March

THE Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of a great price, went and sold all that he had and hought it.

—Matthew 13: 45, 46.

Any one, who is a citizen of the Kingdom of God, must be prepared to sacrifice the good for the sake of the better. I must be ready to forfeit one precious pearl for the sake of one more precious etill. I must even be prepared to surrender the better for the best. Everything must be yielded to obtain the pearl of great price.

My Father God, I pray that Thou wilt sharpen the senses of my spirit in order that I may know the true values of things. Help me to know what is good, and what is better, and what is best. May I be always ready to follow on toward the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus. For His sake. Amen.

/Barcb 2.

YOUR young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

—Acts 2: 17.

Visions are not given to cowards; they rise upon the souls of those who are boldly surrendered to the Lord. We go out upon some chivalrous task and lol heaven breaks upon our view. Spiritual vision is given to us as we make the Jong climb.

Heavenly Father, I would be a child of vision. Endow my spirit with courage so that I may take the rugged and upward road. Eid me of all fear. Let me welcome all difficulty, knowing that every difficulty is the appointed service of my soul. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

/roarcb 3.

I LONG to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established.

—Romans 1: 11.

The apostle was always eager to give away what he had received from the Lord. He was always turning his harvests into seed. He sowed his reapings in the lives of others.

Heavenly Father, help me to use Thy gifts in the service of my fellows. Let me not imprison all my harvest in the garner. Help me to sow it in the field of the world so that others may be blessed by my bounty. And this for Christ’s sake. Amen.

/iDarcb 4,

ANT) they raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.... And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

—Acts 13: 50, 52.

These men had spiritual springiness, spiritual delight, because they had the spirit of Christian optimism. And this power they had received when the Holy Ghost came upon them. And the terms on which the power can be received are these: that we willingly offer our life to God, and that the offer be made in all sincerity and in all simplicity, and in humble trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Most Gracious Father, I pray that I may share this triumph in the spirit. Let no unfriendly circumstances put out the fires in my soul. Let my courage rise with danger. Let me sing songs in the night. Let me reveal my confidence in Thee when antagonism seems overwhelming. At midnight let me arise and give thanks unto Thee, Amen.

flDarcb 5,

NEITHER will they ie persuaded, though one rose from the dead. — ^Lxiee 16: 31.

Startling experiences are not the surest means of the soul’s salvation. We sometimes think that if we could see miracles it would be easy to believe. Miracles are not the best servants of faith. The still small voice has more vital constraint than the earthquake. If we do not heed the monitions of the spirit a miracle would leave us unmoved.

My Father God, give me the quick and discerning sense of Thy presence. Let me perceive Thee in the commonplaces of life. May the ordinary road be alive with divine significance. May I see the sacrament in my daily bread. For the Saviour’s sake. Amen.

/iDarcb 6»

AND they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them. Whether it ie right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye, for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

—Acts 4: 18-20.

Contrast these men with the men they were before they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. They were as reeds shaken by the wind. They were negative, hesitant, uncertain, altogether lacking in persistent force. But now the timid and fearful have become positive and affirmative. The Holy Spirit has endowed them with magnificent force of character, and nothing can stop them.

Almighty God, graciously endow me with holy courage. Take away all deadly timidity. Let the only fear in my soul be the fear of the Lord. Let me face hostility with triumph and confidence. Let me witness, in the quietness of strength, that all my springs are in Thee. For His sake. Amen.

/©arcb 7.

“WHAT shall Inarm us if we he followers of that which is good? — 1 Petee 3: 13.

Every man’s appointed task is his life-preserver. He shall give His angels charge over us to keep us in our ways. Duty carries its own antiseptic, and nothing can harm our souls.

Most Holy God, help me to believe in Thy spiritual defences. The shields of the earth belong unto God. Thy armour is our perfect security. Help me to wear it night and day, and to go eagerly in the path of Thy commandments. Tor my Saviour’s sake. Amen.

arch 8.

THERE is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.

—^PsAiiM 46: 4.

This is the river of God, and this is the kind of river which is to flow out of every one who is in communion with the living God. It is to be like a clear bright stream, dancing and leaping in the sunshine. The despondent and melancholy, and those whose faces are heavy with the gloom of fear, are to be heartened and cheered when the disciple of Christ draws near.

O Lord my God, wilt Thou graciously give me Thy joy so that I may be a minister of cheer and inspiration? Let me carry the good tidings of Thy grace both in word and in life. Let me light up dark places. Let me change the funeral beU into a wedding peal. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

/IDarcb 9.

3IY punishment is greater than I can hear.

—Genesis 4: 13. MY sin is ever before me. — Psalm 51: 3.

Here are two men, and one is oppressed by his punishment and the other is burdened with his sin. One wishes to escape the consequences of his sin, the other yearns for release from the sin itself. My chief concern must be with my sin, and I must seek its overthrow, in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Almighty God, I pray that I may not think more of my sufferings for sin than I do of the sin itself. May the sense of sin burden my soul till I find release in the baptism of Thy grace. Help me to hate sin as Thou hatest it. Pill me with the spirit of holiness. For my Saviour’s sake. Amen.

/IDarcb 10.

THE zeal of Thine House Jiath eaten me up.

—Psalm 69: 9.
BE fervent in spirit.

—Romans 12: 11.

Every great achievement is the triumph of some enthusiasm. Some burning impulse is at the heart of all revolution. The cold heart is unable to drive us along the way. It is only when the fire of God falls on us in the field that our confidence issues in glorious victory.

Almighty God, I pray that a holy zeal may be found in my life. Kindle it with a live coal from off Thine altar. Let Thine own love descend upon me, and, loving what Thou dost love, let me do Thy will with quenchless devotion. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

/Kiarcb II.

LET your loins he girt about, and your lights burning, and he ye like unto men ready!

—Luke 12: 35, 36.

We must always be road-ready, for we never know when or where the King’s commission will be given to us. He meets us at most unexpected places and in the most novel seasons. The only wise preparation is to be always prepared. If He says, “go,” we must be ready to start on the pilgrimage at once.

Most Gracious God, I would be ready for Thy will. Let me not be sleeping when Thou dost call me. Let me not be away on matters of indifference. Let the ear of the spirit be always alert, and let me be waiting to do the errand of my God. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

/Kiarcb 12.

IN my distress Thou hast enlarged me.

—Psalm 4: 1.

Every conquest over a difficulty means the enlargement of the soul. We can emerge from our tasks, and our friends will note that God has added unto our stature. Our troubles can be so faced as to make them bring strength and nutriment to our spirits. The time when we are in straits can be a season of spiritual growth.

Most Gracious Father, I pray that Thou wilt make the hard seasons times of secret growth. May the shadowed seasons nourish the ferns of the spirit; — the lovely graces of modesty, and long suffering, and patience, and may all my distresses enrich me with Thy likeness. For the Redeemer’s sake. Amen.

/roarcb 13.

AS the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud.., so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth. — Isaiah 55: 10, 11.

The rain is a fit expression of the tender mercies of God. It is typical of all the gentle, genial providences, the April weather of mingled sunshine and power. But the snow, too, is in the process of divine culture. The cold, cutting discipline in life, for which the enow provides the symbol, is also a servant of the spiritual harvest, and it generates and nourishes the flowers and fruits of the perfect life.

0 Lord my God, help me to have confidence in Thy love when the snow is on the ground. “When my circumstances are cold and wintry help me to believe they are working toward summer glory. Give me the quenchless hope that what seems unfavourable carries the gracious favour of my Lord. Amen.

/DJarcb 14.

AND the bones came together, hone to his hone... the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them; hut there was no breath in them. — Ezekiel 37: 7, 8.

No breath in them! There was everything except breath. They were perfectly articulated bodies, but they were devoid of inspiration. The lack was vital. There was an absence of life. And this is the common tragedy in the lives of men and nations. Movements stop just short of inspiration. Fine organizations have no soul. Bone comes to bone, and there are the sinews and skin, but there is no enlivening power from the heart of God.

My Father in Heaven, mercifully deliver me from this living death. Let me not be deluded into a contentment which is satisfied with forms without life. Let Thy living breath make everything live. Let my thoughts be vital purposes. Let my words be great deeds. Let my deeds pulse with the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

/IBarcb 15.

WE must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God. — Acts 14: 22.

IN the world ye shall have tribulation, hut he of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

—John 16: 33.

“Without tribulation some of life’s noblest treasures would never be found. Tribulation is the flail which releases the grain from the imprisoning sheaf and gives us the bread of life.

Almighty God, grant that I may make my troubles my friends. May they be like keys which unlock treasures of grace. May they bring wealth to my spirit, and equip me with the strength and beauty of Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

arch 10.

WHICH now of these three, thinhest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among thieves? And he answered. He that showed mercy on him. Go thou and do likewise.

—Luke 10: 36, 37.

God loves the neighbourliness that crosses conventional lives. So much of our virtue is racial or geographical; it does not go beyond our family, or our social class, or our country. It has beginnings and endings, and there are pitiful needs outside the circle of our grace.

Most Gracious God, give me a heart of pity. Let my compassion go forth like brimming rivers. Let them flow to the uttermost parts of the earth. Whenever a cry of need arises from a child of distress, may my strength ride forth in the ministry of healing. For my Saviour’s sake. Amen.

/IDarcb 17.

AND when Tie sowed, some seeds fell by fhe wayside, and the fouls came and devoured them up.... When any one heareth the word of the Kingdom, and understandeth it not, then Cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside. — Matthew 13: 4, 19.

Seed by the wayside! There it lies, pregnant with life and f ruitf ulness, but it cannot get to the ground. The miracle of quickening is nearly happening, but it does not happen. A harvest is all but at the birth, but it is not born. The seed and the earth touch, but they do not combine. There is contact but not communion.

My Father God, save me from this deadly nearness. Save me from using words and never praying. Save me from making vows, but showing no obedience. Save me lest I come short of a vital communion. Lead me from the outer courts into the quickening wonders of the holy place. For the Saviour’s sake. Amen.

/IDarcb 18.

SEE that thou make all things according to the pattern in the mount. — Hebrews 8: 5.

Progress consists in making facts conform to divine ideas. “We are fulfilling the divine purpose when we make every happening reflect the divine Will. There is a divine conception of everything, and to aim at that is to make life a glorious aspiration and an increasingly wonderful issue. Everything has its pattern in the mount.

Almighty God, I pray that my life may reflect Thy glory. May every happening, great and small, bear Thine image. May the beauty of the Lord shine through the commonplaces of my daily Ufe. May every earthly thing bear the seal of Heaven. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

/iDarcb 19.

BEHOLD, now is the accepted time, to-day is the day of salvation. — 2 Cokinthians 6:2.

It is a great thing to see the kingliness of to-day. Sometimes it is yesterday which appears to be the real king; sometimes it is to-morrow. Happy are they who can see the sovereign Prince in the immediate hour. Blessed are they who unmask the King as He passes.

My Father God, open my eyes that I may see the greatness of the immediate moment. Let me not waste my time in waiting for famous days. Help me to make the present day glorious. Let my life fill it with glorious service. Let me see and hear Thee in the commonplace calling of a passing event. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

/IDarcb 20.

TEE joy of the Lord shall be your strength.

—Nehkmiah 8: 10.

This sort of joy reveals itself, not in ecstasy, but in power. It is not given to us as the excitement of a moment; it is spread over the day in the form of strength.

Most Holy God, open out Thy springs of joy in me. Let me be as one who goes singing along his way. Let Thy statutes become my songs. Make me strong to meet every circumstance, and let me be more than conqueror. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

flDai’Cb 21.

GOD hath not given us the spirit of fear, hut of power, and love, and a sound mind.

—2 Timothy 1: 7.

Fear represseth the spirit, and makes it shrink. Love always inspires and expands. Fear chills like winter. Love kindles like the spring.

Eternal God, I thank Thee that the wind of the spirit is as the breath of spring. Transform the wilderness of my soul into a garden, and make the desert blossom like a rose. Fill my life “COME YE APAJBT” 61

with Thy grace and graces so that many weary people may find in me the garden of the Lord. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

/iDarcb 22.

IF ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

—Matthew 6: 14, 15.

The forgiveness of the New Testament is not emotional, but motional; not pathetic, but energetic; not a matter of cheap tears, but of sacrificial service. It is more than pardon, it is chivalry. Forgiveness is not a passive acquittal; it expresses itself in the ministry of self-sacrificing toil. And such a spirit will assuredly keep the road open for a sinful brother’s return, and we shall be called, “repairers of the breach, the restorers of paths to dwell in.”

Heavenly Father, graciously endow me with the spirit of sacrificial forgiveness. May I be willing to bleed in order that my brother may be made whole. Let me not harbour any unclean resentment. Let me not cherish any temper of revenge. Make me chivalrous and generous, like my Master, going about doing good. For His Bake. Amen.

- - - - — ’

noarcb 23.

UNTO me, viho am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.

—Ephesians 3:8.

The “unsearchable riches” fit themselves into every possible condition of human poverty and need. The ocean of grace flows about the shore of common lives; it flows into all their distresses and gaping wants, and it flUs every creek and crevice to the full.

My Father God, I humbly pray that Thy riches may come to my poverty. Fill out my want with Thy fulness. Redeem me from all spiritual lack and indigence. Let me appear unto my fellows as one who is drawing upon the treasuries of grace. Mightily enrich me with Thy glory. For the Saviour’s sake. Amen.

/HJarcb 24.

AND who is he that will harm you if ye he followers of that which is good? But and if ye shall suffer for righteousness’ sake, blessed are ye; and fear not their fear, neither be troubled, but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord. — 1 Pkter 3: 13-15.

Sanctify Christ as Lord! That is the all-originating fountain. Around it are stretches of land, threaded with rivers which are the children of its creative springs. If Christ be sanctified in the heart as Lord, there will be an endless procession of circumstances in the daily life reverently bowing to His dominion.

0 Lord my God, let there be a throne in my life, and on that throne let me behold Him Who was slain. Let me make all my affairs to pass before Him. Let everything pay homage at His feet. Make me strong to resist anything which refuses allegiance to His most holy wilL For Christ’s sake. Amen.

arch 25.

BE ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer; above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins. — 1 Peter 4: 7, 8.

It is not the sins of the lover which are covered, but the sins of the one who is loved. Love is willing to forget as well as to forgive. Love does not keep hinting at past failures. Love is willing to hide them in a nameless grave. Love is a hiding place from the wind; and a covert from the tempest.

My Father God, graciously endow me with this covering ministry of heavenly love. Let me be a shelter for my brother in the time of tempest. May my life bring him to the supreme Lover, where he may find shelter in the shadow of Thy wings. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

arch 26.

BELOYED, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happen unto you; inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice that at the revelation of His glory ye may also rejoice with exceeding joy. — 1 Peter 4: 12, 13.

The fiery trial tests character. The fiery trial strengthens and confirms character. The fiery trial develops character by bringing out its hidden beauties. We pass from grace to grace, and from glory to glory.

My Father God, I pray that every trial in life may develop Thy likeness in my soul. May every disappointment leave some mark of grace upon my character. May every hardship engrave on my soul some feature of the Lord. For His sake. Amen.

/IDarcb 27..

WHILE ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. — John 12: 36.

Take advantage of the sun while it shines. Life’s visions do not shine and glow like brilliant and continuous noons. They come and they go, bright intervals in the waste of gray twilight and darker night. Let us seize our brilliant moments!

Almighty God, I pray that I may eagerly use the light while it is shining. When I know Thy will, let me do it with ready obedience. “When my emotions are like a fa,vouring wind, let me hoist my sails and start upon my journey. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

/IDarcb 28.

YE shall he brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against tJiem and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, he not anxious how or what ye shall speak, for it shall he given you in that hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, hut the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. — Matthew 10: 18-20.

Put your trust in the Lord and you will live in the immediate present. Live well in the immediate present and you will have the spirit of calmness which is the secret of strength. And therefore, when the emergency comes, you ■wiU approach it with that quietness which is the essential factor in spiritual victory.

My Father God, let me fill the immediate moment with loyal obedience. Save me from spoiling to-day by worrying about to-morrow. Help me to believe that, when some exacting demand is made upon my strength and wisdom, I shall find all things have been made ready. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

jffiarcb 29.

/ KNOW that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever.

—ECCLESIASTES 3: 14,

God never withdraws or revokes His promises. Nor does His kindness come to an end. Everything goes on in increasing strength and glory. “We never come to the close of God’s work. A volume may be ended but it is always “to be continued.” We go from strength to strength, and from grace to grace, and from glory to glory.

0 Lord my God, make me confident in the eontinuousness of Thy grace. Let me rejoice in Thine inexhaustible love. Give me a splendid assurance of Thy boundless treasures. Let me draw my resources from Thee, and walk in the fulness of Thy strength. For His sake. Amen.

/IDarcb 30.

OTJE fathers trusted in Thee, they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.

—Psalm 22: 4.

There is rich hope buried in the experiences of yesterday, as rich sunshine is buried in our mines. Just as we can bring out the coal deposit and make it yield light and warmth for the life of to-day, so we can go to buried experijences of the saints of the past and make them yield enlightenment and inspiration for the saints of to-day.

Holy Father, I thank Thee for the story of Thy dealings with men. I bless Thee for the records of Thy grace. Let the past be to me a place of springs. In the triumphs of my brethren let me find inspiration for the tasks of to-day. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

IN a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, hut also of wood and of earth.

—2 Timothy 2: 20.

The inspiring suggestion is this: that the apparently commoner things, made of wood and of earth are as sacred as the apparently more precious things, made of gold and of silver. The little window, which lets the fresh air into the temple, is as hallowed as the sacramental cup. The office of doorkeeper may be as holy as that of the priest.

Heavenly Father, teach me how my life can be sanctified. May the little things glow like Thy stars. May the usual things shine with unusual radiance. Let the little hills rejoice on every side. For Christ’s sake. Amen.