Daily Strength for Daily Needs Part 48

F. W. ROBERTSON.

September 16

_For the whole world before thee is as a little grain of the balance, yea, as a drop of the morning dew that falleth down upon the earth. But Thou hast mercy upon all. For Thou lovest all the things that are_.--WISDOM OF SOLOMON xi. 22-24.

Oh! Source divine, and Life of all, The Fount of Being's fearful sea, Thy depth would every heart appal, That saw not love supreme in Thee.

J. STERLING.

He showed a little thing, the quant.i.ty of a hazel-nut, lying in the palm of my hand, as meseemed, and it was as round as a ball. I looked thereon with the eye of my understanding, and thought, "What may this be?" and it was answered generally thus, "It is all that is made." I marvelled how it might last; for methought it might suddenly have fallen to naught for littleness.

And I was answered in my understanding, "It lasteth, and ever shall: For G.o.d loveth it. And so hath all thing being by the Love of G.o.d." In this little thing I saw three properties. The first is, that G.o.d made it. The second is, that G.o.d loveth it. The third is, that G.o.d keepeth it. For this is the cause which we be not all in ease of heart and soul: for we seek here rest in this thing which is so little, where no rest is in: and we know not our G.o.d that is all Mighty, all Wise, and all Good, for He is very rest.

MOTHER JULIANA, 1373.

September 17

_Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many_.--MARK x. 43-45.

A child's kiss Set on thy sighing lips, shall make thee glad; A poor man served by thee, shall make thee rich; A sick man helped by thee, shall make thee strong; Thou shalt be served thyself by every sense Of service which thou renderest.

E. B. BROWNING.

Let every man lovingly cast all his thoughts and cares, and his sins too, as it were, on the Will of G.o.d. Moreover, if a man, while busy in this lofty inward work, were called by some duty in the Providence of G.o.d to cease therefrom, and cook a broth for some sick person, or any other such service, he should do so willingly and with great joy. If I had to forsake such work, and go out to preach or aught else, I should go cheerfully, believing not only that G.o.d would be with me, but that he would vouchsafe me it may be even greater grace and blessing in that external work undertaken out of true love in the service of my neighbor, than I should perhaps receive in my season of loftiest contemplation.

JOHN TAULER.

September 18

_All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies_.--PS. xxv. 10.

Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth, Speak peace to my anxious soul, And help me to feel that all my ways Are under Thy wise control; That He who cares for the lily, And heeds the sparrows' fall, Shall tenderly lead His loving child: For He made and loveth all.

ANON.

It is not by seeking more fertile regions where toil is lighter--happier circ.u.mstances free from difficult complications and troublesome people--but by bringing the high courage of a devout soul, clear in principle and aim, to bear upon what is given to us, that we brighten our inward light, lead something of a true life, and introduce the kingdom of heaven into the midst of our earthly day. If we cannot work out the will of G.o.d where G.o.d has placed us, then why has He placed us there?

J. H. THOM.

September 19

_Pray for us unto the Lord thy G.o.d... that the Lord thy G.o.d may show us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do_.--JER. xlii. 2, 3.

_That which I see not, teach Thou me_.--JOB x.x.xiv. 32.

O father, hear!

The way is dark, and I would fain discern What steps to take, into which path to turn; Oh! make it clear.

CHRISTIAN INTELLIGENCER.

"We can't choose happiness either for ourselves or for another; we can't tell where that will lie. We can only choose whether we will indulge ourselves in the present moment, or whether we will renounce that, for the sake of obeying the Divine voice within us,--for the sake of being true to all the motives that sanctify our lives. I know this belief is hard; it has slipped away from me again and again; but I have felt that if I let it go forever, I should have no light through the darkness of this life."

GEORGE ELIOT.

There was a care on my mind so to pa.s.s my time, that nothing might hinder me from the most steady attention to the voice of the true Shepherd.

JOHN WOOLMAN.

September 20

_Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues_.--PS. x.x.xi. 20.

The praying spirit breathe, The watching power impart, From all entanglements beneath Call off my anxious heart.

My feeble mind sustain, By worldly thoughts oppressed; Appear, and bid me turn again To my eternal rest.

C. WESLEY.

As soon as we are with G.o.d in faith and in love, we are in prayer.

FRANcOIS DE LA MOTHE FeNELON.

If you could once make up your mind in the fear of G.o.d never to undertake more work of any sort than you can carry on calmly, quietly, without hurry or flurry, and the instant you feel yourself growing nervous and like one out of breath, would stop and take breath, you would find this simple common-sense rule doing for you what no prayers or tears could ever accomplish.

ELIZABETH PRENTISS.

September 21

_How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O G.o.d! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings_.--PS. x.x.xvi. 7.

_The eternal G.o.d is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms_.--DEUT. x.x.xiii. 27.