Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-05
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR HOUR
Conducted by Grace Livingston Hill.


Topic: 'Some Of Gods Promises That Cheer Nc"
"a Promise Meetng.) Peter IA.
/. Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle
of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained
like precious faith with u.s. through the
righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ.
q Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
through the knowledge Of God and of Jesus
our Lord.
3. According as His divine power hath
given unto us all things that pertain unto
life and goodness, through the knowledge
of Him that hath called US to glory and
virtue.
4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises; that by these
We might be partakers of the divine nature
having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust.
His note is not worth the paper 1t Is
written upon," you sometimes near saiu oi
a man. OF what value to any one Is
promise If he has no faith that 1t viii be
kent? 1t Is not the bit of pink or blue or
green paper that a check is written upon
that makes us rest easy ABOUT next
months rent, because we have check IN
our pocket books large enough TO more
than cover it; 1t is our faith in the bank
whose name that check bears upon It's race.
And it is not the strength nor the vene-
mency of the words used inmaking promise
which gives US assurance that 1t VIII be
kept; it is our firm belief in the integrity OF
the noble man who made the promise that
sets our hearts at rest. And in order to
have perfect faith in promise we must
know we'll the man who made 1t.
The promises of the Bible are signed with
Gods signature-"I am that l am. If we
believe in God at all we must believe His
promises.
1t Is through the knowledge of Jesus
Christ that we come to believe in the prom
Uses He uttered when on earth. If we have
been about with Him, If we have watched
the miracles His touch has wrought, If we
have felt the divine healing of HIS WORD;
we know in whom we have believed, and
we know that all grace and peace may be
multiplied to us fully through the promises
He has made to us.
Now it does not need that we should have
trod this earth nineteen hundred years ago
in His company, as did Peter and James
and John, for we can know Him as well to-
day as did they. 1t only needs that we
choose to walk with Him, do His will and
learn His ways, and we shall know. And
so Peters salutation down through the ages
comes to us with a special significance and
tenderness, calling to us through this pre-
cious bond of fellowship and love with the
Master, to remember these exceeding great
and precious promises, promises that give
US all things that pertain unto life and
goodness" What more can mortal man
ask? We have Gods word for it that He
will do certain things for US If we comply
with His conditions. 1t is His promise to
pay on demand. The utterance of a prayer
is sight draft on heaven. Faith is simply
belief in the ability and reliability of
God.
Now how is it that we are not using all
these things of life and goodness that are
ours for the asking, for it is evident that
a large number of Christians are merely
living along from hand to mouth using as
few of Gods promises as they can possibly
get along with, as If the supply might pos
sibly fail. Is it that we do not believe
them?
Marcus Dodd says:
What have you ventured that you would
not have ventured but for Gods promise?
Suppose Christ's promise failed, in what
would you be the losers? OF course you
would lose what you call your hope of
heaven-but what would you find you had
lost in this world? When a merchants
ships are wrecked, or when his investment
turns out badly, he loses not only the gain
he hoped for, but the means he risked. Sup
pose. then, Christ were declared bankrupt,
unable to fulfill your expectations. would
you really find that you had ventured so
much upon His promise that you are deeply
involved in His bankruptcy, and are much
worse off in this world now than you
would otherwise have been? Or may 1 not
use the words of one of the most cautious
and charitable of men and say, 4 really
fear when we come to examine, it will be
found that there Is nothing we resolve,
nothing we do, nothing we do not do moth
ing we avoid, nothing we choose nothing
we give up, nothing we pursue, which we
should not resolve, and do, and not do, and
avoid and choose and give up, and pursue,
if Christ had not died and heaven had
not been promised u.s. If this be the case
If you would be neither much better nor
much worse though Christianity were
fable-if you have in nothing become poorer
In this world that your reward in heaven
may be greater if you have made in
vestment and run no risks, then really the
natural inference is that your faith in the
future Inheritance is small
It Is strange that we who have such store
of promises for help in every kind of need
should stumble along weary and discour-
aged so often. Why not grasp hold of
every promise and take it to God in PRAYER.
claiming 1t for our very own? Dangerous
bathing places at the sea coast always have
ropes out and life guard where one may
go out into the water safely taking hold
Of the rope and enjoy bathing without fear.
But what would you think Of a frightened
person who could not swim and who yet
would walk far out into the water gasping
with fear but ignoring the ropes put there
for their comfort? There are promises In
Gods word which are just like these ropes
meant for the fearful and the weak, the
ones who have not learned the art of SWIM
ming, the ones who cannot lie back and
fully trust even on the top of frightful
wave that looks to others as though 1t
would engulf them. There are other prom
ises for the strength that enables us to
rise high above all waves of distress.
All are ours If we will but claim them.
Applied Truth.
"A man in London had all the promises
of God printed together in a little book.
and some time after some one in the
country sent up for a copy. He received
the answer that the Promises of God
were out of print At one time in Chicago.
when the meetings grew a little dull /
told them we would go through the Bible
and look for all the promises given us, and
from that time there were no more dull
meetings. We had never realized before
what promises God has made to those who
believe in Jesus Christ."-Moody.
Gods promises are dated but with
mysterious character; and for want of
skill in Gods chronology, we are prone to
think God forgets us, when, indeed, we
forget ourselves in being so bold to set
God time of our own, and In being an
CRY that He comes. not then to us."-Gur-
nall.
How to Help the Leader.
Repeat some promise that is most pre-
cious to you and tell how God has kept it
to you.
Parallel Passages.-Psalms 1O3:17-1s: He
brews 4:18; 1903; Hebrews 1O:19-23: Hebrews