests of his broad domains. Z'93-227 R1560:2 (Hymn 293) |
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JULY 6
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay
it. Ecclesiastes
5:4
WHOEVER has not seen his need of making
resolutions, making vows to the Lord, has not recognized the first
principle of Christian development. He who finds from the enemy's
attack where his wall is weakest, and who then repairs the weak
places as quickly as ascertained, does so by resolution to the
Lord—by vows. He who has not discovered any weaknesses in his
character is duly blind and "cannot see afar off." He
who has not attempted to correct his weaknesses by resolutions to
the Lord, vows to the Lord, has not begun that character
development which must be completed before he can be pronounced an
overcomer. Z'09-76 R4348:3 (Hymn 192) |
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JULY 7
And he [Abraham] removed from thence unto a
mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, ...and there
he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the
Lord. Genesis
12:8
IT WAS doubtless to be free from the immoral
influences of the Canaanites, and to have his people separated
from these, that Abraham removed subsequently to the mountainous
country near Bethel. There he established his home, there he
reared an altar to the Lord and prayed. Would that each head of a
family were thus careful to look out for the interests of those
under his charge, that these interests should be advantageous to
their welfare everywhere! Would that more could realize how
indispensable it is to have an altar to the Lord in their home,
where the prayer incense would ascend to the Father through the
merit of the Redeemer. Z'07-42 R3936:3 (Hymn 153) |
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JULY 8
These last have wrought but one hour, and Thou
hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat
of the day. Matthew
20:12
WHOEVER is begotten of the Spirit, and therefore
able to appreciate and run for the prize of the "high
calling" of the Gospel age, may know that he is called by the
only call yet issued: and if willingly he shall sacrifice his all,
he may be as sure of the prize as any other one running the same
race. Such a disposition is an evidence of a timely consecration
and acceptance and therefore of a begetting of the Spirit. Press
nobly on, then, dear fellow-laborers, whether you have entered the
harvest field recently or earlier; we serve the one Lord, in the
one faith; and by the one baptism into his death; and for all such
he has the crown of life reserved. Z'88-June, p.8 R1046:5 (Hymn
263) |
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JULY 9
I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to
mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the Lord. Psalm
132:4, 5
AS IT was in David's heart to build the temple,
so naturally the desire comes to the Lord's people in the present
time to establish the things of the Lord and his kingdom....Now is
the time for gathering the various elements, gold, silver,
precious stones, etc., which by and by shall constitute the Lord's
temple. Now is the time, not only for the quarrying of the stones,
but also for the shaping of them for their various positions in
the temple of God. Now, as the Scriptures suggest, we are living
stones, to be built together for a habitation of God through the
Spirit. Z'08-312 R4261:3 (Hymn 332) |
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JULY 10
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for
thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. Psalm
4:8
WE ARE invited to cast all our cares upon the
Lord, knowing that he careth for us. And we have the encouraging
assurance in the midst of present trials that we shall receive a
crown of glory that fadeth not away, if in stedfast sobriety and
humility we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, having
been first redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, and thus
through faith having gained the privilege of working it out. And
we are comforted in the midst of trials with the blessed assurance
that while God resisteth the proud, and they also resist him, he
giveth grace to the humble. Z'88-Aug., p.2 R1054:1 (Hymn 65) |
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JULY 11
And I will give thee the treasures of darkness,
and hidden riches of secret places. Isaiah
45:3
WE MUST come into Christ, as members of his body,
the true church, by sacrifice, before we can have the opportunity
of even searching for these hidden treasures, or of finding any of
them. And then, as we progress faithfully in our sacrificial
service as priests, walking in the footsteps of the great High
Priest, we find more and more of these true "riches of
grace" day by day and year by year as we progress....The
apostle declares that these treasures of wisdom and
grace—knowledge of divine good things in reservation, and the
fellowship with God which permits us to anticipate and enjoy those
blessings in a measure now—are all hidden in Christ, "in
whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
Z'01-55 R2762:4 (Hymn 221) |
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JULY 12
These are written, that ye might believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might
have life through his name. John
20:31
THE only faith that will stand the test and bring
us off conquerors over the spirit of the world, the flesh, and the
Adversary, is the hope set before us in the Gospel, of which Jesus
as the Messiah is the center. That is the hope of the world—the
hope that Christ having redeemed the world with his precious blood
will grant, in due time, a blessing of opportunity to every
creature, that whosoever will may come through knowledge and
obedience to life eternal, and that the disobedient shall be
destroyed in the second death. A further part of this hope of
which Jesus, the Messiah, is the center, is that those who are now
called, the obedient through faith, shall be joint-heirs with the
Master in the great kingdom which shall bless the world. No wonder
the apostle said of this messianic hope, this kingdom hope,
"He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he
is pure." Z'05-188 R3580:5 (Hymn 215) |
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JULY 13
Likewise shall My Heavenly Father do also unto
you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother
their trespasses. Matthew
18:35
FORGIVENESS in your hearts is the condition which
is always to obtain there: we should never harbor any other
feeling than that of forgiveness and good will toward all, no
matter how seriously they may have trespassed against us: and if
this be the case, we will be longing and anxious to exercise the
forgiveness outwardly and to express it to the repentant ones.
Hence we will not seek to compel the most elaborate statement on
the part of the penitent, but like the father of the prodigal, to
see the repentant one coming in an attitude of humility will touch
our hearts and prompt us to go out part way to meet him, and to
forgive him, and to put on the robe of fullest fellowship and
brotherhood. Z'98-126 R2296:4 (Hymn 183) |
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JULY 14
Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be
full. John
16:24
IN THE cultivation of the spirit of praise,
thanksgiving, and loving appreciation of all the manifest goodness
of God is the Christian's secret of a happy life. And in order to
the cultivation of such a spirit it is necessary that we
continually call to mind his acts of mercy and of grace; that in
our prayers we frequently tell him how all his goodness is
remembered, how every fresh evidence of his love and care causes
faith to take deeper root and makes the sense of his presence and
favor more fully realized; and how through such experiences our
love and joy are made to abound more and more. We love him because
he first loved us; and every time we see some new mark of his
love, our love, if we have truly appreciative hearts, is called
out more and more, and we are made to rejoice in God, in whose
presence is fulness of joy. It is to this end that our Lord
encourages our frequent coming to God in prayer with large
requests for his favor, saying, "Ask, and ye shall receive,
that your joy may be full." Z'96-211 R2031:5 (Hymn 115) |
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JULY 15
Through this Man is preached unto you the
forgiveness of sins. Acts
13:38
THE apostle does not refer to something that was
done by our Lord as the Archangel before "he was made
flesh," nor does he refer to any work to be done by him in
his new, highly exalted condition, "set down with his Father
in his throne" and partaker of his divine nature; but he here
refers to the work done by "the Man Christ Jesus, who gave
himself a ransom for all." Thus the apostle again emphasizes
the fact that "as by man came death, by man also came the
resurrection of the dead." Yes, this is the center of the
Gospel proclamation that the failure of the first perfect man was
fully offset by the sacrifice of the Man Christ Jesus, and that it
was to this end that it was needful for our Lord to leave the
glory which he had with the Father before the world was, to become
poor (in the sense of taking our lower nature—but not its
blemishes, for he was "holy, harmless, and separate from
sinners"); and yielding up this human nature a ransom-price
or corresponding price for the life forfeited by father Adam for
himself and his race. This is the basis upon which every offer to
grace is presented by the Scriptures. And now, he who was the
Father's agent in the redemptive work is to be the Father's agent
also in the work of "blessing" all the redeemed with
ample opportunities for return to divine favor—the first step of
which is the forgiveness of sins. Z'97-138 R2150:1 (Hymn 68) |
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JULY 16
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and
exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through
much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Acts
14:22
OUR word tribulation is derived from the Latin
tribulum, the name of a roller or threshing machine used in olden
times for cleaning wheat, removing from it the outer husk or
chaff. How appropriate the thought when applied to the Lord's
consecrated people, who in the Scriptures are symbolized by wheat.
Our new natures are the kernel, the real grain; yet this treasure
or valuable part is covered with the husk of earthly conditions.
And in order that the wheat may be made properly ready for the
"garner" and for usefulness, it is necessary that each
grain shall pass through the tribulation necessary to separate
those qualities which, until separated, render us unfit for the
future service to which we are called by the Lord. In proportion
as we are able to realize our own imperfections, and the perfect
will of God concerning us, we will be enabled to bear patiently,
and even with a certain kind of rejoicing, all the tribulations
which the Master shall see best to let come upon us. "We
glory in tribulations also." Z'97-265 R2213:5 (Hymn 67) |
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JULY 17
Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse,...and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts,
if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a
blessing. Malachi
3:10
IT BEHOOVES us, dear friends, to look about us to
note to what extent we have been faithful to our covenant of
sacrifice and to remember that it is not a sacrifice for a day or
a year, but "even unto death." A little while and the
trials will be over, but until that little while is past we are in
the trial time, and it is proving us either worthy or unworthy of
the glorious favors which we seek, the chief blessing, joint-heirship.
If we appreciate it let us seek it in the Lord's way, let us see
to what extent there are other things in our lives that we might
render unto the Lord and which he will accept, not through the
worthiness of the deeds or the sacrifices, but through the merit
of Christ. Let us see if the days and hours as they pass are spent
in a consecrated manner; let us note to what extent moments and
days are spent in some selfish manner, or wasted upon others
beyond the reasonable requirements of duty as marked out in the
divine Word. Let us see to what extent we perform our vows unto
the Lord; let us take note of what of time or influence or money
we are using in the divine service and what proportion this bears
to the whole. Z'05-380 R3685:5 (Hymn 177) |
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JULY 18
Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and
keep it. Luke
11:28
IT IS important that we should hear the Word of
the Lord, that we search the Scriptures, that we have them well at
our command, that we be able to give an answer to him that asketh
us a reason for the hope that is in us, and we need more than all
this. We need to obey the Word, to practice it to the extent of
our ability. True, we cannot come up to the demands of perfection,
for God's law is perfect, but we can have the perfect attitude of
heart, and nothing less than this will be acceptable to the Lord.
We can show him and to some extent show to others the endeavor of
our lives in the direction of righteousness and all the fruits and
graces of the Holy Spirit. If we had all knowledge and zeal and
had not the spirit of obedience it would evidence a lack of the
spirit of love, and prove us unworthy of the divine favor and
blessings promised to those who are rightly exercised by the
message from above. Z'05-366 R3678:4 (Hymn 267) |
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JULY 19
God...hath made us able ministers of the New
Testament. II Corinthians 3:5, 6
OUR position is that of ambassadors for God,
explaining to men his mercy and his provision of the New Covenant,
through which all may be blessed and recovered if they will. So
many as receive our message with joy and turn from sin to follow
our Lord may be invited to become members of the body of Christ,
the body of Messiah, the body of the Mediator, the body of the
great Prophet, the body of the great Priest, the body of the great
King of the millennial age. So, then, we are ministers of the New
Covenant in that we are laying down our lives in its service, in
its interest, although it is not yet a covenant, but merely a
promise. We are not only laying down our lives, but seeking out
fellow-members of the body of the Anointed One and assisting them
in the laying down of their lives, under the assurance that these
better sacrifices will soon be finished and their application be
made by our glorious Head, and we with him in glory. Z'09-51
R4332:2 (Hymn 148) |
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JULY 20
Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue
unto this day. Acts
26:22
IN REFERRING to the preservation of his life, the
apostle does not give credit to Lysias, the commander of the
garrison at Jerusalem, but declares that he obtained help of God,
by whom he had been sustained to the time of his speaking....There
is a good lesson in this for all the Lord's people. How apt many
are to give credit to "luck" or "chance" or
human instrumentality, overlooking the fact that the Lord's saints
are the special objects of his care, and that the angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them and delivereth them. Z'03-158
R3197:3 (Hymn 61) |
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JULY 21
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except
it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. John
15:4
OUR Lord gives us an intimation that the growing
of much fruit is not wholly dependent upon ourselves, and that
even while we abide in him as fruitbearing branches the quality
and quantity of the fruit is to be improved by our having proper
ideals before our minds, and earnestly seeking their realization.
Thus he says, "If ye abide in me and my words abide in you,
ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." The
intimation is that the desire and the asking of the Father at the
throne of heavenly grace is a means by which we may more and more
receive of the sap of the Vine, the Holy Spirit, and be enabled to
develop the fruits of the Spirit. It will be noticed that nothing
here implies the seeking or finding of earthly good things. These
are to be left wholly to the Lord's wisdom and providence, and his
people, the true branches of the Vine, are to desire and to seek
for the Holy Spirit, which the Father is more willing to give to
them than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their
children. Z'99-111 R2466:2 (Hymn 91) |
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JULY 22
Faith without works is dead. James
2:20
SELF-EXAMINATION along this line is very proper.
If we have heard, seen, tasted, of the grace of God and enjoyed
it, and if no desire to serve our gracious Father or to assist
others to the same blessings that we enjoy has been manifested, it
implies that our spiritual vitality is very weak and in danger of
perishing. But if, on the contrary, we find ourselves burning with
fervency of love for the Lord, and with appreciation of his great
plan of salvation, and are consumed with a desire to tell the good
tidings to others for the blessing, strengthening, upbuilding, and
participation in the divine faith, it should encourage us. We
should notice, too, that Jesus specially loved and favored the
more zealous, vigorous, and energetic of the apostles, Peter,
James, John, and we may be sure, Paul also. Z'09-121 R4377:6 (Hymn
210) |
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JULY 23
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of
trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. Nahum
1:7
WHILE appreciating very gratefully this special
love and care for us as his people, in the comfort, encouragement,
and protection afforded us by our Heavenly Father in the midst of
the world's great tribulation, we would come far short of having
his Spirit if we would regard the matter with self-complacency,
forgetful of his great love for the whole world also, which,
veiled behind the clouds of his righteous indignation against
their sins, in wisdom strikes the heavy blow which will shatter
all their idols and humble their pride in the dust....If God so
loved the world as to give his only begotten Son,...he loves them
still, and it is his love that wields the rod for their
correction. So also he would have his people regard his judgments,
and while rejoicing in the sunshine of his favor,...he would have
them share his Spirit toward the world; and while the blows of his
righteous indignation fall heavily upon them, he would have us
point them to the cause of their calamities, and to the only
remedy. Z'95-72 R1787:3 (Hymn 171) |
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JULY 24
With great power gave the apostles witness of the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Acts
4:33
OUR text tells us that this witnessing was done
with power, great power. It was not made secondary to politics, to
social questions, to evolutionary theories or higher critical
dissertations. It, and it alone, constituted the apostolic theme.
And so it should be with us. The resurrection of the Lord and its
value and signification to the church and the world through the
divine plan should be ever prominent in our witnessing. Not only
by their words and logical presentations did the apostles witness,
but their lives were witnesses. As the apostle said, "Ye are
our epistle,...known and read of all men." The lives of the
Early Church were the special witness to the Lord. Without the
consistency of their lives and their consecration to the Lord and
to the truth, it is evident, the message would have had no such
import as it bore. So it is with us today. It is well that we
preach the Word. It is still more important that we live it. But
it is the ideal thing to both preach and live the truth. Z'09-140
R4391:1 (Hymn 267) |
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JULY 25
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ
also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow
his steps. I
Peter 2:21
OUR text is especially appropriate and should
always be remembered, not only in severe persecutions but also in
the lesser ones, when our names are cast out as evil, when men
"shall separate you from their company," when they make
all kinds of misrepresentations against you falsely because of
your faithfulness to the Lord and to his Word and to the
principles of righteousness. Then remember this text, and assure
your heart in harmony with it and with other statements of the
Lord's Word, that all these experiences of opposition the Lord is
willing to overrule for your highest welfare, causing them to work
out for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. All
who will be of the kingdom of heaven class must pass through some
such experiences for the development and testing of their
characters. Z'05-254 R3617:4 (Hymn 299) |
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JULY 26
They...went everywhere preaching the Word. Acts
8:4
SOME dear Christian people make the mistake of
preaching on sociology, the beauties of nature, the things of the
world. Others continually dabble with errors and errorists. Such
things may have their time and place in connection with the
message; but all who would serve the Lord should remember that we
are commissioned to preach the Gospel of Christ only. Christ and
his message constitute the light which came into our minds—the
light which we are to let shine for the blessing of others. The
darkness hateth the light and battles against the light; but the
light is to keep on shining. Thus said our Lord, "Let your
light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven." The light is not
merely the message which we bear upon our lips, but also the
influence which emanates from our daily lives. More and more we
are convinced that the will of the Lord is that his message shall
be borne by those who are pure of heart. "Be ye clean that
bear the message of the Lord's house." Z'09-45 R4330:5 (Hymn
154) |
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JULY 27
Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth
his salvation from day to day, declare his glory among the
heathen, his wonders among all people. Psalm
96:2, 3
ALL who are of the truth hear the truth, and love
to bear witness to the truth. Yet in our case, as in the Master's
case, the world knoweth us not. It knows us not because it knew
him not. The world, especially the religious world of Christendom,
is disposed to crucify us as it crucified him, only we are living
in a more civilized time, and the scribes, the Pharisees, and the
doctors of the Law apparently find it more difficult today than of
old to incite the people to destroy our lives. But by God's grace
we will continue to bear witness to the truth until the dark night
comes "wherein no man can work," should our lives be
spared till then. Z'16-151 R5898:6 (Hymn Appendix H) |
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JULY 28
The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit,
and they are life. John
6:63
OUR text shows that however dark and parabolic
were our Lord's teachings, nevertheless, rightly understood, his
message is one that is spiritually helpful and life-giving to
those who can and do understand it. It is this quality of the
Lord's message which makes the religion of the Bible different
from that of all the heathen. It is a message of life as well as a
message of holiness. It is a message of forgiveness as well as a
message of condemnation. It is a message of love as well as a
message of justice. His wonderful words of life—they are
charming, beautiful, forceful! We may read them over year after
year and we see still more beauty in them, still deeper
significance, and that in proportion to our own growth in grace,
our growth in knowledge, and in the Spirit of our Master. Z'10-219
R4644:6 (Hymn 49) |
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JULY 29
Continuing instant in prayer. Romans
12:12
PRAYER, communion with God, is indispensably
necessary to our spiritual welfare; and the appreciation of the
privilege of communion with the most High and with our Redeemer,
or the lack of such appreciation, as the case may be, indicates
tolerably clearly our fervency or our coldness with reference to
the things of the Lord. People may be fervent in serving schemes
or plans of their own, or human systems and theories, and have
little desire for prayer, but those who serve the Lord and his
truth from a hot, fervent heart, will so realize their
imperfection and their own inability in the divine service, that
they will desire and will continually seek the Master's guidance
and direction with reference to the service they are rendering to
him. Z'97-265 R2213:6 (Hymn 239) |
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JULY 30
Who is a God like unto thee, that...retaineth not
his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. Micah
7:18
THE heathen Gods are all vengeful. The God of the
Bible alone lays claim to being a God of love "whose mercy
endureth forever," as one of the Psalms repeats again and
again. Alas, how terribly our God of wisdom, justice, love, and
power has been misrepresented to the world, and to the church, as
a God delighting in the eternal torture of the vast majority of
his creatures; for if such were his provision for them, and he
knew the end from the beginning, it would surely prove that he
delighted in, and intended their torture. But when our eyes open
to a proper interpretation of God's Word, his character becomes
glorious before our eyes and commands our love and our devotion!
As the apostle declares, it is the divine love which constrains us
to be faithful and obedient. Z'11-378 R4892:3 (Hymn 296) |
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JULY 31
Thy saints shall bless Thee. They shall speak of
the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy power; to make known to
the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His
kingdom. Psalm
145:10-12
THE prophet intimates that all the saints shall
have the privilege of thus declaring the kingdom, and of thus
honoring the name of our God; and this seems to be literally
fulfilled today, for the Lord seems to be bringing to the
attention of all his saints (his consecrated people everywhere)
the present truth; to the intent that they may have its light upon
their pathway, making manifest unto them the glorious character of
our God, through a knowledge of his great plan of the ages.
Moreover, the Lord seems to be putting it within the power of
every one of his saints to thus glorify his name and to speak
forth the truth to others. To some he has granted the talent of
oratory and opportunity to use it and to speak forth his praises
in this way; to others he has granted a talent for private
conversation, that they may thus tell of his kingdom and speak of
his glorious majesty and make known his plans to such as have
hearing ears. To others still he has given the privilege of
declaring his message through the circulation of the printed page;
and to some he seems to have given opportunities for using all of
these various methods of singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.
And we may rest assured that none can be of the company of the
Lord's saints in this time, and know of his goodness and his
wonderful honor and majesty, and not have a desire to tell the
good tidings of great joy to all who have an ear to hear; and
those who are most earnest, most zealous in proclaiming the
message are sure to have the most blessing in their own hearts,
and in their own experiences, and to grow the most in grace, in
knowledge, and in love. Z'00-313 R2714:6 (Hymn 118) |
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