| Christian Life and Doctrine | August 1950 |
“Songs in the Night”
AUGUST 1
Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word.—Acts 8:4
DEAR brethren, he who was with and guided the Early Church is with us with equal power. He who guided in that harvest time is guiding now, and will continue to guide his work to the end. We may have experience with similar characters to that of Judas, Alexander the Coppersmith, Jannes and Jambres. But the Lord is able to make all these work together for good to us and through them all to fulfill his gracious promises. He may permit persecutions, imprisonments, or things corresponding on a different plane, but let us never doubt the presence and power of our Lord. The glorious results will more than compensate for the trials and difficulties. “Faith can firmly trust him come what may.”—Z 1909-57 (Hymn 200)
AUGUST 2
Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord.—Malachi 3:7
THE thought everywhere held out in the Scriptures is that God’s mercy endureth forever—that is, “olam,” or to a completion. A small portion of the world of mankind at the present time has received God’s favor to the extent of being justified and made partakers in the divine favor and mercies of this present time. As in his dealings with these the Lord is very gracious, so is he to those who return from the ways of sin, and he is even patient with those who lack the spirit of love and forgiveness, and comes to them entreating them to join in his gracious plans and arrangements. This loving-kindness bestowed upon the believers of the present time illustrates the Spirit of the Lord. It becomes an assurance to us of the fulfillment of his promise that in due time all the families of the earth shall be brought to a knowledge of his goodness, to an opportunity for knowing him whom to rightly know and appreciate will mean to them everlasting life.—Z 1906-254 (Hymn 226)
AUGUST 3
And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.—Luke 19:8
WE BELIEVE that many today make a mistake in that they do not more fully follow the course of Zaccheus—in that they continue to hold on to something which really, rightfully, belongs to another; and secondly, that they do not consecrate more of their wealth of money or property or time or talent to the Lord. Zaccheus was a Jew, and under the requirements of the Law one-tenth of his yearly increase would be his obligation to religious matters. But he far exceeded this, giving not merely a half of his annual income, but a half of all the principal, of all the money and property and goods which he possessed. Some have inquired of us, What is the reasonable obligation of a Christian? We answer that our reasonable service should surely be more than the one-tenth of the Jews. To our understanding Zaccheus did not even go the full length of a complete sacrifice.—Z 1906-279 (Hymn 8)
AUGUST 4
Behold the Bridegroom.—Matthew 25:6
THE announcement, the truth upon this subject, is indeed a testing, proving, which of the professed virgins of the Lord have the oil in their vessels, the right spirit of humility, patience, love, devotion, interest in the things of the Bridegroom. Such and such only are desired by the Bridegroom or will be permitted to enter. In view of this it is evident that our work in the present time is not only to proclaim the Bridegroom’s presence, but to assist those who have the oil in their vessels to trim their lamps. If it is not already too late to buy the oil it soon will be, and hence our special care should be in respect to those who have the oil of the Lord’s Spirit but who are still asleep or drowsy and need to have an announcement of his presence brought kindly, patiently, perseveringly to their attention.—Z 1906-315 (Hymn 230)
AUGUST 5
Strait [difficult] is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.—Matthew 7:14
IT IS so narrow that it is wide enough to admit only the Lord’s plan and those who are willing to discard all other plans, projects, and questionings, and to devote themselves fully to its service; and who are quite willing to bear any reproach it may bring. Are you endeavoring from day to day to vindicate the divine character and to make known God’s righteous ways? Are you diligently studying to make yourself thoroughly familiar with the truth so that you may indeed be a living epistle known and read of all men within the circle of your influence? Are you indeed a workman that need not be ashamed (II Tim. 2:15)? Are you of those who have really given themselves to the Lord, saying truthfully to him:
“Take myself—I wish to be
Ever, only, all for thee”?
If so, you are just narrow-minded enough to say, This one thing I do; and I make everything else bend to this one thing of showing forth God’s praises and of helping others into his marvelous light: and to this end I cultivate and use what talents I possess as a wise steward of my Heavenly Father.—Z 1912-194 (Hymn 277)
AUGUST 6
Kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.—I Peter 1:5
IN OUR journey through life almost daily we come to places and circumstances which, wrongly received, may change our entire course from fellowship and relationship to God to sin and opposition to him. What Christian has not realized certain crises in his life in which two voices seemed to speak to him; the one favoring humility and obedience to God at any cost; the other urging self-will backed by pride? If we are advanced Christians, who through numerous victories have gained a position where such besetments are rare, we still need to be on guard and to remember that we have a very wily Adversary, that we have the treasure of the new mind in an earthen vessel, and that in our flesh dwelleth no perfection. These recollections should make us very humble, and lead us to cling closely to the Lord, and to fear and abhor any attitude of conduct and even of thought that would in any measure seem to antagonize the divine will.—Z 1908-265 (Hymn 183)
AUGUST 7
Wait, I say, on the Lord.—Psalm 27:14
SOME of us have learned by experience that to attempt to go before the Lord in any matter is dangerous. We are not wise enough to guide ourselves. Indeed, as the poet has expressed it,
“We fear to touch
Things that involve so much.”
If we could recognize the delicacy of our situation at times, it would make us more modest and cautious. Not only our own interests and eternal glory are at stake, but also the interests of other fellow-members of the body of Christ. A rash word, a thoughtless action, inconsiderateness in any sense of the word might lead to unfavorable conditions of heart, and, even though we gained the promise, it might be by tribulation rather than by the way in which the Lord would lead.—Z 1908-267 (Hymn 313)
AUGUST 8
Brother shall deliver up the brother to death.—Matthew 10:21
ALAS, that this should be so—that the love of God should at any time fail to constrain us so that we would not only turn from his love and fellowship, but that the sword should be used to smite down brethren! Get the picture impressed in our minds and sealed in our hearts of coming days with spiritual Israel, when brother shall be against brother, which the Lord will permit just prior to the establishment of his kingdom. Let us resolve that however others may fight, the weapons of our warfare shall not be carnal and that our battling shall not he against those who are the Lord’s by covenant, but against the great Adversary. Carnal weapons are not merely guns and swords, but more injurious and death-dealing is the tongue when used to slander and wound. God forbid that our tongues, wherewith we praise God, should work injury to any man, but particularly to any of the household of faith.—Z 1908-268 (Hymn 333)
AUGUST 9
Them that honor me I will honor.—I Samuel 2:30
WE BELIEVE that this is a principle that holds good always. Now, today, those who are seeking to honor God he will be sure to honor. Those who are seeking merely self-honor may obtain some of that honor, may glorify themselves to a certain extent; but it will not be the Lora that will glorify them. In the service of his cause, his truth, they will not be honored by him. “The Lord resisteth the proud, and giveth grace [favor] to the humble.” The way to honor God is to seek to know his will and to do it from sincere hearts, to have God first in all our affairs, to show forth his praises. We are to never mind ourselves, our own honor. We are to serve in accordance with the principles which the Lord is promoting. To seek the glory of God is the proper course for us who are his children and whom he has blessed.—Z 1915-173 (Hymn 95)
AUGUST 10
Forsake not the assembling of ourselves together.—Hebrews 10:25
AS DAVID desired to be near to the tabernacle, close to the Lord, so we, members of the Beloved, should find ourselves longing for a closer walk with God, a nearness to his arrangement of the mercy seat, Christ Jesus. This will signify a desire to be near to the members of his body, the church, to have fellowship with them, because the condition of things is represented as being the “holy” of the tabernacle, with only a veil between this and that glorious condition beyond the veil. And is it not so that whoever desires to be near to the Lord and to those in fellowship with him, along the lines of the new nature, will give heed to the privileges of showing forth his praise by manifesting their love for the brethren and their confidence and faith in the Lord and in his light and wisdom and love?—Z 1908-311 (Hymn 329)
AUGUST 11
Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.—I Corinthians 1:26
HOW strange! Yet it is just like the Lord to pass by the self-righteous and the proud, and to declare that only those who humble themselves shall be exalted and those that exalt themselves shall be abased. This fact, then, that God will accept none but the humble accounts for the fact that those who have received the message in humility are chiefly the mean, the ignoble. It is only the humble-minded, taught in the school of Christ, who are able and willing to accept the ignoble ones who rally to the Lord’s standard and who may be accepted. To love the ignoble signifies that we must view them from the divine standpoint and love them as God loves them—not because of their ignoble and mean qualities, but in spite of these; because of their heart’s desires toward God and righteousness. As we come to love and appreciate all those who stand for and strive for those principles, we take our position with God and view the situation from the divine standpoint, having compassion upon those who are weak and out of the way and doing all we can to assist them, if they are of those who love righteousness and hate iniquity and are striving in harmony with their ideals.—Z 1908-326 (Hymn 194)
AUGUST 12
We … that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.—Romans 15:1
TOO often the Lord’s people forget this injunction and are disposed to lay down their lives for themselves, for their own comfort, or to lay down their lives, their time, their energy, in fellowshiping with those of the brethren most congenial to them in cultivation or in advancement. Is not this pleasing ourselves in ignoring to serve those members of the body who need our assistance most—the more ignoble?—Z 1908-326 (Hymn 192)
AUGUST 13
Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.—I Peter 2:9
IS IT any wonder that the apostle declares that each and all of these “peculiar people” should make it the first, the chief, practically the only business of life, “to show forth the praises [the virtues of character and plan] of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”? And the showing or the telling of these is the preaching of the Gospel, whether it be done in public or in private, by word of mouth or by printed page. And this, the chief business of the peculiar people, begun now, will continue to be their business throughout the future, though under more favorable circumstances, in the majesty of the kingdom, with power to enforce the wise and just and wholesome laws, and with love and mercy to help and to succor the weak and the erring, and gradually to restore them, if they will, to all that was lost in Adam. What a wonderful Gospel! What a wonderful privilege to be permitted to engage in its proclamation in any manner! Truly, all of the peculiar people can appreciate the testimony of the great Apostle Paul, “Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”—Z 1897-99 (Hymn 260)
AUGUST 14
Certainly I will be with thee.—Exodus 3:12
OUR text is an inspiration to the Lord’s people everywhere and at all times, when endeavoring properly to do any part of the Lord’s work, heeding his call through the Word. If God be for us, and if God be with us, who can prevail against us eventually? There may be with us, as there were with Moses and his service, various difficulties, trials, vexations, and disappointments, for we have the treasure of the new nature in earthen vessels, and the weaknesses and imperfections and short-sightedness of these are sure at times to cause us difficulties and discouragements. On such occasions our duty is to turn the eyes of our understanding to him whom we serve, whose ambassadors and representatives we are, and to recall his promise, “Certainly I will be with thee.” This means eventual victory, though perhaps through devious ways that we know not, and expect not, which nevertheless will ultimately prove to have been advantageous to us and to our Master’s glory.—Z 1901-361 (Hymn 126)
AUGUST 15
Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.—Psalm 90:12
THE Christian, in numbering his days, does not do so with a doleful or disconsolate sentiment, although he does so with sobriety. He counts the days as they go as so many blessings, so many privileges, so many opportunities to show forth the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light,” to render assistance to others in the pilgrim journey, and to develop in himself more and more of the character pleasing in the sight of God—to become more and more a copy of God’s dear Son. As he numbers the days gliding swiftly by, and perceives how he is using them in harmony with the divine instructions, he ultimately comes to that condition of heart in which he is longing for the kingdom and the full attainment of all the glories into which he hopes to be ushered, as a sharer in the first (chief) resurrection. And from this standpoint he numbers the days as they go by joyfully, and is glad when the days of the years of his present pilgrimage end; because his hope in the Lord, and in the gracious features of his plan, is growing daily stronger, clearer, and brighter.—Z 1901-333 (Hymn 117)
AUGUST 16
Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.—John 20:29
NOW, while it is dark, before the Sun of Righteousness has arisen with healing in his beams, to scatter all the doubts and fears and hindrances, the Lord puts a premium upon faith, and only those who can and do exercise it may and do have certain rewards, privileges, opportunities, and blessings. Of the Gospel-age little flock it is written, we “walk by faith and not by sight.” We endure, “as seeing him who is invisible”; we run for a crown and a throne which we may see only with the eye of faith; we obey the voice of him who speaketh from heaven, but whose voice now is the still small voice, which only the few who exercise faith can hear, appreciate, and understand. By and by the time will come when this voice shall shake the earth and cause the knowledge of the Lord to fill the whole earth. Obedience then will be proper and bring a blessing; but obedience now, even unto sacrifice of earthly interests in following the footsteps of him who set us an example, brings the greater blessings—the blessings which pertain not only to the life which now is, but also to that which is to come—the blessings of glory, honor, and immortality.—Z 1901-141 (Hymn 46)
AUGUST 17
The steps of a good man are ordered by the ‘Lord: and he delighteth in his way.—Psalm 37:23
THEY can delight in this way, be it ever so thorny and narrow and rugged, because of their confidence in God’s love and wisdom, and that he who began a good work in them is thus completing it and blessing them with experiences which divine wisdom sees will be to their profit eventually. Thus the Lord’s blessing is upon this class; and they realize indeed that “the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich.” How rich it makes their hearts in the present time—rich in noble sentiments, rich in faith, rich in love, rich in good works to all men as they have opportunity, especially toward the household of faith; and very rich in God’s blessing and under his providential care which, if rightly accepted, will ultimately make these members of the royal priesthood heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ their Lord, in an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for them.—Z 1901-56 (Hymn 12)
AUGUST 18
Make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way.—Hebrews 12:13
WHAT does the apostle mean? He does not mean that we should literally shovel a path smooth, nor does he refer to our literal feet. All will agree to this. Evidently the apostle’s teaching is that each one of the Lord’s sheep has more or less of earthly blemish (imperfection), in consequence of which lameness it is difficult for him to make steady progress in the footsteps of our Lord. He urges that as we find out what our weaknesses are, physical and mental, we should endeavor to shape our course of life accordingly, so as to be able to overcome the difficulties of the way and the besetments of the Adversary. We make the straight paths by choosing such a course as will not unnecessarily aggravate and excite our weaknesses, and thus make us the more lame. We are to seek to overcome the lameness, and to do so, are not only to pray, “Abandon us not in temptation,” but are to seek to avoid the temptation in all ways. How do we do this? We answer, by the exercise of our wills, or determinations—by mental resolutions; or, in other words, by making vows or solemn promises to the Lord respecting our determinations to take the proper course. Anyone, therefore, who has followed the apostle’s injunction in our text has made vows to the Lord, which he should be faithful in performing, if he would come off a victor and have the divine approval.—Z 1909-75 (Hymn 135)
AUGUST 19
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.—Psalm 23:6
THE assurance of faith that God’s goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives, and that we shall ultimately by his grace attain to the kingdom, is for the class mentioned in this psalm; namely, the Lord’s sheep—those who are following him, and who are having the experiences outlined in this psalm. One of these experiences is that following the Shepherd they are not left to hunger and thirst, but are bountifully supplied in the green pastures and by the still waters of the, truth. Moreover, it applies to those who experience the Shepherd’s care, his rod and staff, correcting, reproving or guiding them. Such sheep as learn to love and have confidence in the Shepherd and in his guidance, and to take comfort and blessing out of all the afflictions and trials of life which may be permitted to come upon them, realizing that they are providential, and for their blessing—such continue to follow the Shepherd, continue to have the experiences of sheep, and may rejoice with full assurance of faith that he who began the good work of shepherding them and leading them out from the byways of sin and of selfishness into the full blessing of the Heavenly Father, will continue this work and complete it, if they abide in him.—Z 1900-170 (Hymn 288)
AUGUST 20
I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.—Genesis 12:2
THE fulfillment has already commenced in our hearts, but that is not the end, not the fullness, not the ultimate meaning of the promises; for by and by this holy nation (the body of Christ, the church), shall be great indeed when tilled with the divine blessing and power as God’s glorified kingdom. We realize too that while it is our blessed privilege to let shine upon others the light which the Lord by his Spirit has graciously shined into our hearth, nevertheless our time for bestowing the great blessing is still future—that it belongs to the period for which we pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth.” We reason that although our name may be now cast out as evil, and the reproaches bestowed upon the Head of the body may fall also upon us, his members, nevertheless the time is surely hastening when the name Christ shall be great throughout all the earth, and that being the name of our Bridegroom it will also he our name as his bride and joint-heir. We look forward with joy to the time when the holy nation, now so misunderstood and considered a peculiar people, shall recompense the poor, blinded, Satan-deceived world and nominal church for all the evils inflicted upon The Christ, Head and body, by blessing them, returning good for evil in the highest degree—instructing and uplifting all who will to return to divine favor.—Z 1901-231 (Hymn 310)
AUGUST 21
Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.—Acts 9:34
OUR text is from Peter’s words to Aeneas, the paralytic, whom the apostle found at Lydda and healed. We are not told that he was one of the saints; the presumption, therefore, is that he was not, but that at most he was a friend to some of them, and that thus the apostle’s attention was drawn to him. The fact that he had been bedfast, helpless, eight years, testified that the healing was a miracle. Its fame spread abroad, and resulted, we are told, in the drawing of many unto the Lord and to the church. Thus did the Lord establish the church and attract to it those who were in the right attitude of heart, using miracles then, as he now uses other means. Those miracles cannot have lasted much longer than the apostles themselves; the gifts of healing etc., being granted only through the laying on of hands of the apostles—and the twelve had no successors—the heavenly Jerusalem had twelve foundations, and no more, and in them were written the names of the twelve apostles, and no others.—Z 1902-105 (Hymn 264)
AUGUST 22
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.—Revelation 21:7
THOSE addressed are not the bride class, selected during the Gospel age, but the sheep class of Matthew 25—such of mankind as during the millennial age become the Lord’s sheep and obey his voice. To these at the end of the millennial age, in harmony with the Father’s plan he says, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” They are not invited to inherit the kingdom prepared for us, in joint-heirship with the Lord, the heavenly kingdom. But they shall inherit the earth, the purchased possession—they shall come back into all the good estate of father Adam which he lost for himself and his children through disobedience, but which Jesus redeemed with his own precious blood, and will restore at the close of the Millennium to all the children of Adam who shall have accepted his gracious favors and been regenerated by him, and thus become his sons, and he their God—their father.—Z 1901-201 (Hymn 214)
AUGUST 23
With the mouth confession is made unto salvation.—Romans 10:10
THIS implies that a dumb believer will never make his calling and election sure. We do not refer to those who are naturally dumb: but understand the word “mouth” in the same sense that we speak of the “ears” of our heart, and the “eyes of our understanding.” A heart that sees and hears the grace of God, and that truly accepts the same, must in due time become so enthused with the things heard and seen that it cannot refrain from some outward manifestation of its joy and peace and hope and trust and thankfulness. As the apostles declared, “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” All Christians who, having received the light of truth, having seen the grace of God in the divine plan, having tasted that the Lord is gracious, having heard the wonders of “so great salvation, which began to be spoken by our Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him”—these must not, cannot, keep silence nor put their light under a bushel. If they do, it means the extinguishment of their light, the stoppage of their growth; and persevered in this would ultimately mean to them destruction in the second death: for those who are ashamed of the Lord and of his Word, after they have discerned clearly, not only are not fit for the kingdom, but of such the Lord would be ashamed under any and all conditions.—Z 1902-73 (Hymn 261)
AUGUST 24
Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.—Ephesians 5:14
WHEN the believing, converted, consecrated, begotten, sleeping “new creature” has been awakened—when the eyes and ears of his understanding have been opened to see the true conditions of the world, and to realize himself as a new creature in Christ—his next duty is to “arise.” His arising from the dead signifies the activity of the new mind, the new will, in directing and controlling his mortal body. This implies effort; the putting forth of all the energy of the new creature. It requires no effort to sleep, or to lie after one gets awake; but to rise requires the exercise of every muscle. Arising is not an instantaneous act, but a process requiring one movement after another, until it is fully accomplished; so also is the arising of the new creature from the dead conditions of sin and trespass against the laws of righteousness and truth and purity; it requires his every effort, and is a work of time. Indeed all experienced Christians who have followed the apostle’s injunction to arise from the dead have found that it requires days, months, years, of energetic effort to rise up above, superior to the fallen tendencies of his own flesh, common to the world of mankind. He finds that even after he has risen fully up, so that he does not willfully practice sin, nor countenance it in any sense or degree, he still must be on his guard lest he be entrapped by the weaknesses of his mortal body; or by the allurements of the world; or by the temptations of the Adversary; and thus stumble again over some of the things of sin and death from which he had arisen by the Lord’s grace.—Z 1902-73 (Hymn 20)
AUGUST 25
He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.—Psalm 110:7
WE PERCEIVE that if it was necessary for our glorious Lord from the heavenly courts to drink of the brook of experience, and gain wisdom by the things he suffered, endured, and thereby to demonstrate his confidence in God, it is equally necessary that all the members of his body should likewise drink of the brook in the way if they would hope to share with the Lord in the kingdom blessings—glory, honor, and immortality, the divine nature. Our dear Master’s time for drinking at the brook is past, yet the lessons and encouragements therefrom are still before us in the Scripture records. It is now our time to drink of the brook of experience—to learn the lessons that are necessary to our preparation for the kingdom. It is not enough that we have tasted of the brook of experience, that we have learned something of obedience, that we have endured some trials, that on some occasions we have learned obedience through the things we have suffered; we must continue drinking until we can gladly say, Father, thy will, not ours be done! If we drink not of the brook in the way we shall not share in the glory to follow.—Z 1902-13 (Hymn 222)
AUGUST 26
The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.—Psa. 25:14
THAT wonderful covenant, shown to all who are seeking the Word in honesty and sincerity, assures us that as our dear Redeemer humbled himself for our and the world’s redemption and has been highly exalted, so if similarly faithful, we may suffer with him now and by and by share his glory and be co-laborers with him in the kingdom which is to bless all the families of the earth. O, what riches of grace! What loving-kindness! What tender mercy! What evidences of divine wisdom, skill, justice, love, and power! How this view of the Only Begotten of the Father shows him to us as our Redeemer and also as our Lord and Head, who by and by, according to the promise, will present us as his bride, blameless and irreprovable before the Father in love. Viewed from this standpoint, the recognition of Jesus, our dear Redeemer, the Sent of God, the Savior of the world, is not in derogation of the command of the text, “Jehovah, our God, is one,” for the apostle assures us that according to the divine authority all should reverence the Son even as they reverence the Father—not reverence him as the Father, but reverence him as the Son whom the Father has appointed heir of all things, and who, as the Father’s associate, is to bless all the families of the earth, and who a thousand years later will deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, that he may be all in all.—Z 1907-263 (Hymn 154)
AUGUST 27
The Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept; … line upon line.—Isaiah 28:13
THE Christian’s experience is a continual schooling. Daily we are learning more and more about ourselves and about the wisdom and justice of God. As we learn these lessons day by day, we are learning more to reprobate and correct in ourselves. In thus discovering our own imperfections, we should learn, as a matter of course, not to expect perfection in others; and we should give them credit for doing their best to exemplify the highest ideals which they have in respect to the unity and perfection required for membership in the body of Christ.—Z 1912-337 (Hymn 198)
AUGUST 28
Ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.—John 13:14
HOW many opportunities we have for comforting, refreshing, consoling, and assisting one another in some of the humblest affairs of daily living or in respect to some of the unpleasant duties, experiences, or trials of life! By love we are to serve one another, but not as a mere formality. Any service done or attempted to be done in love, with the desire to do good to one of the Lord’s people has, we may be sure, the approval of the Head of the church. Let us lose no opportunities of this kind; let us remember the Master’s example. Let us not merely assume the guise of humility, but let us actually have that grace of character which will enable us to do kindnesses and service to all with whom we come in contact. Then we shall all the more enjoy this privilege as we find the needy ones to be members of the body of Christ—The Christ.—Z 1912-275 (Hymn 229)
AUGUST 29
I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name’s sake.—Acts 9:16
IS ANY other service than that of our Lord ever entered on these terms—promises of suffering? Surely not. Yet how honest for the Lord not to call his disciples under any misapprehension of the facts! We are called to suffer with him—to sacrifice ourselves, our earthly interests—to share his cross, and by these experiences to prove that we have been begotten of his Spirit, and that it has been shed abroad in our hearts and constituted us copies of God’s dear Son. Faithfulness to this cause insures the reward of joint-heirship with our Redeemer in his kingdom; nor can those kingdom honors be hoped for on any other terms. The apostle understood this, and seems to give the thought also that the more any of the Lord’s followers can share of the sufferings of Christ, in the flesh, proportionately will be his share in the glory which by and by shall be revealed to us—in the “members of his body.” The expression, “For my name’s sake,” is comprehensive. It includes everything connected with the divine plan, of which Jesus, the Messiah, is the center. It includes sufferings for the truth’s sake, because the truth is vitally connected with the “only name.” It includes the brethren because they have named the name of Christ and they are under his name as members of his body. It includes all the work of the millennial kingdom because he is the Head of it all, and his name, his honor, is associated with it all. Let us, therefore, be glad of any sufferings which come to us directly or indirectly, because of our faithfulness to the “precious name” and these various interests which are associated with it.—Z 1909-86 (Hymn 177)
AUGUST 30
God is Light, and in him is no darkness at all.—I John 1:5
THE Scriptures represent God as being a light. In the tabernacle he was represented by a brilliant light on the mercy seat, called the Shekinah glory. Our Lord Jesus, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, was called “the true Light.” And it was he that said of his followers, “Ye are the light of the world. … Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Similarly the divine power at Pentecost was represented by flames of light, cloven tongues of fire. Similarly the Spirit of the Lord from his Word is in the Scriptures pictured as the blaze of light from a lamp. As we read, “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, a lantern to my footsteps.” The flame of sacred love, the Holy Spirit of the Father and of the Son, was enkindled in our hearts through the Word of grace and the impartation of the Holy Spirit. In proportion as we have fed this flame (the Spirit) with the truth, we have become burning and shining lights in the world—the Spirit of the Lord in us.—Z 1909-189 (Hymn 36)
AUGUST 31
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.—I John 2:1
AS NEW creatures we are imperfect in that we have only the old body with its blemishes through which to serve the Lord. Because of antagonism of the legally dead flesh, “we cannot do the things which we would.” What shall we do as respects our failure to come up to all the requirements of the Lord, because of our fleshly imperfections? Shall we say to ourselves and to each other, God knows that these imperfect things of daily life are not willingly ours as new creatures, and therefore we need not confess them? We answer that this would not be the proper course. The imputation of Christ’s merit to our consecrated sacrifice merely covered the blemishes against us at that time, but did not cover blemishes future. Hence, daily we should remember before the throne of heavenly grace the imperfections and blemishes of each day and hour, and should ask divine forgiveness for these through our great Redeemer. Thus he taught us, Pray ye, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. This would not relate to original sin, which could not thus be forgiven. It relates to our subsequent shortcomings, after we have become children of God through the begetting of the Holy Spirit.—Z 1910-218 (Hymn 290)