Evening journal., 1910-06-08
Christian EndeaVor
News

Christian Endeavor. Topic for June 12.
God Knows. Ps. 1o3i la Matt. 6;7,s.
If we could see beyond to-day
As God can see.
II all the clouds should roll away,
The shadows flee;
Ger present grlefs we would not freta
Each sorrow we would soon forget.
For many joys are waiting yet,
For you and me.
II we could know beyond to-day.
As God doth know,
Why dearest treasures pass away
And tears must flow.
We'd see that darkness leads to light.
That dreary paths will soon grow bright.
That all life's wrongs will be made right;
Faith tells us so.
"If we could see-if we could know"
We often say
But God i'm love a veil doth throw
Across our way;
We cannot see what lies before,
And so cling to Him the more;
He leads US till this life is DER;
Trust and obey.
God knows. This thought should be of
the greatest consolation to all who are
endeavoring to lead a Christian life. In
joy or sorrow, in sickness or health, in
comfort or distress. through all tho vary
ing scenes of life there is one whose eye
is over ON us and who always knows the
trials and temptations, the struggles and
the obstacles with which we have to
contend. What a comfort for the trou-
bled is such text as we have i'm our
scripture lesson. ''Your Father knoweth
what things ye have need or"
God knows our temptations He under
stands what difficultios we have in try
ing TO do his will. ''He knoweth our
frame; he remembereth that we are dust -
The architect knows to an ounce Just
what every girder in the steel building
ing can stand, and he apportions the loads
accordingly. God knows what we can
stand. If We trust in his strength and
not in our own, and we are told that he
will not suffer you to be tempted above
that We are able" His knowledge has
been tested by his own experience. for
Jesus was "in all points tempted like as
we are yet without sim"
Johnny, don't you think you arc get
ting as much as you can carry2" said
Frank to his brother, who was standing
with open arms to receive the bundles
his father placed upon them. "You have
more than you can carry now" 'Never
mind" said Johnny, in a sweet happy
voice, father knows how much I can
carry" So our Heavenly Father never
lays a burden upon us that in his
strength we cannot bear.
God knows our good points. There is
no need to fear that he will not appre-
ciate every desire in our hearts to please
him. This Is a comfort when we are mis-
understood by those about us. The world
secs only the results of our striviugs and
judges us accordingly. but God knows
all about the efforts which seem to come
to naught. the bafhed purpose when il
seems as If we have done our very best
and yet have accomplished so little God
knows ali about the noble endeavor which
ends in failure; the world sees only The
failure. For while men looketh on the
outward appearance. the Lord looketh
on the heart" As one Of our hymns ex-
presses it;
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done:
There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus.
NJ not one no. not one.
But if God knows our good points. he
also knows our bad points, every one of
them. We may succeed in deceiving our
fellow man, but we cannot deceive God.
II is OF no use to try to hide our sins
from him. Our sins OF ommission, our
little faults that the world overIooks: God
knows them all. And the wonder IS that
God knows and still cares He would
not If he were not God. For his knowI-
edge Of our shortcomings is full Of gem
tleness, Of understanding and solicitude.
That is the reason why we can think OF
his complete knowledge with such calm
ness and peace.
God knows our possibilities for service
and usefulness, and no life is so barren or
unfruitful but may be useful IL surrender
ed to God. A popular preacher once illus
trated this thought by the following
pretty parable.
Once there was a briar growing in a
ditch, and there came along a gardener
with his spade. AS he dug around it and
lifted it out the briar said to ITSELF ''Whai
is he doing that for? Doesn't he know
that I am onlv an old worthless briar?'
But the gardener took it into the garder
and planted it amid his flowers; whore.
upon the briar said. What a mistake h,
has made, plating an old briar like my.
self among such rose bushes as these. D
But the gardener came once more Will
his keen edged knife. made a slit in tn,
briar. and. as we say. ''budded" 1t with I
rose, and by and by, when summer came
lovely roses were blooming on that oil,
briar. Then tho gardener said. ''Youi
beauty is not due to that which came out
but to that which put into YOU"
That is just what God is doing all tn
time with poor human lives. They seen
to be Of no use. with no hope that the,
ever will be Of use. But just as tn
gardener knew the possibilities IN tha