Chapter II: Part 2

Tell me where you lost the company of Christ, and I will tell you the most likely place to find Him. Have you lost Christ in the closet by restraining prayer? Then it is there you must seek and find Him. Did you lose Christ by sin? You will find Him in no other way than by the giving up of the sin, and seeking by the Holy Spirit to mortify the member in which the lust doth dwell. Did you lose Christ by neglecting the Scriptures? You must find Him in the Scriptures. It is a true proverb, "Look for a thing where you dropped it; it is there." So look for Christ where you lost Him, for He has not gone away.--_Spurgeon._

=March 16th.=

_Come behind in no gift. 1 Cor. i. 7._

The Scripture gives four names to Christians, taken from the four cardinal graces so essential to man's salvation: _Saints_ for their holiness, _believers_ for their faith, _brethren_ for their love, _disciples_ for their knowledge.--_Thomas Fuller._

=March 17th.=

_They rest not day and night. Rev. iv. 8._

O blessed rest! When we rest not day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!"--when we shall rest from sin, but not from worship; from suffering and sorrow, but not from joy! O blessed day, when I shall rest with God; when I shall rest in knowing, loving, rejoicing, and praising; when my perfect soul and body shall together perfectly enjoy the most perfect God; when God, who is love itself, shall perfectly love me, and rest in His love to me, and I shall rest in my love to Him; when He shall rejoice over me with joy, and joy over me with singing, and I shall rejoice in Him!--=Baxter.=

=March 18th.=

_They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk,
and not faint. Isa. xl. 31._

The eagle that soars in the upper air does not worry itself as to how it is to cross rivers.--_Selected._

=March 19th.=

_Their eyes were holden. Luke xxiv. 16._

_Their eyes were opened. Luke xxiv. 31._

There is much precious significance in this. The Lord is often present in our lives in things that we do not dream possess any significance. We are asking God about something which needs His mighty working, and the very instrument by which He is to work is by our side, perhaps for weeks and months and years all unrecognized, until suddenly, some day it grows luminous and glorious with the very presence of the Lord, and becomes the mighty instrument of His victorious working. He loves to show His hand through the unexpected. Often he keeps us from seeing His way until just before He opens it, and then, immediately that it is unfolded, we find that He was walking by our side in the very thing, long before we even suspected its meaning.--_A. B. Simpson._

=March 20th.=

_All things work together for good to them that love
God. Rom. viii. 28._

If our circumstances find us in God, we shall find God in all our circumstances.--_Selected._

=March 21st.=

_He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His
name's sake. Ps. xxiii. 3._

He always has a purpose in His leading. He knows where the bits of green pasture are, and He would lead His flock to these. The way may be rough, but it is the right way to the pasture. "Paths of righteousness" may not be straight paths; but they are paths that lead somewhere--to the right place. Many desert paths are illusive. They start out clear and plain, but soon they are lost in the sands. They go nowhere. But the paths of righteousness have a goal to which they unerringly lead.--_J. R. Miller._

=March 22nd.=

_And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the
hand of him whom thou wilt send. Ex. iv. 13._

It was a very grudging assent. It was as much as to say, "Since Thou art determined to send me and I must undertake the mission, then let it be so; but I would that it might have been another, and I go because I am compelled." So often do we shrink back from the sacrifice or obligation to which God calls us, that we think we are going to our doom. We seek every reason for evading the divine will, little realizing that He is forcing us out from our quiet homes into a career which includes, among other things, the song of victory on the banks of the Red Sea; the two lonely sojourns for forty days in converse with God; the shining face; the vision of glory; the burial by the hand of Michael; and the supreme honor of standing beside the Lord on the Transfiguration mount.--_F. B. Meyer._

=March 23rd.=

_See then that ye walk circumspectly. Eph. v. 15._

There is no such thing as negative influence. We are all positive in the place we occupy, making the world better or making it worse.--_T. DeWitt Talmage._

=March 24th.=

_She took for him an ark of bulrushes . . . and she laid
it in the flags by the river's brink. Ex. ii. 3._

The mother of Moses laid the ark in the flags by the river's brink. Ay, but before doing so, she laid it on the heart of God! She could not have laid it so courageously upon the Nile, if she had not first devoutly laid it upon the care and love of God.

We are often surprised at the outward calmness of men who are called upon to do unpleasant and most trying deeds; but could we have seen them in secret, we should have known the moral preparation which they underwent before coming out to be seen by men. Be right in the sanctuary, if you would be right in the market-place. Be steadfast in prayer, if you would be calm in affliction. Start your race from the throne of God itself, if you would run well, and win the prize.--_Joseph Parker._

=March 25th.=

_Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law
of Christ. Gal. vi. 2._

By lifting the burdens of others we lose our own.--_Selected._

=March 26th.=

_I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.
John xvii. 4._

Was the work of the Master indeed done? Was not its heaviest task yet to come? He had not yet met the dread hour of death. Why did He say that His work was done? It was because He knew that, when the will is given, the battle is ended. He was only in the shadows of the garden; but to conquer these shadows was already to conquer all. He who has willed to die has already triumphed over death. All that remains to Him is but the outer husk, the shell.

The cup which our Father giveth us to drink is a cup for the will. It is easy for the lips to drain it when once the heart has accepted it. Not on the heights of Calvary, but in the shadows of Gethsemane is the cup presented; the act is easy after the choice. The real battle-field is in the silence of the spirit. Conquer there, and thou art crowned.--_George Matheson._

=March 27th.=

_A great multitude . . . stood before the throne. Rev.
vii. 9._

A _station on the feet_ in front of the throne in _heaven_ is the effect of being often _on the knees_ before the throne on _earth_.--_Selected._

=March 28th.=

_God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided
the light from the darkness. Gen. i. 4._

No sooner is there a good thing in the world than a _division is necessary_. Light and darkness have no communion; God has divided them, let us not confound them. Sons of light must not have fellowship with deeds, doctrines, or deceits of darkness. The children of the day must be sober, honest, and bold in their Lord's work, leaving the works of darkness to those who shall dwell in it forever.

We should by our distinct separation from the world divide the light from the darkness. In judgment, in action, in hearing, in teaching, in association, we must discern between the precious and the vile, and maintain the great distinction which the Lord made upon the world's first day.

O Lord Jesus, be Thou our light throughout the whole of this day, for Thy light is the light of men.--_Spurgeon._

=March 29th.=

_The path of the just is as the shining light, that
shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Prov. iv.
18._

Have I begun this path of heavenly love and knowledge now? Am I progressing in it? Do I feel some dawnings of the heavenly light, earnests and antepasts of the full day of glory? Let all God's dealings serve to quicken me in my way. Let every affection it may please Him to send, be as the moving pillar-cloud of old, beckoning me to move my tent onward, saying, "Arise ye and depart, for this is not your rest." Let me be often standing now on faith's lofty eminences, looking for "the day of God"--the rising sun which is to set no more in weeping clouds. Wondrous progression! How will all earth's learning, its boasted acquirements and eagle-eyed philosophy sink into the lispings of very infancy in comparison with this manhood of knowledge! Heaven will be the true "_Excelsior_," its song, "_a song of degrees_," Jesus leading His people from height to height of glory, and saying, as He said to Nathaniel, "_Thou shalt see GREATER things than these!_"--_Macduff._

=March 30th.=

_Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the
vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom. Song of
Sol. ii. 15. (R. V.)_

How numerous the little foxes are! Little compromises with the world; disobedience to the still, small voice in little things; little indulgences of the flesh to the neglect of duty; little strokes of policy; doing evil in little things that good may come; and the beauty, and the fruitfulness of the vine are sacrificed!--_J. Hudson Taylor._

=March 31st.=

_The children of your Father which is in heaven. Matt.
v. 45._

The best name by which we can think of God is Father. It is a loving, deep, sweet, heart-touching name, for the name of father is in its nature full of inborn sweetness and comfort. Therefore, also, we must confess ourselves children of God, for by this name we deeply touch our God, since there is not a sweeter sound to the father than the voice of the child.--_Martin Luther._

=April 1st.=

_In the morning came the word of the Lord unto me.
Ezek. xii. 8._

A quiet hour spent alone with God at the beginning of the day is the best beginning for the toils and cares of active business. A brief season of prayer, looking above for wisdom and grace and strength, and seeking for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, helps us to carry our religion into the business of the day. It brings joy and peace within the heart. And as we place all our concerns in the care and keeping of the Lord, faithfully striving to do His will, we have a joyful trust that however dark or discouraging events may appear, our Father's hand is guiding everything, and will give the wisest direction to all our toils.--_Selected._

=April 2nd.=

_The Lord God formed man out of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life; and man became a living soul. Gen. ii. 7._

And so this soul of mine is a compound of two worlds--dust and deity! It touches the boundary line of two hemispheres. It is allied on one side to the divine; on the other, to the beast of the field. Its beginning is from beneath, but its culmination is from above; it is started from the dust of the ground, but it is finished in the breath of God.

My soul, art thou living up to thy twofold origin? Art thou remembering thy double parentage, and therefore thy double duty? Thou hast a duty to thy God, for His breath is in thee; thou hast a duty to the earth, for out of it wast thou taken.--_George Matheson._

=April 3rd.=

_Always rejoicing. 2 Cor. vi. 10._

No Christian can ever know what is meant by those two little words, "always rejoicing," but the Christian who takes up his cross and follows Jesus.--_W. Hay Aitken._

=April 4th.=

_All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give
it, and to thy seed forever. Gen. xiii. 15._

God's promises are ever on the ascending scale. One leads up to another, fuller and more blessed than itself. In Mesopotamia God said, "I will show thee the land." At Bethel, "This is the land." Here, "I will give thee all the land, and children innumerable as the grains of sand." And we shall find even these eclipsed.

It is thus that God allures us to saintliness. Not giving anything till we have dared to act--that He may test us. Not giving everything at first--that He may not overwhelm us. And always keeping in hand an infinite reserve of blessing. Oh, the unexplored remainders of God! Whoever saw His last star?--_F. B. Meyer._

=April 5th.=

_That night they caught nothing. John xxi. 3._

God may let the sinful world succeed in their forbidden schemes, but, blessed be His name, He does not allow His chosen ones to prosper in the path which leads them out of His holy will! He has a storm to send after every Jonah, and an empty net for every unbelieving and inconsistent Simon.--_A. B. Simpson._

=April 6th.=

_They made me keeper of the vineyards; but mine own
vineyard have I not kept. Song of Sol. i. 6._

Our attention is here drawn to a danger which is preeminently one of this day: the intense activity of our times may lead to zeal in service _to the neglect of personal communion_; but such neglect will not only lessen the value of the service, but tend to incapacitate us for the highest service.--_J. Hudson Taylor._

=April 7th.=

_We came unto the land whither thou sentest us . . . we
saw the children of Anak there. Num. xiii. 27, 28._

It is when we are in the way of _duty_ that we find _giants_. It was when Israel was going _forward_ that the giants appeared. When they turned back into the wilderness they found none.--_Selected._

=April 8th.=

_Each one resembled the children of a king. Judg.
viii. 18._

Frances Ridley Havergal says: "If the King is indeed near of kin to us, the royal likeness will be recognizable."

=April 9th.=

_He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He
leadeth me beside the still waters. Psa. xxiii. 2._

This suggests the rest into which our Good Shepherd leads His flock. Life is not all toil. God gives us many quiet resting-places in our pilgrim way.

Night is one of these, when, after the day's toil, struggle, and exhaustion, we are led aside, and the curtains are drawn to shut out the noise, and He giveth His beloved sleep, in sleep giving the wonderful blessings of renewal. The Sabbath is another of these quiet resting-places. God would have us drop our worldly tasks, and have a day for the refreshing of both body and soul. . . . Friendship's trysts are also quiet resting-places, where heart may commune with heart, where Jesus comes, too, unseen, and gives His blessing. All ordinances of Christian worship--seasons of prayer and devotion, hours of communion with God--are quiet resting-places.

Far more than we are apt to realize do we need these silent times in our busy life, needing them all the more the busier the life may be.--_J. R. Miller._

=April 10th.=

_A daily rate for every day. 2 Kings xxv. 30._

One staff aids a traveler, but a bundle of staves is a heavy burden.--_Spurgeon._

=April 11th.=

_Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law
of Christ. Gal. vi. 2._

However perplexed you may at any hour become about some question of truth, one refuge and resource is always at hand: you can do something for some one beside yourself. At the times when you cannot see God, there is still open to you this sacred possibility, to _show_ God: for it is the love and kindness of human hearts through which the divine reality comes home to men, whether they name it or not. Let this thought, then, stay with you: there may be times when you cannot _find_ help, but there is no time when you cannot _give_ help.--_George Merriam._

=April 12th.=

_Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling:
for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to
do of His good pleasure. Phil. ii. 12, 13._

It is not your business and mine to study whether we shall get to heaven, or even to study whether we shall be good men; it is our business to study how we shall come into the midst of the purposes of God and have the unspeakable privilege in these few years of doing something of His work.--_Phillips Brooks._

=April 13th.=

_God . . . hath shined in our hearts, to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. iv. 6._

Christian! rest not until thou knowest the full, the unbroken shining of God in thy heart. To this end, yield to every stirring of it that shows thee some unconquered and perhaps unconquerable evil. Just bring it to the light; let the light shine upon it, and shine it out. Wait upon the Lord more than watchers for the morning, for "the path of the just is as the shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day." Count upon it that God wants to fill thee with the light of His glory: wait on Him more than watchers for the morning. "Wait, I say, on the Lord."--_Andrew Murray._

=April 14th.=

_My soul, wait thou only upon God. Psa. lxii. 5._

Did it ever occur to you that if you do not hear God's answer to prayer, it may be not because He is dumb, but because you are deaf; not because He has no answer to give, but because you have not been listening for it? We are so busy with our service, so busy with our work, and sometimes so busy with our praying, that it does not occur to us to stop our own talking and listen if God has some answer to give us with "the still small voice"; to be passive, to be quiet, to do nothing, say nothing, in some true sense think nothing; simply to be receptive and waiting for the voice. "Wait thou only upon God," says the Psalmist; and again "Wait on the Lord."--_Selected._

=April 15th.=

_Could ye not watch with me one hour? Matt. xxvi. 40._

Oh! ye who sigh and languish, and mourn your lack of power,
Heed ye this gentle whisper, "Could ye not watch one hour?"
To fruitfulness and blessing, there is no "royal road";
The power for holy service is intercourse with God.
--_Selected._

=April 16th.=

_My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me. John
iv. 34._

Seek your life's nourishment in your life's work.--_Phillips Brooks._

=April 17th.=

_It is God which worketh in you, both to will and to
do of His good pleasure. Phil. ii. 13._

Full salvation is to realize that everything we see in Christ, our Example, may be ours, not by imitation, but by reproduction.--_Selected._

=April 18th.=

_Lo, I am with you all the days. Matt, xxviii. 20. (R.
V., margin.)_

"ALL THE DAYS"--in winter days, when joys are fled; in sunless days, when the clouds return again and again after rain; in days of sickness and pain; in days of temptation and perplexity, as much as in days when the heart is as full of joy as the woodlands in spring are full of song. That day never comes when the Lord Jesus is not at the side of His saints. Lover and friend may stand afar, but He walks with them through the fires; He fords with them the rivers; He stands by them when face to face with the lion. We can never be alone. We must always add His resources to our own when making our calculations.--_F. B. Meyer._

=April 19th.=

_Having . . . boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus . . . let us draw near with a true heart.
Heb. x. 19, 22._

Oh, the glory of the message! For fifteen centuries Israel had a sanctuary with a Holiest of All, into which, under pain of death, no one might enter. Its one witness was: Man cannot dwell in God's presence; cannot abide in His fellowship. And now how changed is all! As then the warning sounded: "No admittance! enter not!" so now the call goes forth: "Enter in! the veil is rent; the Holiest is open; God waits to welcome you to His bosom; henceforth you are to live with Him." This is the message. Child! thy Father longs for thee to enter, to dwell, and to go out no more forever.--_Andrew Murray._

=April 20th.=

_There stood by me this night the angel of God . . .
saying, Fear not, Paul. . . . God hath given thee all
them that sail with thee. Wherefore . . . be of good
cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it
was told me. Acts xxvii. 23, 24, 25._

An active faith can give thanks for a promise, though it be not yet performed; knowing that God's bonds are as good as ready money.--_Matthew Henry._

=April 21st.=

_In everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto
God. Phil, iv. 6._

The natural temptation with every difficulty is to plan for it, to put it out of the way yourself; but stop short with all your planning, your thinking, your worry, and talk to Him! "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee." You may not always be able to do this in a moment or two. Then keep on with supplication until you know He has it, and prayer becomes praise. Rest, trust, and wait, and see how He does that which you wanted to do, and had so much care about. "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord."--_A. E. Funk._

=April 22nd.=

_They that wait upon the Lord shall . . . mount up with
wings as eagles. Isa. xl. 31._

All creatures that have wings can escape from every snare that is set for them, if only they will fly high enough; and the soul that uses its wings can always find a sure "way to escape" from all that can hurt or trouble it.--_Smith._

=April 23rd.=

_Perfect love casteth out fear. 1 John iv. 18._

Fear and love rise up in antagonism to each other as motives in life, like those two mountains from which respectively the blessings and curses of the old law were pronounced--the Mount of Cursing all barren, stony, without verdure and without water; the Mount of Blessing green and bright with many a flower, and blessed with many a trickling rill. Fear is barren. Love is fruitful. The one is a slave, and its work is little worth. The other is free, and its deeds are great and precious. From the blasted summit of the mountain which gendereth to bondage may be heard the words of the law; but the power to keep all these laws must be sought on the sunny hill where liberty dwells in love and gives energy to obedience. Therefore, if you would use in your own life the highest power that God has given us for our growth in grace, draw your arguments, not from fear, but from love.--_Alex. McLaren._

=April 24th.=

_The love of Christ constraineth us. 2 Cor. v. 14._

The love of Christ is too large for any heart to hold it. It will overflow into others' hearts: it will give itself out, give itself away, for the enriching of other lives. The heart of Christ is a costly thing for any one to have. It will lead those who have it where it led Him. If it cost Him the cross, it will cost them no less.--_J. M. Campbell._

=April 25th.=

_I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying
unto thee, Fear not, I will help thee. Isa. xli. 13._

Don't try to hold God's hand; let Him hold yours. Let Him do the _holding_, and you do the _trusting_.--_H. W. Webb Peploe._

=April 26th.=

_Consider how great things He hath done for you. 1
Sam. xii. 24._

Look back on all the way the Lord your God has led you. Do you not see it dotted with ten thousand blessings in disguise? Call to mind the needed succor sent at the critical moment; the right way chosen for you, in stead of the wrong way you had chosen for yourself; the hurtful thing to which your heart so fondly clung, removed out of your path; the breathing-time granted, which your tried and struggling spirit just at the moment needed. Oh, has not Jesus stood at your side when you knew it not? Has not Infinite Love encircled every event with its everlasting arms, and gilded every cloud with its merciful lining? Oh, retrace your steps, and mark His footprint in each one! Thank Him for them all, and learn the needed lesson of leaning more simply on Jesus.--_F. Whitfield._

=April 27th.=

_He . . . said . . . I . . . hid thy talent in the
earth. . . . His Lord answered and said unto him, Thou
wicked and slothful servant. Matt. xxv. 24-26._

Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing.--_Monod._

=April 28th.=

_To Him be glory both now and forever. 2 Pet. iii.
18._

Believer, you are anticipating the time when you shall join the saints above in ascribing all glory to Jesus; but are you glorifying Him _now_? The apostle's words are, "To Him be glory both _now_ and forever."--_C. H. Spurgeon._

=April 29th.=

_Thou shall know that I am the Lord: for they shall
not be ashamed that wait for me. Isa. xlix. 23._

J. Hudson Taylor says: "Quiet waiting before God could save from many a mistake and from many a sorrow."

=April 30th.=

_Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Matt. xv. 28._

Oh, the victories of prayer! They are the mountain-tops of the Bible. They take us back to the plains of Mamre, to the fords of Peniel, to the prison of Joseph, to the triumphs of Moses, to the transcendent victories of Joshua, to the deliverances of David, to the miracles of Elijah and Elisha, to the whole story of the Master's life, to the secret of Pentecost, to the key-note of Paul's unparalleled ministry, to the lives of saints and the deaths of martyrs, to all that is most sacred and sweet in the history of the Church and the experience of the children of God. And when, for us, the last conflict shall have passed, and the footstool of prayer shall have given place to the harp of praise, the spots of time that shall be gilded with the most celestial and eternal radiance, shall be those, often linked with deepest sorrow and darkest night, over which we have the inscription, "Jehovah-Shammah: The Lord was there!"--_A. B. Simpson._

=May 1st.=

_Thou art my God: early will I seek Thee. Psa. lxiii.
1._

In a world where there is so much to ruffle the spirit's plumes, how needful that entering into the secret of God's pavilion, which will alone bring it back to composure and peace! In a world where there is so much to sadden and depress, how blessed the communion with Him in whom is the one true source and fountain of all true gladness and abiding joy! In a world where so much is ever seeking to unhallow our spirits, to render them common and profane, how high the privilege of consecrating them anew in prayer to holiness and to God.--_Archbishop Trench._

=May 2nd.=

_In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John i. 4. Ye are the light of the world. Matt. v.
14._

In the light we can walk and work. We walk in the light and become entirely children of light. We let our light, the light of God, shine, so that men may see our good works, and glorify our Father in heaven. Gently, silently, lovingly, unceasingly, we give ourselves to transmit the light and the love God so unceasingly shines into us. Our one work is to wait, and admit, and then transmit the light of God in Christ.--_Andrew Murray._

=May 3d.=

_Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord. 1 Cor. xv. 58._

Activity in doing good is one recipe for being cheerful Christians; it is like exercise to the body, and it keeps the soul in health.--_Bishop Ryle._

=May 4th.=

_Looking up to heaven He sighed. Mark vii. 34._

Too often we sigh and look within; Jesus sighed and looked without. We sigh, and look down; Jesus sighed, and looked up. We sigh, and look to earth; Jesus sighed, and looked to heaven. We sigh, and look to man; Jesus sighed, and looked to God.--_Stork._

=May 5th.=

_We glory in tribulations. Rom. v. 3._

Have you ever thought that some day you will never have anything to try you or anybody to vex you again?--_A. B. Simpson._

=May 6th.=

_Set your affection on things above, not on things on
the earth. Col. iii. 2._

He who has his affections set on things above is like one who hangs on by the skies; and, having a secure hold of these, could say, though he saw the world roll away from beneath his feet, "My heart is fixed; my heart is fixed; O Lord, I will sing and give praise!"--_Guthrie._

=May 7th.=

_The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
Luke xxiv. 34._

_They . . . gladly received (Peter's) word; and the
same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls. Acts ii. 41._

Before the Lord can use us in His service we must have close individual dealing with Himself. He always will have to do in _secret_ with that soul that He intends to use in blessing others.

Do you want to speak for Jesus to those around you? Then you must go to Jesus Himself for your message. What you say _for_ Jesus must be got _from_ Jesus.

Oh, how much breath falls powerless on every side because it has not been inhaled in the sanctuary! We want more secret dealing with the living God. We run without being sent: we speak before God has spoken to us: no wonder we so often fail. Oh, what secret prayer and what heart-searching discipline the heart needs before God can use it!--_F. Whitfield._

=May 8th.=

_The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul.
Prov. xiii. 25._

Christ must satisfy; then, if we are not satisfied, it must be because we are not feeding on Him wholly and only. The fault is not in the provision which is made.--_Frances Ridley Havergal._

=May 9th.=

_Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth. Heb. xii. 6._

It has been well said that "earthly cares are a heavenly discipline," but they are even something better than discipline; they are God's chariots, sent to take the soul to its high places of triumph. In the Canticles we are told of "a chariot paved with love." We cannot always see the love lining to our own particular chariot--it often looks very unlovely; but every chariot sent by God must necessarily be paved with love, since God is love. It is His love, indeed, that sends the chariot.

Look upon your chastenings, then, no matter how grievous they may be for the present, as God's chariots, sent to carry your souls into the "high places" of spiritual achievement and uplifting, and you will find that they are, after all, "paved with love."--_Smith._

=May 10th.=

_The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from
all sin. 1 John i. 7._

Learn a lesson from the eye of the miner, who all day long is working amid the flying coal dust. When he emerges in the light of day his face may be grimy enough; but his eyes are clear and lustrous, because the fountain of tears in the lachrymal gland is ever pouring its gentle tides over the eye, cleansing away each speck of dust as soon as it alights.

Is not this the miracle of cleansing which our spirits need in such a world as this? And this is what our blessed Lord is prepared to do for us by His cleansing blood, if only we will trust Him.--_F. B. Meyer._

=May 11th.=

_Whatsoever He sayeth unto you, do it. John ii. 5._

Florence Nightingale said: "If I could give you information of my life, it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability has been led by God in strange and unaccustomed paths to do in His service what He has done in her. And if I could tell you all, you would see how God has done all, and I nothing. I have worked hard, very hard, that is all; and I have never refused God anything."

=May 12th.=

_I know how to abound. Phil. iv. 12._

It is a dangerous thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the refining-pot of prosperity. It needs more than human skill to carry the brimming cup of mortal joy with a steady hand; yet Paul had learned that skill, for he declares, "In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry." When we have much of God's providential mercies it often happens that we have but little of God's grace; satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven. Rest assured, it is harder to know how to be full than it is to know how to be hungry, so desperate is the tendency of human nature to pride and forgetfulness of God. Take care that you ask in your prayers that God would teach you "how to be full."--_Spurgeon._

=May 13th.=

_Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he
that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke xiv. 11._

. . . If you ask the way to the crown--'tis by the cross; to the mountain--'tis by the valley; to exaltation 'tis he that humbleth himself.--_J. H. Evans._

=May 14th.=

_For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also
might be sanctified through the truth. John xvii. 19._

Do you remember, when Jesus was sitting with His disciples at the last supper, how He lifted up His voice and prayed, and in the midst of His prayer there came these wondrous words: "For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified"? Is there anything in all the teachings that man has had from the lips of God that is nobler, that is more far-reaching than that--to be my best not simply for my own sake, but for the sake of the world? You can help your fellow-men--you must help your fellow-men; but the only way you can help them is by being the noblest and the best man that it is possible for you to be.--_Phillips Brooks._

=May 15th.=

_He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a
city. Prov. xvi. 32._

More dear in the sight of God and His angels than any other conquest is the conquest of self, which each man, with the help of heaven, can secure for himself.--_Dean Stanley._

=May 16th.=

_For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me
my petition which I asked of Him: therefore also I
have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he
shall be lent to the Lord. 1 Sam. i. 27, 28._

God sometimes bestows gifts just that love may have something to renounce. The things that He puts into our hands are possibly put there that we may have the opportunity of showing what is in our heart. Oh, that there were in us a fervor of love that would lead us to examine everything that belongs to us, to ascertain how it might be made a means of showing our affection to Christ!--_George Bowen._

=May 17th.=

_Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added
unto you. Matt. vi. 33._

We need have only one care, that we put the first thing first--faithfulness to God. Then all else we need for both worlds will be supplied. God will never fail us; but we forget, sometimes, in our rejoicing over such an assurance, that we must fulfil our part if we would claim the divine promise.

It will not always be easy. To-morrow it may mean a distasteful task, a disagreeable duty, a costly sacrifice for one who does not seem worthy. Life is full of sore testings of our willingness to follow the Good Shepherd. We have not the slightest right to claim this assurance unless we have taken Christ as the guide of our life.--_J. R. Miller._

=May 18th.=

_His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psa.
xxxiv. 1._

Let not thy praises be transient--a fit of music, and then the instrument hung by the wall till another gaudy day of some remarkable providence makes thee take it down. God comes not guestwise to His saints' house, but to dwell with them. David took this up for a life work: "As long as I live, I will praise thee."--_Gurnall._

=May 19th.=

_I am not able to bear all this people alone, because
it is too heavy for me. Num. xi. 14._

It is most needful for all servants of Christ to remember that whenever the Lord places a man in a position of responsibility, He will both fit him for it and maintain him in it.

It is, of course, another thing altogether if a man will rush unsent into any field of work, or any post of difficulty or danger. In such a case we may assuredly look for a thorough breakdown, sooner or later. But when God calls a man to a certain position, He will endow him with the needed grace to occupy it.

This holds good in every case. We can never fail if we only cling to the living God. We can never run dry if we are drawing from the fountain. Our tiny springs will soon dry up; but our Lord Jesus Christ declares, "He that believeth in Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."--_C. H. M._

=May 20th.=

_Then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone: because I am
a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the
King, the Lord of hosts. Isa. vi. 5._

It is not the sight of our sinful heart that humbles us; it is a sight of Jesus Christ. I am undone because mine eyes have seen the King.--_Andrew A. Bonar._

=May 21st.=

_While I was musing the fire burned. Psa. xxxix. 3._

My soul, if thou wouldst muse more, the fire would burn more. Why dost thou not retire oftener with thyself? Thou wouldst be better fitted for the world if thou wert less worldly. If thou hadst more heavenly fire thou wouldst have more earthly power.

Is there no secret pavilion into which thou canst go and warm thyself? Is there no holy of holies where thou canst catch a glow of impulse that will make thee strong? Is it not written of the Son of Man that "as He _prayed_ the fashion of His countenance was altered"? Yes; it was from His prayer that His transfigured glory came. It was from the glow of His heart that there issued the glow of His countenance. It was when He was musing that the fire kindled.

O my soul, wouldst thou have thy life glorified, beautified, transfigured to the eyes of men? Get thee up into the secret place of God's pavilion, where the fires of love are burning. Thy life shall shine gloriously to the dwellers on the plain. Thy prayers shall be luminous; they shall light thy face like the face of Moses when he wist not that it shone. Thy words shall be burning; they will kindle many a heart journeying on the road to Emmaus. Thy path shall be lambent; when thou hast prayed in Elijah's solitude thou shalt have Elijah's chariot of fire.--_George Matheson._

=May 22nd.=

_Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these
little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a
disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in nowise
lose his reward. Matt. x. 42._

We are in danger of looking too far for opportunities of doing good and communicating. In reaching for rhododendrons we trample down the daisies.--_Selected._

=May 23rd.=

_Hide thyself by the brook. 1 Kings xvii. 3._

Not by the _river_, but by the _brook_. The river would always contain an abundant supply, but the brook might dry up at any moment.

What does this teach us? God does not place His people in luxuriance here. The world's abundance might withdraw their affections from Him. He gives them not the river, but the brook. The brook may be running to-day, to-morrow it may be dried up.

And wherefore does God act thus? To teach us that we are not to rest in His gifts and blessings, but in Himself. This is what our hearts are always doing--resting in the gift, instead of the Giver. Therefore God cannot trust us by the river, for it unconsciously takes up His place in the heart. It is said of Israel that when they were full they forgot God.--_F. Whitfield._

=May 24th.=

_His kingdom ruleth over all. Psa. ciii. 19._

_His kingdom ruleth over all_--therefore thou canst find nothing which is not matter for praise, since there is nothing which is not the matter of thy Lord's gracious permission, or planning, or control. _Over all_--nowhere canst thou step outside His realm, nor in anything get beyond His care and government. _Over all_--therefore take all as from God; hold all as from God; and by thy gratitude give all back to God again, and thus complete the circle, making Him the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending of all things.--_Mark Guy Pearse._

=May 25th.=

_If we suffer we shall also reign with Him. 2 Tim. ii.
12._

The highest bidder for the crown of glory is the lowliest wearer of the cross of self-denial.--_A. J. Gordon._

=May 26th.=

_Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are
the issues of life. Prov. iv. 23._

He who would keep his heart pure and holy, must plant a sentinel at every avenue by which sin may find access there, guarding against none more than the "little" sins, as they are called.

The man of God has his _eyes_ to keep, and so Job said, "I have made a covenant with mine eyes"--his _tongue_, and hence the exhortation, "Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile"--his _ears_, and hence the warning, "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err"--his _feet_, and hence David says, "I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy word." And since there is no gate of the five senses by which the enemy may not come in like a flood, unless the Spirit lift up a standard against him, we have need to guard every port, and write over every portal, "Here there entereth nothing to hurt or to defile."--_Guthrie._

=May 27th.=

_Whatsoever ye do, . . . do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus. Col. iii. 17._

Do little things as if they were great, because of the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ, who dwells in thee; and do great things as if they were little and easy, because of His omnipotence.--_Pascal._

=May 28th.=

_Him they compelled to bear His cross. Matt. xxvii.
32._

There are many Christians of whom this is true. They are compelled to bear the cross, but how does it come? It comes by their running away from it. They make up their minds they won't have Christ's cross; and they find when the cross does come that it comes in a more terrible form, with a more crushing weight than ever it would have come had they only been content to submit themselves to the divine direction; for the cross has to come to all who are to be prepared for glory hereafter.--_W. Hay Aitken._

=May 29th.=

_Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave Himself for our sins
that He might deliver us from this present evil world.
Gal. i. 4._

Attachment to Christ is the only secret of detachment from the world.--_A. J. Gordon._

=May 30th.=

_Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on
an hill cannot be hid. Matt. v. 14._

Lamps do not talk, but they do shine. A lighthouse sounds no drum, it beats no gong; and yet far over the waters its friendly spark is seen by the mariner. So let your actions shine out your religion. Let the main sermon of your life be illustrated by all your conduct.--_Spurgeon._

=May 31st.=

_Without me ye can do nothing. John xv. 5._

_I can do all things, through Christ which
strengtheneth me. Phil. iv. 13._

Apart from Him we can do nothing. Whilst we are abiding in Him nothing is impossible. The one purpose of our life should therefore be to remain in living and intense union with Christ, guarding against everything that would break it, employing every means of cementing and enlarging it. And just in proportion as we do so, we shall find His strength flowing into us for every possible emergency. We may not feel its presence; but we shall find it present whenever we begin to draw on it. There is no temptation which we cannot master; no privation which we cannot patiently bear; no difficulty with which we cannot cope; no work which we cannot perform; no confession or testimony which we cannot make, if only our souls are living in healthy union with Jesus Christ; for as our day or hour, so shall our strength be.--_F. B. Meyer._

=June 1st.=

_As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John
xx. 21._

We should never leave our room until we have seen the face of our dear Master, Christ, and have realized that we are being sent forth by Him to do His will, and to finish the work which He has given us to do. He who said to His immediate followers, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you," says as much to each one of us, as the dawn summons us to live another day. We should realize that we are as much sent forth by Him as the angels who "do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word." There is some plan for each day's work, which He will unfold to us, if only we will look up to Him to do so; some mission to fulfil; some ministry to perform; some lesson patiently to learn, that we may be able to "reach others also." As to our plans we need not be anxious; because He who sends us forth is responsible to make the plan, according to His infinite wisdom; and to reveal it to us, however dull and stupid our faculties may be. And as to our sufficiency, we are secure of having all needful grace; because He never sends us forth, except He first breathes on us and says, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." There is always a special endowment for special power.--_F. B. Meyer._

=June 2nd.=

_A fountain . . . for sin and for uncleanness. Zech.
xiii. 1._

You that have faith in the Fountain, _frequent it_. Beware of two errors which are very natural and very disastrous. Beware of thinking any sin too great for it; beware of thinking any sin too small. There is not a sin so little, but it may be the germ of everlasting perdition; there is not a sin so enormous, but a drop of atoning blood will wash it away as utterly as if it were drowned in the depths of the sea.--_James Hamilton._

=June 3rd.=

_I am black . . . as the tents of Kedar. Song of Sol. i.
5._

_I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. Song
of Sol. vii. 10._

Nothing humbles the soul like sacred and intimate communion with the Lord; yet there is a sweet joy in feeling that _He_ knows _all_, and, notwithstanding, loves us still.--_J. Hudson Taylor._

=June 4th.=

_David enquired of the Lord. 2 Sam. v. 19._

Christian, if thou wouldst know the path of duty, take God for thy compass; if thou wouldst steer thy ship through the dark billows, put the tiller into the hand of the Almighty. Many a rock might be escaped if we would let our Father take the helm; many a shoal or quicksand we might well avoid if we would leave it to His sovereign will to choose and to command. The Puritan said, "As sure as ever a Christian carves for himself he'll cut his own fingers." "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go," is God's promise to His people. Let us, then, take all our perplexities to Him and say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Leave not thy chamber this morning without _enquiring of the Lord_.--_Spurgeon._

=June 5th.=

_A certain man . . . who never had walked . . . heard
Paul speak: who . . . perceiving that he had faith to
be healed, said . . . Stand upright on thy feet. And he
leaped and walked. Acts xiv. 8, 9, 10._

Where true faith is, it will induce obedience and where it does induce obedience, it will always, in one form or another, bring a blessing.--_W. Hay Aitken._

=June 6th.=

_Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord . . . I know that
. . . whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it
thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise
again. Martha saith unto Him, I know that he shall
rise again in the resurrection at the last day. John
xi. 21, 22, 23, 24._

Beware, in your prayer, above everything, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, _above all that_ we ask or think. Each time you intercede, be quiet first and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, of how He delights to hear Christ, of your place in Christ; and expect great things.--_Andrew Murray._

=June 7th.=

_As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have
put on Christ. Gal. iii. 27._

Not simply the righteousness of our Savior, not simply the beauty of His holiness or the graces of His character, are we to put on as a garment. The Lord Himself is our vesture. Every Christian is not only a Christ-bearer but a Christ-wearer. We are so to enter into Him by communion, to be so endued with His presence, and embued with His Spirit that men shall see Him when they behold us, as they see our garments when they look upon our bodies.--=A. J. Gordon.=

=June 8th.=

_Thou shalt never wash my feet. John xiii. 8._

Whatever hinders us from receiving a blessing that God is willing to bestow upon us is not humility, but the mockery of it. A genuine humility will ever feel the need of the largest measures of grace, and will be perfected just in the degree in which that grace is bestowed. The truly humble man will seek to be filled with all the fulness of God, knowing that when so filled there is not the slightest place for pride or for self.--_George Bowen._

=June 9th.=

_Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain
thee. Psa. lv. 22._

He that taketh his own cares upon himself loads himself with an uneasy burden. The fear of what _may_ come, expectation of what _will_ come, desire of what will _not_ come, and the inability to redress all these, must needs bring him continual torment. _I_ will cast my cares upon _God_: He hath bidden me. They cannot hurt Him: He can redress them.--_Hall._

=June 10th.=

_Well done, good and faithful servant. . . . Thou
wicked and slothful servant. Matt. xxv. 21, 26._