The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-05-29
HOLD FAST YOUR IDEALS"
Sermon TO Elmwood by Warner II.
DuBOse

DuBOse
Kings are like private individuals,
they some times. suffer disappoint-
ments. King David was not an ex-
ception to this rule, he had great
ideal, to build q Temple to Jehovah,
but in the Providence of God he was
not permitted to realize his ideal.
But in spite of his disappointment God
gave him a blessing because he had
had this ideal.
knowing you as ] do, young lad
les, know that you hold high ideals.
With the natures that you possess,
know that as the days pass, even
higher ideals will come to you. AS
you go out into life you will often
come face to face with some stone
wall that will prevent your realiz-
ing cherished ideal. The Will Of
God may often say No to some cher
ished ideal. This disappointment may
have a dual effect upon you, 1t may
discourage you. Your ideals may
react upon you, and your state then
will be worse than chat Of having
had no ideals. On the other hand
your lives can be enriched and ennobl-
ed and beautfed by your ideals,
whether you have been able to realize
them or not. And this blessing that
is bestowed by ideals is a blessing
that ! covet for this class.
"The ideal that David had was a
high one. 1t was high for its origin
was even God. In the past as a
young lad God had called David to be
King of Israel. b. the hand of God
he had been elevated to high pos
ition. During the stormy days of
his young manhood, and during the
conflicts which Were around his
early rule over his country, God had
signally protected and blessed him,
keeping him from harm and danger.
David realized this goodness Of God to
him, and out of his gratitude to the
Giver of all Good Gifts came his
ideal.
There seems a sharr line of de-
narration between life such as
David's was, and our common place
lives. And yet God has been wonder
fully good to us. From our apprecia-
ton of Gods goodness to comes or
desire to serve Him.
But David was not allowed to real
ize his ideal. A barrier was raised.
This Providence of God seems strange
il would seem, and ! say it reverently,
az if God were blocking His own best
interests. Here was man ready
and willing and wanting to build n
Temple to the glory Of God, and yet
he was forbidden to do so.
Sand yet the strangeness of this
event is not whit more strange than
some of the barriers that have entered
into our own lives, when we stood
ready and willing to do-some great
work for God. Ii is not n bit more
strange than the Providence which
will prevent You carrying out some
cherished ideal
IF it were that we were under the
control of some blind calosed law of
nature then we would have cause to
fear. But history has proved that
the seeming dark Proyidences of God
were really light and beautiful ac-
tons Of our Maker. God loves us
and we can trust His love.
Though David was prevented real
izing his ideal, he was not defeated.
he did not make failure. With such
an ideal unrealized the world would
have said that David had failed in his
undertaking. Not so with God. He
snid-Thou didst well that it was in
thy heart. David received a blessing
from having had his ideal.
"And what are some Of the bless
ings which come to us from holding
fast our ideals? First, it enriches
life. Wbeds and flowers can not
grow IN the same place at the same
time. One must give way before the
other. And the sins Of the soul must
give way to the God-given ideals.
IAN ideal helps us to build on
broad foundation. If building for
the present we might be tempted to
lay the foundation Of a brick struc-
ture, Of our lives. But guided by our
ideals, we indeed, lay the solid foun-
dation of the mighty truth CT God.
'"Our ideals help us to prepare for
others. No person reaps all of the
fruit of his work. Luther did not.
Calvin did not, Others who have
toiled, governed by ideals, have toll
ed for others. And guiGN by ideals
we are led to work, to live, In order
that the future may receive a bless
ing from our lives.
"And ideals broaden our vision.
They encourage us to look to the end.
To look on upon, the world and to see
that Of the increase of Christ's gov
eminent there will be no end. Our
ideals give to us a vision of time
and eternity.
ideals are God given jewels. Treas
ure them. Guard them as you do
your honor and your life"