October

WE love Him, because He first loved us.

—1 John 4: 19.

Christ loves love into us. His love kindles ours as the sun kindles all the fires upon the planet. Every bit of love is a fragment of the infinite love. Where love is, God is, for God is love.

Loving Father, I would share Thy wonderful love. Kemove all that is unlovely out of my spirit, and make room for the altogether lovely. Let Thy love awake my love, as some early singer awakes all the songsters in the wood. For the Saviour’s sake. Amen.

october 2.

MT voice sJicdt Thou hear in the morning, 0 Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee and will look up.

* — Psalm 5: 3.

The morning prayer chimes in with the joy of the creation, with the quick world as it awakes and sings. It binds itself up with the rising of the sun, the opening of the flowers, the divine service of the birds.

My Father in Heaven, may the beginnings of my days be sanctified in Thee. May the early hours be new creations. May my spirit join in nature’s song of melody and praise. Renew my first springs of thought and will. For the Saviour’s sake. Amen.

october 3.

TEE Lord opened fhe eyes of tJie young mam, and he saw, and heJiold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about.

—2 Kings 6: 17.

The blind eyes have a very small world. When God opens our eyes He unfolds new continents of being. Our solitudes are crowded with friendly presences cheering the loyal soul on his way. And God will open our eyes that we may see.

Lord, that I might receive my sight! Let me not be hemmed in by the things which are seen. Let me be conscious of the crowd of witnesses around me on every side. Let me behold the army of the Lord, the allies of all who seek to do His will. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 4.

OTJR light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

—2 Corinthians 4: 17,

That is a wonderful connection, “light affliction” with “eternal weight of glory.” And one creates the other. A little sorrow, bravely borne, creates the very gold of God. Hardship refines character. Struggle is the servant of spiritual strength.

My Gracious God, let me not fear the trouble which comes to my door. Let me regard it as one of Thy servants come to do Thy bidding. Let me believe in this gracious ministry. Let it bring to my spirit something of the glory of heaven. For the Saviour ’s sake. Amen.

October 5.

ALL things are yours... ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

—1 Corinthians 3: 21, 23,

What must I be worth if all things are mine? Mr. Moody used to say, “Find out what Jesus Christ is worth, and I will tell you what I am worth.” And that is truly our inheritance. The Lord’s estates are mine also.

My Father God, let me joyfully claim my inheritance in Christ. Save me from living as a pauper when I am one with the elect of Thy treasury. Let the riches of Thy grace be received in the inner rooms of my soul. Let my spiritual wealth be evident to everybody. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 6.

AND Jesus lifted up His eyes on His disciples and said, Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now, for ye shall he filled. Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh.

—Luke 6: 20, 21.

In these spheres of the spirit they laugh merriest who laugh last. They who suffer with the Saviour carry the promise of the coming dawn. Their golden age is before them. They live in the sure confidence of the morrow even while they trudge through the midnight.

My Father God, let me not be turned aside by present sorrow or want. Let not the sacrifices on my road make me a coward. Grant that I may walk with Thee along the thorny path in Thy gracious fellowship. Make me more than conqueror through Thy grace. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 7.

BLESSED is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life.

—James 1: 12.

The big view is the reward of the precipitous climb. We cannot have one without the other. The soul cannot be crowned without struggle. Without temptation our life would be stagnant. Out of the eater comes forth meat, out of the strong comes forth sweetness.

Holy Father, grant me grace to accept Thy ways and means in life. Help me to accept the way of temptation as the road to larger life. Let me remember that if there be no cross there can be no crown. Help me to face the hill with courage, full of expectancy of the inspiring vision at the summit. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

October 8.

BE not anxious for the marrow.

—Matthew 6: 34.

Anxiety spoils the immediate hour, and the value of to-morrow is dependent upon to-day. If I spoil to-day, to-morrow will be impoverished. To-morpow has its hands outspread for the harvest of to-day; let me fill them with the fruits of restful obedience.

My Gracious God, I pray that I may trust Thee in the present hour. Let me not spoil to-day and thereby rob to-morrow. Let me send into to-morrow the energies of to-day well spent in the service of Thy holy will. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 9.

THE house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

—John 12:3.

It is amazing how far a little honeysuckle will throw its fragrance. A bit of sweet briar sends refreshment to every wayfarer as he goes along the road. “How far that little candle throws its beams; so shines a good deed in a naughty world.” All goodness has blessed issues. Every loyalty in Christ Jesus is a fragrant flower of the spirit.

Almighty God, make my life as a fragrant flower in the common way. Let it be a minister of kindly inspiration. May many a pilgrim be refreshed by communion with the grace that dwells in me. Make me a witness and a messenger of the heavenly love. For the Redeemer’s sake. Amen.

october 10.

0 ZION, that hringest us good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain... say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God.

—Isaiah 40: 9.

If we are to carry good news we must go into the mountains for it. It is away in the heights that we have the wonderful visions. If we live on the lower plains we shall have no startling tidings. Let me lift mine eyes up unto the hills.

Most Gracious God, I thank Thee for the upward calling in Christ Jesus. It is Thy gracious will to make me a child of the mountains. Let my soul live on the mountain tops. Let me breathe mountain air, and let me carry the high tidings to the children of men. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

October II.

I WILL trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song.

—Isaiah 12:2.

The Lord must first be my strength if He is to be my song. I must not look for the song of the free man while I am still in bonds. I must not expect to leap along the way in gladness while I am held in spiritual weakness. When the Lord has endowed me with strength, the song will arise like a spring after plenteous rains.

My Father God, strengthen me with the power of Thy Holy Spirit. Transform my weakness into overflowing health. Turn my murmurings into praise. Let even Thy statutes become my songs. For the Saviour’s sake. Amen.

october 12.

LOVE bearetJi all things, ielieveth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things; love never faileth.

—1 Corinthians 13: 7, 8.

We must be lovers, and at once the impossible becomes possible. Love never falls out of the ranks as one who faints by the way. Duty may fail, but love goes on. Love has endless resources, for it is in communion with the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Most Loving God, I pray that Thy holy love may dwell in my heart. Give me the spirit that can endure the midnight and the tempest. Let me not fail at the touch of menace. Fill me with the love of Jesus, so that all things may be possible unto me. For His sake. Amen.

october 13.

WHEN Moses held up his hand... Israel prevailed... hut Moses’ hands were heavy... and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands ».. and his hands were steady.

—Exodus 17: 11, 12.

Smaller men have the power to make great men greater. Every one can hold up the hands of the mighty. I can have a share in a ministry that is endowed with holy power. The slave Onesimus can be a helpmeet of the apostle Paul.

O Lord my God, help me to use my strength in the strengthening of others. Let me be a partaker of their labours so that I may be a sharer in their joys. Let me be their helper in their appointed work. In the quietness of the spirit let me be a fellow labourer with the Captain of the host. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

©cto&cr 14.

MY beloved is mine, and I am His.

—Canticles 2: 16.

“As at the twilight hour,
There stealeth unaware
The sound of music sweet,
And gently in accord;
So when my lips repeat

Thy name, 0 Christ, my Lord,
There warms a sudden glow
Within this heart of mine — A joy, as well, I know,
It tells me I am Thine.”

Gracious Father, let me rejoice in my communion with Thee. Renew to me the assurance that I am Thine. Let the bonds of holy love witness to my fellowship. Let me know that Thou art mine, in the midnight and the dawn. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

©ctobet 15.

HE is able to save completely them that “draw near unto God through Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for us.

—Hebrews 7: 25.

It is in the risen Lord we find the springs of spiritual hope. If Christ liveth, the future of the believer opens out in bewildering glory. If Christ is dead all our hopes are tragical dreams.

0 Lord my God, I thank Thee for the amazing evidence of the life indeed. Thou art revealing Thyself in the power of the resurrection. Thou art lifting souls out of death into the deathless life. May I glory in this heavenly witness, and become a partaker of Thy nature. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 16.

SATAN himself is transformed into an angel of light.

—2 COEINTHIANS 11: 14.

That is the peril of temptation. It looks like something else. Even the tempter himself may have the appearance of an angel. Temptation is always camouflaged. The gun is hidden in the rose-bush, the bomb is hidden in the bouquet. And therefore I require fine eyes to see through the deception.

God of all might, give me Thy might that I may discern between good and evil. May I know the tempter when he comes to me as an angel of light. Save me from the snare that would lure me into the field of trespass. Help me to keep in Thy way and to love the path of Thy commandment. For the Redeemer’s sake. Amen.

october 17.

WE glory in tribulations also.

—Romans 5:3.

That is an extraordinary triumph. It is one thing to glory when my circumstances are fair and sunny, but it is a much more arresting thing to be triumphant in the time of trouble. That is the kind of witness which rouses the passer-by. Any loiterer is captured by a character which reveals a noble patience in sorrow, and a gracious magnanimity in defeat.

0 Lord my God, I pray for this revelation of Thy glory in time of trouble. May I keep my stature in days of tempest. May I not become small and mean when my circumstances are unfriendly. Let me manifest the power of Thy grace in a stalwart walk through the storm. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 18.

AND a man shall ie as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

—Isaiah 32: 2.

Sunshine was he
In the wintry day;
And in the mid-summer
Coolness and shade.

Almighty God, Who art our refuge and our strength, may I be a hiding-place for my brother in need. Let me be as sunshine to those who are chilled with wintry circumstance. Let me be as a cooling shade to those who are fevered with the heat of the day. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 19.

WHY do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Barken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good.

—Isaiah 55: 2.

Every expenditure of energy ought to yield bread for the soul. In all my experiences, be they grave or gay, the soul should find its nutriment. Nothing should be spiritually empty. Even my laughter should nourish my spirit.

0 Lord my God, I pray that I may not toil for naught. Let me not pUe up money and starve my soul. Let me not seek after pleasures which provide no enduring joy. Let me so live toward Thee as to find the sacramental bread in every common thing. Lord, evermore give me this bread! For the sake of Christ Jesus. Amen,

October 20.

LOOK not every man on his own things, hut every man also on the things of others.

—Philippians 2: 4.

The common benefit must never be absent from our life. We cannot do our own work well if we shut our eyes upon our brother. We shall know our own farm the better when we see it in the general landscape. We must rise to take in the larger view.

Eternal God, I pray that I may receive my sight. Let me behold my brother even while I am earning my daily bread. May I recoil from all injustice. Help me to help any one on the road in the spirit of kindliness and grace. May I be interested in his interests and rejoice in his triumph. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 21.

I BESEECH you by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

—Romans 12: 1.

I must not wait until my body is exhausted before I dedicate it to the Lord. So many people offer Him the dregs of their strength, when the years are spent. They present to Him a lamp which will no longer burn with helpful ray. Let me give Him my body in the freshness and fulness of its strength.

Most Holy God, I would dedicate my body to the service of Thy Kingdom. Use it as an instrument in Thy righteousness. Let it be the servant and messenger of Thy grace. Let my strength be enlisted in my Father’s business. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 22.

BUT lo, I am with, you alway, even unto the end of the world.

—Matthew 28: 20.

If He is with me always, He is with me now. That is good tidings of great joy. And therefore I must not wait for the Lord’s appearing to-morrow. I must commune with Him now and receive His gifts in my immediate task. “The Lord’s always is a splendid perpetual now.”

0 Lord my God, help me to believe in the present redemption of Thy promise. Thou art with me now. Let the moment be filled with glory. Let me live this faith in an abounding fulness of spiritual life. Let me rejoice and be glad. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

October 23.

WHETHER one member suffer all the members suffer with it.

—1 Corinthians 12: 26.

The condition of my life vitally affects the condition of human fellowship. If I bring diseased or broken strength all my fellows would be the poorer. If I bring a mood of murmuring or despair all their lamps burn more dimly. If I bring a brilliant spirit all their lamps shine with clearer radiance.

0 Lord my God, may my life be the helpmeet of the children of men. Let me contribute the gifts of Thy grace. Let everybody be the richer because I have believed and lived in Thee. Let me not impoverish anybody because of spiritual infirmity. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 24.

THIS one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prise of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 3: 13, 14.

The apostle Paul never finally rested in anything already gained. He was the willing captive of a great tendency. He was carried on and on, borne by the power of God. He found his wingpower in the buoyancy of a mighty hope.

0 Lord my God, save me from indolent resting in any attainment. Let the wind of Thy Spirit bear me on to greater distinction. Let me believe in the more radiant glory which is always waiting for those who trust Thee. Let me believe in the surpassing brightness of the coming day. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 25.

LORD, what wilt Thou have me to do?

—Acts 9: 6.

One of the great secrets of spiritual progress is to discover what the Holy Spirit’s errand is for us in the immediate task. We must submit the present moment to His counsels. We must not dwell in some remote morrow and overlook the privilege that is near. As God gives us daily bread He also confers upon us a daily mission.

Spirit of wisdom, I pray for guidance in my immediate work. What wouldst Thou have me do? Let me not go into it blindly, as though no divine purpose rested upon it. Let me enter through Thy door, and walk along Thy way. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

October 26.

LET not your heart he troubled..,. Z will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.

—John 14:1, 18.

When our Lord appears to go away, the going is only apparent. It is like as when in an operation we close our eyes upon a loved face, and, when we open them again, the loved one is still there. And all through the exacting season the beloved Presence is never away. And so the angel of the Lord encampeth round about us and we are never alone.

My Father God, give me the strength of this gracious assurance. Let me believe that the angel of Thy presence ’ never fails. Thou wilt not desert us in the hour of our heaviest need. “We make this our prayer and Thou dost answer it in riches of grace. For Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

©ctobev 27.

AND the King shall answer and say unto them, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these My irethren, even these least, ye did it unto Me. — Matthew 25: 40.

I am to treat everybody as though he were Christ. And some day I shall find that in my brethren I was really entertaining the Lord. And so when I do a service to His meanest subject I am doing it unto the King. Every child of need is the dwelling place of the Lord.

My Father God, give me this large sense of Thy presence among the children of men. May every life be to me as holy ground. May the common bush flame with the secret fire. May I see Thy glory on the common road. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

october 28. FROM that time began Jesus to preach, and to say. Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. — Matthew 4: 17.

And what is it to repent but to get an entirely new way of thinking? It is to get a new mental outlook. It is to turn right round and think everything out in an absolutely different way. It is to thiok of everything from the standpoint of Christ.

0 Lord my God, I pray for this new mind in Christ Jesus. I pray that my old thinking may pass away, and that I may think the thoughts of the Lord. Take me into Thy school, and teach me how to think about everything and everybody. Give me a new mind, 0 Lord. Amen.

October 29.

GOB chose the foolish things of the world that He might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world that He might put to shame the things that are strong. — 1 Corinthians 1: 27.

God’s choices are very extraordinary. He makes a frail reed do the work of an iron pillar. He transforms a worm into a threshing instrument. He makes a publican into an evangelist. He makes a magdalene the herald of a resurrection.

Holy Father, I bless Thee for these ministries of Thy grace. I thank Thee that Thou dost use commonplace people in the service of Thy Kingdom. Find me a place in Thy vineyard. Let me dedicate my life to Thee in body, mind and soul. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

©ctofter 30.

THEN saitJi Jesus unto His disciples, The harvest indeed is plenteous but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He send forth labourers unto His harvest.

—Matthew 9: 37, 38.

The Lord is short of labourers for the harvest field. The song of the harvest-home tarries for lack of harvesters. Then I am to pray that a multitude may be constrained into the field. With my prayer there must be personal consecration. Are my hands idle? Have I brought a sheaf into the garner? Have I ever brought one soul to the Saviour’s feet?

0 Lord my God, let me be a worker in the harvest-field. Let my heart leap to the privilege of service. Let me not move with reluctant feet. Give me speed as one who delights to do Thy will. Let me return with rejoicing, bringing my sheaves with me. For the Saviour’s sake. Amen.

212 “COME TE APABT

October 31.

AND Jesus said, Go, and tell John the things which ye have seen and heard, how the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good tidings preached to them.

—Luke 7: 22.

These are always the signs of the Master’s wonderful work. Everybody finds his missing piece in Christ. The thing we most lack we shall discover in our Lord. He completes our incompletenesses. We are filled with His fulness.

0 Lord my God, help me to find my life in my Saviour. May I not be a weary vagrant seeking the missing piece where it can never be found. Guide me to the springs of my being, for all my springs are in Thee. For Christ’s sake. Amen.