Daily Strength for Daily Needs Part 43

J. H. NEWMAN.

G.o.d only is holy; He alone knows how to lead His children in the paths of holiness. He knows every aspect of your soul, every thought of your heart, every secret of your character, its difficulties and hindrances; He knows how to mould you to His will, and lead you onwards to perfect sanctification; He knows exactly how each event, each trial, each temptation, will tell upon you, and He disposes all things accordingly. The consequences of this belief, if fully grasped, will influence your whole life. You will seek to give yourself up to G.o.d more and more unreservedly, asking nothing, refusing nothing, wis.h.i.+ng nothing, but what He wills; not seeking to bring things about for yourself, taking all He sends joyfully, and believing the "one step" set before you to be enough for you. You will be satisfied that even though there are clouds around, and your way seems dark, He is directing all, and that what seems a hindrance will prove a blessing, since He wills it.

JEAN NICOLAS GROU.

August 20

_Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord_.--PS. xxvii. 14.

_He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength_.--ISA. xl. 29.

Leaning on Him, make with reverent meekness His own thy will, And with strength from Him shall thy utter weakness Life's task fulfil.

J. G. WHITTIER.

Should we feel at times disheartened and discouraged, a confiding thought, a simple movement of heart towards G.o.d will renew our powers. Whatever He may demand of us, He will give us at the moment the strength and the courage that we need.

FRANcOIS DE LA MOTHE FeNELON.

We require a certain firmness in all circ.u.mstances of life, even the happiest, and perhaps contradictions come in order to prove and exercise this; and, if we can only determine so to use them, the very effort brings back tranquillity to the soul, which always enjoys having exercised its strength in conformity to duty.

WM. VON HUMBOLDT.

August 21

_We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves_.--ROM. xv. 1.

_The Lord G.o.d hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary_.

If there be some weaker one, Give me strength to help him on; If a blinder soul there be, Let me guide him nearer Thee.

J. G. WHITTIER.

Ask Him to increase your powers of sympathy: to give you more quickness and depth of sympathy, in little things as well as great. Opportunities of doing a kindness are often lost from mere want of thought. Half a dozen lines of kindness may bring suns.h.i.+ne into the whole day of some sick person. Think of the pleasure you might give to some one who is much shut up, and who has fewer pleasures than you have, by sharing with her some little comfort or enjoyment that you have learnt to look upon as a necessary of life,--the pleasant drive, the new book, flowers from the country, etc. Try to put yourself in another's place. Ask "What should I like myself, if I were hard-worked, or sick, or lonely?" Cultivate the _habit_ of sympathy.

G. H. WILKINSON.

August 22

_I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of G.o.d, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto G.o.d, which is your reasonable service_.--ROM. xii. 1.

Thou hast my flesh, Thy hallowed shrine, Devoted solely to Thy will; Here let Thy light forever s.h.i.+ne, This house still let Thy presence fill; O Source of Life, live, dwell, and move In me, till all my life be love!

JOACHIM LANCE.

May it not be a comfort to those of us who feel we have not the mental or spiritual power that others have, to notice that the living sacrifice mentioned in Rom. xii. 1, is our "bodies"? Of course, that includes the mental power, but does it not also include the loving, sympathizing glance, the kind, encouraging word, _the ready errand for another_, the work of our hands, opportunities for all of which come oftener in the day than for the mental power we are often tempted to envy? May we be enabled to offer willingly that which we have.

ANON.

August 23

_Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not_.--JER. xlv. 5.

I would not have the restless will That hurries to and fro, Seeking for some great thing to do, Or secret thing to know; I would be treated as a child, And guided where I go.

A. L. WARING.

Oh! be little, be little; and then thou wilt be content with little; and if thou feel, now and then, a check or a secret smiting,--in _that_ is the Father's love; be not over-wise, nor over-eager, in thy own willing, running, and desiring, and thou mayest feel it so; and by degrees come to the knowledge of thy Guide, who will lead thee, step by step, in the path of life, and teach thee to follow. Be still, and wait for light and strength.

I. PENINGTON.

Sink into the sweet and blessed littleness, where thou livest by grace alone. Contemplate with delight the holiness and goodness in G.o.d, which thou dost not find in thyself. How lovely it is to be nothing when G.o.d is all!

G. TERSTEEGEN.

August 24

_And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection_.--LUKE viii. 14.

Preserve me from my calling's snare, And hide my simple heart above, Above the thorns of choking care, The gilded baits of worldly love.

C. WESLEY.

Anything allowed in the heart which is contrary to the will of G.o.d, let it seem ever so insignificant, or be ever so deeply hidden, will cause us to fall before our enemies. Any root of bitterness cherished towards another, any self-seeking, any harsh judgments indulged in, any slackness in obeying the voice of the Lord, any doubtful habits or surroundings, any one of these things will effectually cripple and paralyze our spiritual life. I believe our blessed Guide, the indwelling Holy Spirit, is always secretly discovering these things to us by continual little twinges and pangs of conscience, so that we are left without excuse,

H. W. SMITH.

August 25

_See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh_.--HEB. xii. 25.