November 1
God Needs Our Faithfulness
God's providence is always good—but he needs
our faithfulness, our truest and best work always, to give full
expression and result to the good that he plans. It is possible
for us to mar the good which God intends, and to turn his work
into disaster which he never intended. God never does his work
unfaithfully, and we dare not charge to his providence, the
preventable accidents of life, those which come through men's
carelessness or dishonesty or greed of gain or fault of any
sort. We must remember that even the providence of God cannot
work completely or perfectly, without our little work, each and
everyone's little work—well done.
November 2
The Radiant
Ideal
We may become like angels! What debasement,
then, to let our lives, with all their glorious possibilities,
be dragged down into the dust of shame and dishonor! Rather, let
us seek continually the glory for which we were made and
redeemed. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God! And that is what we
are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not
know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we
will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he
appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he
is pure." 1 John 3:1-3
"Wonderful the whiteness of your glory!
Can we truly that perfection share?
Yes; our lives are pages of your story,
We your shape and superscription bear.
Tarnished forms—torn leaves—but you can mend
them;
You very own completeness can unfold
From our imperfections; and will end them—
Dross consuming, turning dust to gold."
November 3
Amusement as a
Means of Grace
Amusement must never become an end
in life; it must always be a means, a help on
the way, just as sleep is, just as rest is. An hours amusement
should be to you just what a night's sleeping is, or what a
day's resting is—it should make you stronger, clearer-headed,
calmer-souled, braver, more hopeful, more earnest, more
enthusiastic, inspiring you for godly living. Anything which
leaves a taint of impurity upon the life, or starts a thought of
impurity in the mind, anything which degrades or debases the
soul—is unfit and unworthy amusement for a Christian. Christian
amusements must be such, as do not harm spiritual life; they
must be means of grace. "Therefore, whether you eat or
drink, or whatever you do—do everything for God's glory!" 1
Corinthians 10:31
November 4
Silences Which
are Sinful
In every life, there are times when to be
silent, is to fail in duty. We are to speak out, on all
occasions when the glory of Christ demands it. We should never
fear to speak the word of warning to one in danger. We should
never hesitate to speak boldly in confession of Christ in the
presence of his enemies. To be ashamed of him is a grievous
wrong to him. Many of us sin, too, by our silence toward hearts
that are hungry for love. On our tongues lie the words that
would give blessing—but we hold our tongues—and let the sad
hearts break. Many of us talk too much, no doubt—"speech
is silver and silence is golden"—but let us remember also
that "there is a time to speak."
November 5
Cost of Helping
Others
It is only when you have passed through the
fierceness of temptation, wrestling with evil, sorely
beset—and victorious only through the grace of Christ—that you
are ready to be a helper of others in their temptation. It is
only when you have known sorrow in some form yourself,
and when you have been comforted by divine grace and helped to
endure—that you are fitted to be a comforter of others in their
sorrow. You must learn before you can teach, and
the learning costs. At no small price can we become true helpers
of others in this world. Lessons which cost us nothing—are worth
but little. Virtue went out of Jesus to heal others; virtue must
go out of us to become life and blessing to other souls.
November 6
The Heart of
Prayers
Mere words do not make prayer. The
repeating of forms of petition, however beautiful they
may be or however eloquently uttered, is not praying. There must
be fire—the fire of love glowing upon the golden altar
of the heart. There must be sincere worship of soul, there
must be fervency of spirit there must be warm, earnest desire.
The prayer must be kindled in the heart by the love of God shed
abroad by the Holy Spirit. Unless our very heart goes
into our forms of words, borne on faith's wings and
pressing to God's feet—we do not really pray.
November 7
The
Transforming Look
Keeping the heart upon Christ--transfigures
the life. The old monks intently gazed upon the crucifix,
thinking that the print of the nails would come in their hands
and feet, and the thorn-scars in their brow, as they gazed. It
was but an utter fiction—yet in the fiction there is a spiritual
truth. Gazing by faith upon Christ, the lines of his beauty
indeed print themselves on our hearts! That is the meaning of
Paul's words—"We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a
mirror the glory of the Lord—are transformed into the
same image!" The gospel is the mirror. There we see the image of
Christ. If we earnestly, continuously, and lovingly behold
it--the effect will be the changing of our own lives into His
likeness. The transformation is wrought by the Holy Spirit, and
we are only to behold, to continue beholding, the blessed
beauty! As we sit before Christ--His image is imprinted on our
soul.
November 8
Empty
Conversations
Christian conversation should not be a mere
jargon of empty, idle words. There are many people who talk
incessantly—and never say anything worth repeating or
remembering. They never give any comfort to those who are in
trouble. They never incite those who hear them to anything noble
or good. Their words if gathered up would be millions of
blossoms—and not one handful of fruit; tons of
sand—and not one shining sparkle of gold. Surely such
conversation is not worthy of immortal beings, children of God
and heirs of glory, on their way home to glory! "Let your
conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so
that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6
November 9
Let the
Blessings Flow Out
While you are to brighten first the place
nearest to you—you are also to throw the little beams of your
lamp as far as they will reach. It will not make your own home
any less bright if, on a dark night, you open the shutters of
your windows and let some of the brilliancy and the cheer pour
out upon the street. Then others, too, may be blessed by the
light that fills your home. If you have a beautiful flower
garden—why should you build a high wall around it to hide it
from the eyes of passers-by? Would it not be a more Christ-like
thing—to tear down your stone wall and let all who move along
the street be blessed and cheered by the beauty?
November 10
On Looking for
Slights
We must look to ourselves and take heed how
we receive the acts, the words, and the manners
of others. If we are proud, and are always on the watch for
slights, and unfriendly hints, and little hurts—we
can find plenty of them. We need, therefore, to cultivate the
spirit of humility in all our interactions with others. We need
to learn patience, forbearance, longsuffering, meekness, and
forgiveness. In a word, love—love which thinks no evil. Then we
shall never be suspicious, never be exacting, never demand our
"rights." We shall endure even intended wrongs—patiently,
sweetly, with true meekness.
November 11
The Winsomeness
of Love
"God loves you—and I love you," says Mr.
McAil to the poor people he would lift up. There is little use
in telling people the first part of this message—if we cannot
tell them also the second part, or at least make them see it in
our face, in our words and acts, in our true, tireless interest
in them. The love of Christ must throb in our own hearts, and
shine in our eyes, and speak in our words, and offer itself
again on the cross in our lives, in our efforts to save
others—if we would win souls for heaven. We must love the
people we would win. We must have some conception of the
infinite value of the lives we try to save—in order that we may
love them. Without this we cannot deeply and truly care for
those whom sin has stripped of beauty. But if we
understand their real worth and the possibilities there are in
their lives—it will not be hard for us to love even the farthest
away from God.
November 12
Keep the Ideal
Undimmed
If we are true believers in Christ, we each
have in our soul—a vision of spiritual loveliness into which we
are striving to fashion our lives. This vision is our conception
of the character of Christ. "That is what I am going to be some
day!" we say. Far away beyond our present attainment as this
vision may shine—yet we are ever striving to reach it. This is
the ideal which we carry in our heart amid all our toiling and
struggling. This ideal we must keep free from all marring or
stain. We must save it—though we lose our very life in guarding
it. We should be willing to die—rather than give it up to be
destroyed. We should preserve the image of Christ—bright,
radiant, unsoiled, in our soul— until it transforms our dull,
sinful, earthly life—into its own transfigured beauty!
November 13
Do Not Worry
We have nothing to do with tomorrow—until we
get to it. When the day comes with its cares—then we may meet
them, and then God will provide for them. The present duty
alone, is ours—the faithful, diligent doing of God's will day
by day. The rest is God's—and anxious care is
unbelief. Our Father will surely take care of us—if we are only
faithful to him. Away, then, with anxiety. Do your work, your
duty, the bit of God's will for the day—and let God care for
you. Then the peace of God shall keep your heart and mind.
November 14
Promotion by
Faithfulness
We are always on trial in this world.
God's promotions are all in the line of fidelity. When we do
well with one talent—he puts two into our hand. When we show
ourselves faithful and capable with two—he adds two more. This
is true not only of ordinary business capacities and
fidelities—but also of spiritual privileges. When we do anything
well, God increases our responsibilities, puts new trusts into
our charge. But failure in any testing, brings the loss of the
trusts already in our hands. If we would grow into great
usefulness—we must be ever watchful that we fail in no duty or
trial.
November 15
Looking for
Blessings
Do we take the blessings that the common
days bring to us? Do we extract the honey from every flower
which grows by our path? Do not angels come to us
unawares in homely or unattractive disguise, walk with us, talk
with us, and then only become known to us when they have flown
away—when their places are empty? Shall we not learn to see the
goodness and the beauty in the gifts which God sends to us?
Their very commonness veils their blessedness. Let us
seek for the good in everything. Then, though we see it not, let
us never doubt that a blessing lies hidden in every gift of God
to us. Every moment brings us some blessing—even the rough
hand of trial holds in its clasp, some treasure we love.
November 16
Uncommon
Christians
Be not satisfied with a mere feeble measure
of spiritual life. Strive to have the abundant life and
to be full-rounded Christians. Seek to have every power of your
life developed to its utmost possibility of beauty and
usefulness. Find out whatever things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, and strive to have every mark and line of
beauty in your own life. Grow toward God in all upward,
heavenward reaching. Grow toward men in all unselfishness
and loving service. Grow in your own soul into the
fullness of the stature of Christ. And all this you will gain by
becoming filled more and more with Christ himself. It was the
daily prayer of one saintly man, "O God, make me an uncommon
Christian."
November 17
Self-Sacrifice
The path of ministry is a shining ladder,
which is steep and hard to climb—but it leads to God's feet.
Whoever would be chief, let him serve. The world is trying to
scramble up another way. It thinks the path of unselfish service
leads downward. But we have Christ's word, that he is greatest
who serves most self-forgetfully. Forget yourself. Consecrate
your life to Christ. There is no other way to immortal success.
Your life will seem to sink away and be lost—but it will be like
the rain-drops which fall and disappear, only to come again in
living beauty. No life of self-sacrifice for Christ, shall fail
of eternal honor.
November 18
What Makes
Heaven?
What makes heaven? Not its jeweled walls, and
pearl gates, and streets of golden, and sea of glass, and river
of crystal—but its blessed obedience, its sweet holiness, its
universal and unbroken accord with the divine will, and its
spirit of love. Heaven never can be entered by any in whose
hearts the spirit of heaven is not first found. Heaven
must be in us, or we can never enter its gates. We are prepared
for heaven, made fit for the inheritance of the saints;
therefore, just in the measure in which we have learned to do
God's will here on earth as it is done by angels and saints in
that home of divine glory.
November 19
Misery of
Borrowing Trouble
Many people are always dreading coming
troubles. They are well enough now, and well enough off—but
they may get sick, or they may become poor, or
some other trouble may befall them. A large part of human
unhappiness is caused by needless forebodings—dreading
ills which never happen. It is a miserable way to live, this
looking out into the future and filling it with imaginary
shapes of evil. No doubt there are real troubles lying
concealed in the future for all of us—but let us not dread to go
on in quiet faith, since over us, the rainbow of God's eternal
goodness bends!
November 20
Why Always
People's faults
We are all very much alike in this world—as
it regards faults and failings. We all have plenty of them. Each
one of us has at least enough of his own faults—to make him very
modest in pointing out those of his neighbor. The trouble is,
however, that most of us have eyes so constructed or so
adjusted—as to see the faults of others much more clearly than
our own. It is not hard to get almost anybody started at
criticizing others and pointing out their infirmities. What a
pity it is that we have not eyes for the beautiful things in
others! What a relief it would be to hear everybody you meet
speaking in commendation of his neighbors and praising their
virtues! Would it not be worth while to try to turn the tides of
talk into this new channel for a time?
November 21
Doing
Impossible Things
When God calls us to any service or task or
duty whatever, no supposed personal incapacity, incompetency, or
insufficiency may ever be urged as a reason for not obeying. God
never really bids us do a thing we cannot do—and do well, with
his help. He would not mock us with an unreasonable requirement.
The achieving of impossible commands, of course, is not our
business at all. We have nothing whatever to do with the
impossible part; that belongs to God. But we have everything to
do with the obeying of the command that comes to us. It is not
ours to reason, to demur, to urge inability; it is ours
promptly, unquestioningly to obey—and then as we go forward God
will divide the water or cleave the mountain or roll away the
stone. As we approach the obstacle, going in holy obedience—we
shall find the way open for our feet.
November 22
Beautiful
Living
We do not know, when we are working for
immortality, by what act or word of ours we shall be remembered.
It may be the obscurest thing of our life that shall shine in
the most radiant glory. Let us, then, seek to make everything we
do beautiful enough to be our epitaph. If our hearts are always
full of love—our lives will be full of gentle deeds that will
please God and bless the world. Then we shall write our names
where no floods of years, no abrasion of events, no wasting
tooth of decay, no hungry waves of time, eating away the bank
whereon we stand, can ever destroy the record. To neglect the
least duty may be to spoil our own immortality. One opportunity
missed, may be the marring of our whole life.
November 23
Rejected
Blessings
No wonder many of us are so poor in spiritual
things. To our doors evermore come the heavenly messengers,
their hands laden with rich blessings which they wish to give to
us. But we are so intent on our petty earthly ambitions,
that we do not see them nor open our doors to them; and waiting
long in vain, they at last turn sadly away, leaving us unblessed
in our poverty. If we would but train ourselves to take whatever
gift God sends to us—we should soon become rich. God's blessings
are ever at our doors. He is the giving God. The trouble with us
is that we do not always recognize the blessings when they are
offered to us. Some of the richest of them come in forms of
pain or struggle or sorrow. Let us learn to
accept God's gifts, whether they shine in joy, or are veiled in
shadows.
November 24
Character-Quarries
Every individual life has its quarries, where
are hewn the blocks that are afterward built into character;
where the thoughts are shaped which take form in acts and
heroisms and noble works. There are two parts in every life—the
heart-quarry, which the world does not see, and the
life as it takes form in the eyes of men. Men must have a
good heart-life, before they can have a good character and make
a worthy record. Men must be silent thinkers, before their words
or deeds can have either great beauty or wide influence. Much
talk is of little value. Easy thinking never leads to very high
living.
November 25
The Radiance of
God's Will
There are many Christians who grieve when
they cannot serve their Lord in some form of active labor for
Christ. When sickness shuts them in, and they can go forth no
longer to their accustomed work, they mourn that they must be so
useless. They forget that that is God's will, and that the doing
of God's will is always the finest thing possible in this world
for any one. We worry about not carrying out our plans—the large
plans we make for our own lives. But it really matters very
little what comes of our plans—if only we do what God
marks out for us. A successful life in the end, is one which
has done that for which God created it.
November 26
The Chastening
of Love
"Whom the Lord loves he chastens."
Chastening is a mark of God's love, and also a seal of
sonship, for he "scourges every son that he receives." No true
father permits a child to grow up undisciplined, having its own
way all the while, its life running unchecked into waywardness,
wilfulness, and self-indulgence. The true father chastens. Mark,
it is not punishment which God inflicts—but chastening.
It is not anger or hatred which makes him at times severe,
denying the child's requests. It is love which leads him to
chasten. If we were not his children—he would not trouble to
chasten us. It is the fruitful branch which the farmer prunes,
to make it more fruitful; the unfruitful branch he cuts off and
burns. It is the Father's child that he chastens.
November 27
Remembering
Past Blessings
We should remember past mercies and
blessings. If we do, our past will shine down upon us like a
clear sky full of stars. Such remembering will keep the
gratitude ever fresh in our hearts, and the incense of praise
ever burning on the altar. Such a house of memory, becomes a
refuge to which we may flee in trouble. When sorrows gather
thickly, when trials come, when the sun goes down and every star
is quenched, and there seems nothing left to our hearts in all
the present—then the memory of a past full of goodness, a past
in which God has never once failed us, becomes a holy refuge for
our souls—a refuge gemmed and lighted by the lamps of other and
brighter days.
November 28
Our Place in
the Temple
The great Master-builder, in whose quarries
we are now as stones that are being made ready for the temple,
has a plan for his building. Every life has its own particular
place in that plan. God knows what he wants you to be—how large
or how small a place he wants you to fill. We must submit our
lives to the hammer and the chisel and to the
divine measurement, that we may be prepared for the place God is
preparing for us. We must not wince under the sharp cutting of
disappointment and sorrow.
November 29
The Blessing of
a Book
Books are not altogether impersonal things.
Somebody wrote them. Somebody's lifeblood is in them. Somebody
lived, suffered—wept, struggled, and toiled—to put into the
book, that which pleases and helps us. Should we not think of
this as we read the sentences which delight us or which inspire
and quicken us? Do we often, indeed, give thought to the writer
whose written words bring to us their messages? Do we not forget
ofttimes that it is somebody's heart-blood which runs in the
sentences we are reading, somebody's very life, if the words are
truly helpful? Do we then owe nothing to the author? Be sure the
lessons he is teaching have cost him pain and tears. He had to
live deeply to write helpfully. Some recognition of the help we
have gotten from him, we certainly owe to him. Should we not
write to him our thanks for the gift he has put into our life?
November 30
The Ministry of
Waiting
Each one of us does his own little part in
carrying out God's great plan. If our part is to stand and wait,
it is no less honorable than his who comes after us and takes up
what fell from our hands and carries it on to completion. Said
the blind Milton, "They also serve, who only stand and wait."
"The world comes to him who can wait," says the proverb; and
victory comes, and rest comes, and God comes, and glory comes—to
him who can wait.
Top
