Daily Strength for Daily Needs Part 35

C. WESLEY.

Whatever troubles come on you, of mind, body, or estate, from within or from without, from chance or from intent, from friends or foes--whatever your trouble be, though you be lonely, O children of a heavenly Father, be not afraid!

J. H. NEWMAN.

Whatsoever befalleth thee, receive it not from the hand of any creature, but from Him alone, and render back all to Him, seeking in all things His pleasure and honor, the purifying and subduing of thyself. What can harm thee, when all must first touch G.o.d, within whom thou hast enclosed thyself?

R. LEIGHTON.

How G.o.d rejoices over a soul, which, surrounded on all sides by suffering and misery, does that upon earth which the angels do in heaven; namely, loves, adores, and praises G.o.d!

G. TERSTEEGEN.

July 8

_Be ye kind one to another_.--EPH. iv. 32.

She doeth little kindnesses Which most leave undone or despise; For nought which sets one heart at ease, And giveth happiness or peace, Is low-esteemed in her eyes.

J. R. LOWELL.

What was the secret of such a one's power? What had she done? Absolutely nothing; but radiant smiles, beaming good-humor, the tact of divining what every one felt and every one wanted, told that she had got out of self and learned to think of others; so that at one time it showed itself in deprecating the quarrel, which lowering brows and raised tones already showed to be impending, by sweet words; at another, by smoothing an invalid's pillow; at another, by soothing a sobbing child; at another, by humoring and softening a father who had returned weary and ill-tempered from the irritating cares of business. None but she saw those things. None but a loving heart _could_ see them. That was the secret of her heavenly power. The one who will be found in trial capable of great acts of love, is ever the one who is always doing considerate small ones.

F. W. ROBERTSON.

July 9

_Love is of G.o.d; and every one that loveth is born of G.o.d, and knoweth G.o.d_.--I JOHN iv. 7.

_Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel (or "complaint") against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye_.--COL. iii. 13.

Oh, might we all our lineage prove, Give and forgive, do good and love; By soft endearments, in kind strife, Lightening the load of daily life.

J. KEBLE.

We may, if we choose, make the worst of one another. Every one has his weak points; every one has his faults: we may make the worst of these; we may fix our attention constantly upon these. But we may also make the best of one another. We may forgive, even as we hope to be forgiven. We may put ourselves in the place of others, and ask what we should wish to be done to us, and thought of us, were we in their place. By loving whatever is lovable in those around us, love will flow back from them to us, and life will become a pleasure instead of a pain; and earth will become like heaven; and we shall become not unworthy followers of Him whose name is Love.

A. P. STANLEY.

July 10

_The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the--works of Thine own hands_.--PS.

cx.x.xviii. 8.

As G.o.d leads me, will I go,-- Nor choose my way; Let Him choose the joy or woe Of every day: They cannot hurt my soul, Because in His control: I leave to Him the whole,-- His children may.

L. GEd.i.c.kE.

Why is it that we are so busy with the future? It is not _our_ province; and is there not a criminal interference with Him to whom it belongs, in our feverish, anxious attempts to dispose of it, and in filling it up with shadows of good and evil shaped by our own wild imaginations? To do G.o.d's will as fast as it is made known to us, to inquire hourly--I had almost said each moment--what He requires of us, and to leave ourselves, our friends, and every interest at His control, with a cheerful trust that the path which He marks out leads to our perfection and to Himself,--this is at once our duty and happiness; and why will we not walk in the plain, simple way?

WILLIAM E. CHANNING.

July 11

_When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble_?--JOB x.x.xiv. 29.

_None of these things move me_.--ACTS xx. 24.

I've many a cross to take up now, And many left behind; But present troubles move me not, Nor shake my quiet mind.

And what may be to-morrow's cross I never seek to find; My Father says, "Leave that to me, And keep a quiet mind."

ANON.

Let us then think only of the present, and not even permit our minds to wander with curiosity into the future. This future is not yet ours; perhaps it never will be. It is exposing ourselves to temptation to wish to antic.i.p.ate G.o.d, and to prepare ourselves for things which He may not destine for us. If such things should come to pa.s.s, He will give us light and strength according to the need. Why should we desire to meet difficulties prematurely, when we have neither strength nor light as yet provided for them? Let us give heed to the present, whose duties are pressing; it is fidelity to the present which prepares us for fidelity in the future.

FRANcOIS DE LA MOTHE FeNELON.

Every hour comes with some little f.a.got of G.o.d's will fastened upon its back.

F. W. FABER.

July 12

_Be strong, and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid ... for the Lord thy G.o.d, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee_.--DEUT. x.x.xi. 6.

The timid it concerns to ask their way, And fear what foe in caves and swamps can stray, To make no step until the event is known, And ills to come as evils past bemoan.

Not so the wise; no coward watch he keeps To spy what danger on his pathway creeps; Go where he will, the wise man is at home, His hearth the earth,--his hall the azure dome; Where his clear spirit leads him, there's his road, By G.o.d's own light illumined and foreshowed.

R. W. EMERSON.

Though I sympathize, I do not share in the least the feeling of being disheartened and cast down. It is not things of this sort that depress me, or ever will. The contrary things, praise, openings, the feeling of the greatness of my work, and my inability in relation to it, these things oppress and cast me down; but little hindrances, and closing up of accustomed or expected avenues, and the presence of difficulties to be overcome,--I'm not going to be cast down by trifles such as these.

JAMES HINTON.