Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-31
shall be innocent from the great transgres-

shall be innocent from the great transgres-
sion.
a. Let the words of my mouth and the
meditations of my heart. be acceptable In
thy sight. 0 Lord. my strength, and my re-
deemer
That Christ cometh of the seed of David.
and out of the town of Bethlehem where
David was?
The Lesson.
From the simple beauties of Gods fields
and the companionship of His sheep, was
David chosen to be king. His early expert
ence as shepherd boy guarding his
fathers flock upon the plains about Bethle-
HEM colors all his after life and writings.
1t must have been there that he learned to
trust God one can see from a study of the
fsaims that he spent many hours In pom
oerlnG the wonders about him. and that to
MN truly day unto day uttered speech
ana night unto night showed knowledge"
Out among Gods dumb things he learned
what God was and in His quiet nights UNI
DER the blaze of the stars he read Gods
meaning of this life.
There are especial and wonderful prom
lseS 10 those who give themselves to God
early in life. And David little thought,
when he was called that day from his sheep
lenoing 70 see the prophet visitor, that he
was to be a king.
Ferhaps there Is. In our er today
among those who are studying this lesson,
some some one whom God means to call to be
king. No matter how humble NAV he our
surroundings. or how unlikely that He will
cali such as we are. We should be ready to
answer that call. for when the amounting
OIL touches us 1t will matter little whether
we nave been born in a palace or spent our
time iaboring In the fields. If God has need
OF King He knows where to find the will
ing heart for His work. It is our duty to
prepare 10 oe either kings or subjects.
ana with the amounting will come the
spirit OF the Lord" as 1t came upon Da-
via. Well for us. and the work God gives
us to do. II we have the receptive heart
tnat the Spirit may dwell with US always.
The great kingly quality that David pos
sessed was the constant thought that God
was his king. Many earthly kings forget.
as DID Saul. that there is king over them,
anu ran from their high place through pride
or vain glory or wickedness. because they
/ have not kept themselves also in subiec-
/ ton to their king
DR.. Blake says: Every Christian Is de-
signed 10 De ruler. an unconscious one it
may be. but one who exercises an influence
IN the same direction as Christs How can
you accomplish this? BY first of all drink
ing IN Chrlst's spirit. looking out on the
Worio as He did, with compassion, sympa-
thy. self-sacrif1ce. and an ardent desire for
Its renovation and happiness BY walking
worthy or the vocation wherewith you are
called. Not by the earthquake, or by the
tempest. but by the still small voice. By
quiet. steady. persistent love, goodness and
self-denial. These are the true Christian
weapons. often little thought Of but really
the armor OF God. and weapons mighty to
the puillng down of stronghoids and the
sub1ugatfon of the world to Christ"
II then. this be so. and we are intended
to exercise this power for God. how are we
making preparation for it?
A further study of David's life shows that
he went back to the sheep again with the
holy Oil still fresh upon his young brow.
If you were told that YOU We're to be a
great king would you not at once begin to
he
staff you had used to guide your woolly
subjects through floods and think you must
go to studying kingly lore and fit yourself
for a great and wise man al once?
Yet David was a better. simpler king
more nearly after Gods own heart because
he learned his lessons from Gods nights
and DAYS. from the rains and dews and
clouds and sunlight shifting through the
tree leaves.
And from the way he links Gods works
with Gods laws in this nineteenth Psalm it
seems as If he must have pondered much on
Gods laws. as he lay out under the sky
with the sheep. David seems to have loved
Gods law. How many of US can say of our
Bibles that they are to us "sweeter also
than honey and the honeycomb?'
Perhaps one of the foremost lessons to be
learned from study of the life of David is
trust: trust in a heavenly Father who
knoweth what we have need of even before
we ask him: trust in the tender. loving
heart of Father who will forgive His re-
pentant. returning. sinful son. Running all
through his Psalms we can see this trust in
every kind of circumstance of life even
down Through the valley and the shadow
of DEATH - -.5-.3, t--.s.- -.
'''''' Applied Truth. 80
ION the simplest soul that feels the won
der and the hidden glory of the universe,
on the child to whom the stars are still lit
tie windows into heaven. or the poet to
whom the meanest flower that blows can
give thoughts that do often lie too deep for
tears God looks down with pleasure and
beginning of faith. which is able to pass
behind the appearance to the reality and
make its possessor wise unto everlasting
life HENRY VAN DYKE. ,
How to Help the Leader.-Find some par
allels between David's life and your own
Tell what YOU think was the best thing Da-
vd ever did. and said.
Parallel Passages.-1 Samuel 17:45; Sam
uel 1912; 1 Samuel 24:4-7; II Samuel $40:
Psalms 1871. 4: Psalms 34:11-14; Psalms
1885: Psalms 81 2. 8.
Hints to the Leader.
Christian Endeavor Hymns So, GO, IS, 1876,
1877 1919. PIT.
The Endeavor Hymnal 8. o. 80 Go, 70, 81
Have few members prepared to give a
brief outline Of Davids life each taking a
separate division Of 1t.
Have a season of verses about David and
another set from memory from the Psalms,
asking that they shall be favorite or help
full verses to those who recite them
Try to select Psalms for singing if pos
sible.