| Christian Life and Doctrine | February 1950 |
“Songs in the Night”
FEBRUARY 1
The Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake.—I Sam. 12:22
SAMUEL appealed to fleshly Israel to remember the great things that God had done for them as a ground for thankfulness and faithfulness—their delivery from Egypt, their guidance through the wilderness and their entrance into the land of Israel; but if we apply these words to spiritual Israel, with what greater force do they come to us! The Lord has delivered us from Egyptian bondage, the bondage of sin and death. He has led us out of darkness into his marvelous light. He not only lifted our feet from the horrible pit and the miry clay, but he placed them upon the Rock, Christ Jesus; yea, more! he has put a new song into our mouths, even the loving-kindness of our God. He not only forgave our sins, but accepted us in Jesus, and invited us to joint-heirship with Christ. He not only gave us exceeding great and precious promises to cheer our hearts in the wilderness journey, but has in reservation for us things exceeding great and precious, of which he has given us a glimpse or foretaste through the Holy Spirit, an earnest of our inheritance.—Z 1908-204 (Hymn 19)
FEBRUARY 2
These are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the Word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit.—Mark 4:20
LET us, dear brethren, not only be sure that our hearts are of the good ground sort, and be sure that we have received and are developing the good seed, the Word of the kingdom, but let us seek also to bring forth much fruit. Seeing that some of these may bring forth thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred fold to the Master’s praise, let us determine that by the grace of God, which we know is ours and will assist us, we will be of those who bring forth fruitage an hundred fold—to our largest possible capacity and measure of service to our King. How may we increase our faithfulness? We answer, by increasing honesty of heart, which prepares us for increased measure of the seed and which enables us to bring this forward to perfection. The harvest is nigh: let us give diligence, therefore, while still there is opportunity, that the Master may find us fruitbearing to the very largest degree of our possibilities of nature, surroundings, and opportunities.—Z 1906-126 (Hymn 225)
FEBRUARY 3
Teach me good judgment and knowledge.—Psalm 119:66
NO FOLLOWER of Christ is so well developed that he can say, I do not need any further instructions along the lines of justice and love, but my brother needs it. And in our experiences with the brethren, where the other one seems to be at fault, let us say to ourselves, Here is a brother who perhaps has had more disadvantages than I have had. He is a brother of mine according to the Spirit. He seems to me to be doing something wrong, but I sympathize with him because he probably does not know that his action is wrong. Or I may be wrong myself. If he saw the matter from my viewpoint, he would do differently. I will not judge him, but leave that for the Almighty, who is infallible in judgment and to whom judgment belongs.—I Cor. 4:5—Z 1915-7 (Hymn 154)
FEBRUARY 4
Now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.—Rom. 13:11,12
IF THE apostle could say to the saints of his day, “Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep,” etc., because they had then entered upon the Gospel age with its privilege of running the race for the prize of our high calling, with how much greater force do his words apply to these closing days of the age! … Yes, “the night is far spent” and “the day [the glorious millennial day] is at hand.” Even now the gray streaks of dawn appear. It is the day when the kingly Bridegroom shall receive unto himself his ready and waiting bride, and the time is short in which to make ready for our gathering together unto him. It is high time indeed to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation, our glorious deliverance, very near.—Z 1906-246 (Hymn 230)
FEBRUARY 5
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.—I John 5:3
WHO that has gratitude of heart to the Lord for these blessings, who that is appreciative and thankful, would not be indeed seeking to serve the Lord in truth with all his heart! Who that is of this attitude of mind would fail to remember the Lord’s Word and to seek divine assistance in complying with its requirements, remembering the statement, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” To such daily the commandments of the Lord amplify, enlarge. Daily he sees new forces, new meanings in these commandments. If he be thankful, if he be appreciative of the Lord’s providence toward him in the past, the depths of meaning to God’s commands would not be grievous to him; but he will still rejoice to go on day by day in sympathy with our Lord’s attitude, “I delight to do thy will, O my God; Thy law is written in my heart.” So it will be with us. As the apostle says, we shall do his commandments, and they will not be grievous unto us, and this will be the evidence to us that we love God and that we are loved of him, and being sealed, impressed more and more by his Spirit, the spirit of truth.—Z 1908-204 (Hymn 225)
FEBRUARY 6
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.—Heb. 12:14
AS NEW creatures we should be very vigilant, should continue to grow, should increase in power to overcome the flesh. Then we shall be safe. Self is to be our special battleground. Many of the Lord’s people have a great deal of natural combativeness. This is a good trait if controlled and turned in the right direction. Combativeness is necessary, or we could never overcome. But we need to restrain ourselves that we do not fight the brethren; and we are not to enter into a personal combat with the devil. We are no match for him. But we are to resist him. The Lord will soon take hold of him and bind him up for a thousand years. He will conquer the Adversary and will undo all his works. But it will require the entire thousand years to accomplish fully that work. We need not hope to overthrow Satan or his works while we are in the flesh. It is not our mission. What the Lord has given us to do is to conquer ourselves, to control this body which is of the fallen race of Adam, to keep ourselves that that wicked one touch us not.—Z 1916-212 (Hymn 242)
FEBRUARY 7
My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.—II Cor. 12:9
IT IS the divine power which operates through our Lord Jesus, through the Word of truth, through the followers of Jesus; and this power can operate in the weakest members of the body of Christ as well as in the strongest. The Lord’s grace is sufficient for all and for every time of need. We are not to forget, however, that this great sufficiency is not poured out upon the Lord’s people unconditionally, but in answer to their appreciation of their need and their prayerful request for grace divine in every time of need.—Z 1916-250 (Hymn 304)
FEBRUARY 8
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.—Luke 6:32
THE standard for the Lord’s people is still higher than that of gratitude, though it must include this. Our standard is benevolence, a forgiveness of those who transgress against us, and who say all manner of evil against us falsely. Such as attain this degree of character likeness to their Lord receive an extra blessing from him in proportion, and are bidden to rejoice and be exceeding glad, and to know that they will have a reward in heaven.—Z 1908-202 (Hymn 219)
FEBRUARY 9
He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.—I John 5:18
WE ALL have natural inclinations toward sin. It is necessary, therefore, that we overcome the inclinations of the flesh, the disposition of the flesh—all these things that war against the Spirit. From the moment that we surrendered ourselves to the Lord and were begotten of the Holy Spirit we were new creatures. Old things have passed away and all things have become new. We no longer belong to the old family, the family of Adam; we are an entirely new creation. We have passed from death unto life, from condemnation to death in Adam to a new life in Christ. The continuation of this new life will depend upon our faithfulness as children of God. We must show our loyalty to the Lord by resisting everything that pertains to the old life.—Z 1916-212 (Hymn 160)
FEBRUARY 10
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.—James 4:7
LET each of us as followers of the Master be prompt in giving our response to the Adversary’s proposition of compromise. He who dallies with temptation increases its power every moment; hence the propriety, yea, the necessity, of an absolute consecration of the heart, the will, at the beginning: on that foundation the daily conflicts with the world, the flesh, and the Adversary become much more simple and lose much of their power. Meantime, let us pray as our Lord directed, Abandon us not in temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, realizing that of ourselves we are no match for the Adversary, that our help is in the Lord, and that greater is he who is on our part than all that be against us.—Z 1906-45 (Hymn 312)
FEBRUARY 11
It is more blessed to give than to receive.—Acts 20:35
OUR Lord Jesus Christ is the grandest example of self-denial in the interests of others. He was rich in the possession of the spiritual nature with all its glory and honor. Yet for our sakes he became poor, taking the human nature in order that he might redeem mankind. To this end he surrendered life itself at Calvary, that through his sacrifice we might become rich—possessed of divine favor and the riches of divine grace in Christ—even joint-heirship with him who is now our exalted Lord at the right hand of divine Majesty. But to attain this joint-heirship with him we must study to be like him, to have his Spirit and to share with others whatever he may give us of either temporal or spiritual favor—either to feed or to clothe others (particularly those of the household of faith) temporally or spiritually, as circumstances may dictate.—Z 1916-219 (Hymn 191)
FEBRUARY 12
So great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord.—Heb. 2:3
NOT only was there no eternal life in our race, and no hope for attaining any except through Jesus, but all of the promises of the past would have been powerless without his work of atonement, and not until he came was it known how our redemption was to be accomplished. True, the Lord had provided various types and shadows in the numerous sacrifices of the past which illustrated the fact that without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin; but they could not be understood until the Antitype had come. Then he brought life to light and immortality to light—life for the world, eternal life to be conferred during the millennial age—immortality for his church, his bride, his little flock, his joint-heirs. These were never brought to light before; they were faintly seen and vaguely described, but it remained for the great Teacher to set forth before us the salvation which God had proffered through him. Thank God that our hearts have made our lips more and more tell forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Through faith in him we are already reckoned risen to walk in newness of life, and through him by and by the Father will raise us up by his own power, that we shall be like him and share his glory, honor, and immortality.—Z 1906-186 (Hymn 255)
FEBRUARY 13
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.—II Tim. 2:15
IF IT was the wise and proper course for the Master to go aside for the study of the divine plan before beginning his public ministry, how much more should his followers feel it incumbent upon them as fallen beings with imperfect judgments to seek counsel of the Lord’s Word and Spirit to ascertain what work the Lord would have them do in his vineyard before beginning any work. If this course were more generally followed there would be far less ranting done in the name of the Lord, fewer would feel that it was their privilege to rush in and work for the Lord without first studying carefully the divine will or program respecting that work—lest they should be hinderers of the Lord’s plan which they desire to serve. Let us more and more apply each to himself the apostle’s words to Timothy. Until we do study we will have every reason to doubt our preparation or usefulness in the Lord’s service. First comes consecration, wholly, unreservedly; and secondly, as the first step in the fulfilling of that vow, comes the study of the divine will, the divine Word, the divine plan; and following that comes labor in the Lord’s vineyard.—Z 1906-40 (Hymn 154)
FEBRUARY 14
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying.—Eph. 4:29
IT WOULD appear that not only among the worldly, but among the Lord’s people there is a tendency to relate little incidents or make little remarks, which while not necessarily sinful, tend to cause sprouts of evil to develop. It is along this line that the apostle says we should let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth. If by any mischance any corrupting information has come to our attention, we should see to it that it goes no further. We have sometimes wondered whether it is the quality of the natural mind to use the tongue to the disadvantage of others, or whether evil spirits have something to do with it. Let us, as the apostle enjoins, drop evil communications; shun them, and hold fast only to that which is edifying—the word “edifying” having in it the thought of an edifice, a building, the upbuilding of one another.—Z 1911-62 (Hymn 125)
FEBRUARY 15
Create in me a clean heart, O God.—Psalm 51:10
THE heart represents the will, the intentions; the will must be kept true and centered in God, but it is the governing power of the whole man. Yet, though the will is the controlling power of man, it is also subject to influences. If the thoughts be impure, unjust, or unholy, the power of the will becomes more and more impaired. Hence the wisdom of the admonition of the apostle as to what should be the character of our thoughts. In those who are striving to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord—to adorn themselves with the beauty of holiness—the thoughts must not be neglected and permitted to browse in every pasture, but must be disciplined to feed upon pure and healthful food.—Z 1911-165 (Hymn 198)
FEBRUARY 16
I the Lord thy God am a jealous God.—Deut. 5:9
IF MAN could have his hatred and his jealousies along the same lines as God it would be all right. We, as God does, should hate sin, but not the sinner. God’s jealousy is just and is sure to bring to the sinner a just punishment. He tells us that when we have other gods we must consider him jealous; but the impropriety of jealousy is when it leads to bitterness and other like qualities to which the fallen human mind is subject and liable. When the Lord announces himself as a jealous God, he means us to understand that he wants all of our affections, all of our confidence, our entire trust. He wants us to be so fully in accord with him that his will shall be supreme in all the affairs of life. This is not to be considered selfishness on the part of the Almighty; because this, under his overruling providences, means to his creatures the largest amount of happiness, the largest amount of success in the duties and affairs of the present life, and the fullest preparation for the blessings which God has prepared for, and promised to those who love him.—Z 1911-93 (Hymn Appendix B)
FEBRUARY 17
Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away.—John 15:2
IF WE will not bear the fruitage we may not remain in this relationship; if we do bear the fruits, if we have that spirit and disposition, and desire the Lord’s grace and strength and assistance, his grace will be sufficient for every time of need and we will come off conquerors and more than conquerors through him who loved us and bought us with his precious blood. The bearing of the fruit which the Father desires cannot be accomplished, we cannot be pleasing to him, except as we are related to Christ and his fruit is born in us by our relationship to him and the power of his Spirit and his Word working in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. The assurance is that if we abide in him we will bear much fruit and that without him we can do nothing, have no fruit that the Father will accept.—Z 1905 123 (Hymn 130)
FEBRUARY 18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.—Eph. 6:18
THE Lord frequently called attention to the fact that we should be persevering in prayer. Perseverance is an essential quality in the sight of God. It includes patience, carefulness, and interest. In short, it is related to every fruit of the Spirit which the Lord’s people are to cultivate. … Perseverance does not make the will. The will is already there. It is the will that God recognizes in the beginning. But by various experiences, trials, difficulties, tests of endurance, the Lord would prove us and develop us. He would have us become very positive characters in all these qualities which have his approval. So our praying should all be in the spirit, from the heart. We should watch thereunto with perseverance day by day, until the Lord shall see that we have attained the character which he can honor with a share in the kingdom.—Z 1914-182 (Hymn 239)
FEBRUARY 19
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.—II Cor. 5:19
CHRIST kept the Law and satisfied divine Justice for all who become his during the Gospel age; and his merit is imputed to those who keep the Law in their heart and are hindered from keeping it absolutely by the weaknesses of their fallen flesh which they are unable to control. And so the Apostle Paul says that the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. First of all, through the imputation of his merit to their mortal bodies, their flesh, our Redeemer covers their natural imperfections. Second, because that body so devoted, so justified, is sacrificed, he reckons them dead as human beings. They are then begotten to a new, a spirit nature. Thenceforth their mortal body is counted as the body of the new creature, no longer as a human body; for this was sacrificed. Actually, however, it is quickened to be the servant of the new creature. Being still actually human, it must be given a robe of righteousness to wear until the end of the present life. This is furnished by the Savior.—Z 1916-199 (Hymn 54)
FEBRUARY 20
I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.—I Cor. 2:2
WE BESEECH you, brethren, as you value the glorious hope set before you in the Gospel, that you give no heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, as the apostle terms them in I Timothy 4:1; but that, with fixedness of purpose, you apply yourselves to the one thing to which you are called and are privileged to do as prospective members of that royal priesthood. Let us never forget that we are a “peculiar people,” separate from the great body of nominal Christians, as well as from the world, having higher hopes, aims, and ambitions, and favored with a clearer insight into the deep things of God, having been called out of our former darkness into his marvelous light. And if thus separate from the world and from Christians who partake largely of the spirit of the world, what wonder if we find them all out of harmony with us, and either ignoring or opposing us!—Z 1916-307 (Hymn 313)
FEBRUARY 21
Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.—Eph. 4:26
NO MATTER what provocation one may have had, he should see to it that the matter is settled as quickly as possible. Anger or wrath must not be harbored and cherished; for it is sure to lead to permanent bitterness and hatred. The word anger seems not to be so strong a word as wrath. Wrath in an imperfect, fallen being, seems to be deep, determined, and lasting anger, something that is resentful, retaliatory. Evil speaking is a more refined, a more subtle matter, more deceitful, more malicious. Many people become so weak in character, so unbalanced, that they do not realize the proper application of the Golden Rule in their daily lives. They say things of others that they would not wish others to say of them. They treat others in a way that they would not wish to be treated. All such conduct should be put far away from the Lord’s children, from those who have taken God’s holy covenant upon themselves and who profess to be God’s ambassadors.—Z 1916-312 (Hymn 267)
FEBRUARY 22
The Lord seeth not as man seeth; … the Lord looketh on the heart.—I Sam. 16:7
OH, HOW the imperfect tongue and the imperfect body often misrepresent the real sentiments of the new creature using them! Our stammering tongues fail to express our real sentiments, and we are misunderstood. Our poor brains, which the new creature strives to exercise in favor of justice and love, often get sadly twisted. The justice we would do we often misunderstand and do not; and the love which we wish to manifest is twisted also and misunderstood by others and is unsatisfactory to ourselves. Early in our Christian experience we may have failed to see our blunders, and frequently have done injury where we supposed we had done good. Later, as we began to see our imperfect works, imperfect words, imperfect thoughts and reasoning, and discerned how little we really accomplished of the much we would like to do, we were in danger of being thoroughly discouraged. We needed the very encouragements which the Lord’s Word holds out to us—the assurance that God looketh at the heart and not at the outward appearance; and that the pure in heart will be blessed and see God, notwithstanding the weaknesses of their flesh, against which they strive courageously.—Z 1916-280 (Hymn 321)
FEBRUARY 23
We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.—II Cor. 4:18
WHAT do these words mean? They mean that the Apostle Paul had spiritual eyesight. He indeed saw earthly attractions, but they lost their drawing power upon him because of his spiritual sight—his perception of the things unseen. With the eye of faith he saw the Heavenly Father, the glorified Lord Jesus, the heavenly hosts, the coming kingdom of glory, honor, and immortality. By faith he saw the great millennial kingdom spreading out before him, and heard the divine invitation to become an heir in that kingdom, to be joined in heirship with the Master and Redeemer. He had accepted his invitation. He had enlisted under the banner of the Master; and he realized that everything else in the world was of practically no value in comparison with these eternal things which God had promised. His confidence was in the Word of God.—Z 1916-266 (Hymn 133)
FEBRUARY 24
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.—Mark 12:30
IN PROPORTION as we discern the perfection of the divine character, in the same proportion are we able to love the Lord with all our hearts, all our minds, all our beings, all our strength. The Christian who attains to this in his heart has surely reached the mark expressed by this command—the first command, the principal command. The Lord may permit him to be tried, tested, and proved along the line of this love and to demonstrate a fixity of love, but all the time he is thus being tested he is at this standard of the divine law. There is a distinction, however, to be made between the heart standard by which the Lord is judging the church and the fleshly standard by which the same persons might be judged of others. Because of the weakness of the flesh, the heart love for the Lord might at times not be fully and clearly expressed so that it would be apparent to all mankind. The world, which judges only by the flesh, knoweth us not. It is a consolation to our hearts that the Father realizes our love and devotion, and is judging us not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit, the heart, the intention, the new mind. And in proportion as we realize the imperfections of our flesh and our inability to show the loving devotion of our hearts and minds, being, and strength, we should have compassion and sympathy with our fellow members who similarly more or less imperfectly manifest in their flesh the devotion of heart which they have professed. As the Lord waits patiently for us to develop the fruits of the Spirit, the graces of the Spirit, in our lives, so it behooves us to wait patiently upon the fellow members of the body as they seek also to become renewed in thought and word and deed, sanctified wholly to the Master and his use.—Z 1906-301 (Hymn 69)
FEBRUARY 25
Ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.—Col. 3:9,10
THROUGH knowledge, as well as in knowledge, the new creature is renewed or refreshed, built up, made strong. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. What the old mind had was the wisdom of this world. What the new creature receives is the wisdom of God. The development of’ the different powers of the new mind is a gradual work, dependent upon knowledge. With the new will the knowledge becomes the energizing and strengthening power, and finds opportunities by which the new creature can accomplish its purpose. This knowledge is that which cometh from above. It is not merely the knowing how many chapters there are in the Bible, nor how many verses there are in the Bible and being able to quote them; but by the various providences of God in life, it is to come to such a knowledge of God that it is sufficient for his will to be made clear to us, to insure obedience. Our knowledge is increased in proportion as we give heed to the things which God has spoken; in proportion as we set our affections on things above and not on things on the earth.—Z 1911-382 (Hymn 81)
FEBRUARY 26
Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men to be seen of them; else ye have no reward with your Father which is in heaven.—Matt. 6:1, R.V.
THE point which the Great Teacher makes is the motive actuating us. If we are actuated by a selfish motive, if we are seeking show and applause or earthly gain, the procedure cannot bring divine approval or blessing—“Blessed are the pure in heart.” We may be seen to do good or to pray or to fast, but we are not to do our charities, our praying, and our fasting to be seen. Of such the Lord says they have received their reward—nothing more is coming to them; they get the publicity sought.—Z 1912-150 (Hymn 229)
FEBRUARY 27
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.—Matt. 5:16
NOTHING in this text guarantees that the world would receive the message, either from our Lord Jesus or from his followers. We are, nevertheless, to let our light shine as he let his light shine, though the darkness comprehend it not. The thought seems to be that while some may resist the light because their deeds are evil, nevertheless there are others by whom the message may be differently received. Therefore we are to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works—whether they account for these works properly or evilly. Some may appreciate and see. Those who opposed our Lord were not of the common people, but of those who specially claimed to be the people of God, the scribes and Pharisees, who were not living up to their own recognized standards. These felt reproved. They realized that Jesus’ teaching was of a higher order.—Z 1911-23 (Hymn 45)
FEBRUARY 28
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.—Matt. 4:7
IN STUDYING this subject it is well to keep in mind that the robe does not cover, as some seem to think, sins of the new mind. The Scriptures ascribe no sin to the new mind, and no perfection in righteousness to the fallen flesh. If the new mind were disloyal to God, the robe would not cover it; it would cease to be a new mind. To continue to have the imperfections of the flesh (which we have inherited from Adam) covered, the new creature must remain loyal to God, otherwise it will deserve the second death. Hence, these new creatures, with imperfect bodies under the control of the new mind, have the bridal robe granted to them, that they may have a standing in the sight of the Lord and of each other.—Z 1911-189 (Hymn 120)