Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-01-07


to expect, and that the unkindly crit
icism and strong opposition met with
are more than they can endure. They
become discouraged, they lose heart
and confidence. they are ready to
throw up their hands in despair and
give up the task altogether. Ii is
then that God comes. as He came to
Ierubbabel, and whispers to the trou-
bled soul TO look away from self and
the discouragements and learn that it
is mot by might, nor by power" but
by the Spirit of God that His work
is TO be accomplished. Oh, what n
lesson to learnt No Christian can do
constant and successful work for God
until he has mourned in despair with
Lerubbabel over the uncompleted wall
and temple of the task God has given
him TO DO, and has finally. in the last
dying hope of utter encouragement
looked up and caught vision of the
Eternal God and beheld His omnipo-
tent arm moving to his aid.
l imagine | can see Zerubbabel sit
ting with bowed head i'm his home after
another discouraging day on the city
wall and amidst the unsightly ruins
OF the temple. Ii has been a push
and drive all day. and apparently
nothing done. lie has been unable to
inspire the people with a sense of the
task before them. They are more con
ccrned about their homes and the
qualification of their own desires and
the carrying out OF their own plans
IMAM they are 10 perform the work
OF the Lord. He has just about made
up his mind that with the morning
light he will send in his resignation
and abandon the people to their indif-
ference and their fate, when 10, n
gentle tap on the door announces n
visitor. Without looking up. too dis
couraged TO he hospitable. or even
civil, he imratiently bids the waiting
one to enter. Dear Christian soul. have
YOU ever felt as Zerubbabel did that
night? Have you come home discour-
aged from Sunday school. from
church. from young peoples meeting,
from Junior meeting, from any of the
varied forms of religious activity
which it may be God has called YOU
to perform for Him, and thrown your
self into chair or upon the couch
and. covering your face with your
hands, given way 10 your discourage
| ment? Such experiences come to us
all. But let us return to ZerubbabeI
and see who his visitor is and what his
message.
The door is pushed open and the
prophet, /echariah. enters. A quick
! glance at the bowed figure tells him
the whole story. God has sent him
nj
the soul is best prepared 10 receive His
message and 10 learn the Divine les
son. If the prophet had come few
| days before. when Ierubbabel was con-
hdently depending upon himself and
was planning new method to arouse
! the people to the task before them
his message would not have been re-
ceived or understood But now the
Jewish leader has come to the end
of his resources. He has tried every
thing to make the Lords work go
Perhaps he had stirred the good Ia
dies up and had tried church suppers
and bazars on the temple site to en-
courage the rebuilding. Perhaps he
had offered prizes out on the city wall
| for the fastest and best worker, or had
started unique little entertainments
sort OF side shows, you know. to draw
the crowds out to the walls in the
hope that once he had enticed them
there he could set them to work. And
so it had gone on, day after day. Each
day saw failure of his own plans.
and each night sleepless eyes ard
wakeful brain sought for new meth
DDS TO be tried on the morrow. Have
you ever been in poor Zerubbabers
fix? Have you wrestled in such des-
| perate way with the work of the Lord?
Well, at last his resourceful brain. and
| his wonderful patience and persever-
| ance, failed him. The prophet un-
/ derstands it all as he quickly advances
/ across the room through the gather
/ ing gloom. With "A tender touch. born
| of the infinite love Of God which foods
| his soul after his wonderful visions.
| he places his hand upon the bowed
/ head of the discouraged leader. and
| speaks in CHEEKY, confident tones:
This is the word of the Lord unto
/ Ierubbabel: Not by might. nor by
( power, but by My Spirit, saith the
/ Lord Of Hosts"
Like n drowning man grasps after
/ straw. the soul Of /erubbabel eagerly
/ drinks in the prophets message. As
/ he lifts his head new light bursts in
| upon his soul. He is humbled as he
| realizes how he has magnified his own
/ Importance i'm the Lords work and
/ has failed to reckon God as n fac
| tor in the tasks given him TO do. Here
was revelation TO him of the re-
/ lation which God always sustains to the
work He gives His children TO do for
Him. Here was n powerful factor i'm
the accomplishment Of the great pub
lie and religious enterprises which he
had entirely overlooked \ new hope
kindled in his breast as he felt the
~ IL Ic.L - IL l. L l.