Evening journal., 1908-01-15
CHRISTIAN
ENDEAVOR NEWS
Topioe for January 10, 1908; "How God
Speaks to Men."-Psalm 10.
SOME BIBLE HINTS.

wisest can find ever new meanings In it.
Read Ps 19;S-God's law finds its echo In
mans heart. IL speaks there as well as
from tables OF stone. IL is fitted to mans
nature and so It's words bring wisdom
and Joy
Read Ps. 1o:ii-Gods word is interpreted
by life. It is not to be judged by the
grandeur or beauty OF It's phrases. but by
needing It and following IL as a law OF
action. The doer OF the word, not the
hearer, learns its blessing.
Read Ps l9l4-Gods unwritten and
written messages are for all men alike.
His law is unchanging. But each one has
his own need, and to each ones need and
prayer, Gods personal answer is sure to-
come with quick response.
Topics For Short Talks.
The Bible Gods Word to Us
How God Speaks In Our Consciences.
How God Speaks to Us Through Men
A Motto.
There is no greater gift or possession
than to believe God speaks to us. II we
believe that we are already blessed.
Martin Luther.
Thoughts On the Topics.
God speaks to men in a great many
ways To some lie speaks through the
Bible. 70 others through their conscience,
through friends. and through sermons.
To Moses He spoke out OF the burning
bush, when He told him TO go and lead
the children OF IENael out OF Egypt He
spoke to Elijah on the mountain top. lie
spoke 10 Paul as he was journeying to
Damascus TO persecute the Christians.
And when Paul heard His voice he was
afraid and said. Lord what wilt Thou
have me to dor And so He speaks to us
all II we will only hear His voice God
moves in mysterious ways His wonders
10 perform.
No one need be without the companion
ship and guidance OF God. We cannot
dictate TO Him the manner in which the
companionship and guidance will be
given. but they are the privilege OF each
child Of God. Il will be with you and will
guide YOU" are promises on which we can
absolutely depend and they ofier US all
we need.
A city clock striking the hour OF nine
O'Clock reminded a lad that his mother IN
the country home was keeping her prom
ise to pray for him at this hour. Obcdl-
ent to this voice Of God. he resisted the
temptations Of his companions who we're
trying to induce him to 80 with them to
Saturday night dance.
We are sometimes told that conscience
and sense OF duty are the voice OF God
to us. But that depends on whether con-
science and the sense OF duty are right
II we mean by conscience the inner con-
viction that there is a divine distinction
between right and wrong. then Il Is true
that conscience is Gods voice telling us
this.
But II we mean by conscience our idea
OF what is right and what Is wrong, ano
by the sense OF duty our idea OF what
we ought to do, then sometimes consci-
ence and sense Of duty are Gods word
TO us and sometimes they are not for
sometimes we think things are right,
when they are wrong. and regard that as
our duty which We afterwards see to
have been what we ought not to have
done. God always speaks to us in the
right.
one reason why men do not want 10
hear Gods voice is because they do not
want 10 give up the so-called pleasures
Of this world. They are afraid OF Gods
voice for 10 many It brings back sad
memories Of days gone by when they sat
on mothers knee and heard her tell about
Jesus.
God speaks TO great many men
through the different missions and the
Salvation Army. He can reach men
through this means what he cannot reach
through the work OF the church. The Sal
a.Ia.NIa IaIa.
work. for its workers 90 where many
others fear TO tread. II does a great work
in the slums Of New York and carries
Gods messages to the criminals in Sing
Sing prison, who look upon Miss Booth as
their guide and call her ''rhe Little
Mother"
Miss Booth has been the means OF
saving many hardened criminal and
bringing him TO Christ. And through these
converted criminals she is able to reach
others which she could not In any other
way. Only when a man is humble can he
hear and understand the words Of God.
God has spoken to us and still speaks by
II His Son, Who was here and talked with
men, whose words were written down for
US, apd whoever nveth and by His spirit
is speaking still to men, not articulate
\ words. but with the personal stroke on
/ the soul, which is the end OF articulate
words. Now as ever. Christ is near. He is
calling to us: Come to me" He is say
ing to US: Go TO others" Can We not
hear him7
God speaks to us through His word II
we do not let the words shut Him out. A
boy once got a letter from his father
promising him a pony and a cart when
he came home. He was so taken Up with
the Siece OF good luck, as he called H.,
that he forgot TO read the personal mes
sage of love at the bottom Of the letter,
and TO notice the Kisses his father had
drawn with the pen. So we may read our
Bibles and yet fail to see our Father
looking out OF the page on us.
/ OFTEN when we will not listen 10 Him
as lie speaks in life's ordinary expert
ences, He has 10 challenge our attention
and make us hear Him by some unusual
stroke. The man who is too busy to lis
ten TO Him, is laid on his back where he
can do nothing but hearken to God The
proud and seif-sufhcient who had every
thing and did not need God, awoke to
find that they have lost all and are DESC
late. SO they turn 70 God whom in pres
perity they did without. Whether by
earthquake. or by FIRE, or by the siill
small voice, God will be heard.