Thoughts for the Quiet Hour Part 12

_Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life. Prov. iv. 23._

He who would keep his heart pure and holy, must plant a sentinel at every avenue by which sin may find access there, guarding against none more than the "little" sins, as they are called.

The man of G.o.d has his _eyes_ to keep, and so Job said, "I have made a covenant with mine eyes"--his _tongue_, and hence the exhortation, "Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile"--his _ears_, and hence the warning, "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err"--his _feet_, and hence David says, "I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy word." And since there is no gate of the five senses by which the enemy may not come in like a flood, unless the Spirit lift up a standard against him, we have need to guard every port, and write over every portal, "Here there entereth nothing to hurt or to defile."--_Guthrie._

=May 27th.=

_Whatsoever ye do, . . . do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Col. iii. 17._

Do little things as if they were great, because of the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ, who dwells in thee; and do great things as if they were little and easy, because of His omnipotence.--_Pascal._

=May 28th.=

_Him they compelled to bear His cross. Matt. xxvii.

32._

There are many Christians of whom this is true. They are compelled to bear the cross, but how does it come? It comes by their running away from it. They make up their minds they won't have Christ's cross; and they find when the cross does come that it comes in a more terrible form, with a more crushing weight than ever it would have come had they only been content to submit themselves to the divine direction; for the cross has to come to all who are to be prepared for glory hereafter.--_W. Hay Aitken._

=May 29th.=

_Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world.

Gal. i. 4._

Attachment to Christ is the only secret of detachment from the world.--_A. J. Gordon._

=May 30th.=

_Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Matt. v. 14._

Lamps do not talk, but they do shine. A lighthouse sounds no drum, it beats no gong; and yet far over the waters its friendly spark is seen by the mariner. So let your actions shine out your religion. Let the main sermon of your life be ill.u.s.trated by all your conduct.--_Spurgeon._

=May 31st.=

_Without me ye can do nothing. John xv. 5._

_I can do all things, through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil. iv. 13._

Apart from Him we can do nothing. Whilst we are abiding in Him nothing is impossible. The one purpose of our life should therefore be to remain in living and intense union with Christ, guarding against everything that would break it, employing every means of cementing and enlarging it. And just in proportion as we do so, we shall find His strength flowing into us for every possible emergency. We may not feel its presence; but we shall find it present whenever we begin to draw on it.

There is no temptation which we cannot master; no privation which we cannot patiently bear; no difficulty with which we cannot cope; no work which we cannot perform; no confession or testimony which we cannot make, if only our souls are living in healthy union with Jesus Christ; for as our day or hour, so shall our strength be.--_F. B. Meyer._

[Ill.u.s.tration: JUNE]

=June 1st.=

_As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John xx. 21._

We should never leave our room until we have seen the face of our dear Master, Christ, and have realized that we are being sent forth by Him to do His will, and to finish the work which He has given us to do. He who said to His immediate followers, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you," says as much to each one of us, as the dawn summons us to live another day. We should realize that we are as much sent forth by Him as the angels who "do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word." There is some plan for each day's work, which He will unfold to us, if only we will look up to Him to do so; some mission to fulfil; some ministry to perform; some lesson patiently to learn, that we may be able to "reach others also." As to our plans we need not be anxious; because He who sends us forth is responsible to make the plan, according to His infinite wisdom; and to reveal it to us, however dull and stupid our faculties may be. And as to our sufficiency, we are secure of having all needful grace; because He never sends us forth, except He first breathes on us and says, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." There is always a special endowment for special power.--_F. B. Meyer._

=June 2nd.=

_A fountain . . . for sin and for uncleanness. Zech.

xiii. 1._

You that have faith in the Fountain, _frequent it_. Beware of two errors which are very natural and very disastrous. Beware of thinking any sin too great for it; beware of thinking any sin too small. There is not a sin so little, but it may be the germ of everlasting perdition; there is not a sin so enormous, but a drop of atoning blood will wash it away as utterly as if it were drowned in the depths of the sea.--_James Hamilton._

=June 3rd.=

_I am black . . . as the tents of Kedar. Song of Sol. i.

5._

_I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. Song of Sol. vii. 10._

Nothing humbles the soul like sacred and intimate communion with the Lord; yet there is a sweet joy in feeling that _He_ knows _all_, and, notwithstanding, loves us still.--_J. Hudson Taylor._

=June 4th.=

_David enquired of the Lord. 2 Sam. v. 19._

Christian, if thou wouldst know the path of duty, take G.o.d for thy compa.s.s; if thou wouldst steer thy ship through the dark billows, put the tiller into the hand of the Almighty. Many a rock might be escaped if we would let our Father take the helm; many a shoal or quicksand we might well avoid if we would leave it to His sovereign will to choose and to command. The Puritan said, "As sure as ever a Christian carves for himself he'll cut his own fingers." "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go," is G.o.d's promise to His people.

Let us, then, take all our perplexities to Him and say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Leave not thy chamber this morning without _enquiring of the Lord_.--_Spurgeon._

=June 5th.=

_A certain man . . . who never had walked . . . heard Paul speak: who . . . perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said . . . Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. Acts xiv. 8, 9, 10._

Where true faith is, it will induce obedience and where it does induce obedience, it will always, in one form or another, bring a blessing.--_W. Hay Aitken._

=June 6th.=

_Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord . . . I know that . . . whatsoever thou wilt ask of G.o.d, G.o.d will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. John xi. 21, 22, 23, 24._

Beware, in your prayer, above everything, of limiting G.o.d, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, _above all that_ we ask or think. Each time you intercede, be quiet first and worship G.o.d in His glory. Think of what He can do, of how He delights to hear Christ, of your place in Christ; and expect great things.--_Andrew Murray._

=June 7th.=