Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-12-03


bration in play
ing, relaxes the strings so that they
need to be retuned very often. No
matter how good the violin is, it
needs to be tuned every day, and
often many times a day.
Man is like violin. He soon gets
out Of tune with God. The wear and
tear of life, and the demoraiizing at
mosphere which sin creates, so af-
fects his disposition that he needs to
be brought into harmony with God
every morning. 1t is not surprising,
when we consider the subtlety of
sin, and the weakness of the flesh,
rather 1t is
Orange that a harp Of thousand strings
Should keep in tune so long.
Nothing win bring the believer into
touch with God SO soon as a little
taste of the Divine Word. For devo-
tional purposes the Psalms are per-
haps the best, because they cover so
wide range of experience. Here we
find aspiration and confession, Joy
and sorrow, alteration ard praise.
Here we behold the calm ceAfi6ence
which grows out of sublime faith.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall
not want" Again we meet the Bit
ter anguish which comes from ingrat-
itude, or unrequited love, or the ec-
stasy of sin forgiven as in Psalm 80.
or the passionate plea for mercy in
DuaIx, E1 ~ tho ah0,,t of tri,,x,, ,,L Il,
Psalm 68. It is doubtful if there is
any experience in life, for which we
cannot find a duplicate in the psal-
ter, and, noting how the man after
Gods own heart behaved in similar
emergencies, we are unconsciously led
into the same feeling.
In the morning read Psalm 10. and
at even Psalm s. II you are 60
ing on a journey. Psalm 121 is ap-
propriate. II 1t be Sunday. 122. II
In perplexity, read Psalm 81. II
you are grateful. choose. los. or
LOG, or 107. II your heart needs
searching. Psalm 139 will accomplish
1t. 20. Lord. thou hast searched me
and known me-" and after a sublime de-
scription of Gods omniscience, clos
ing with the prayer which only an
honest heart can utter: Search me.
o God, and know my heart; try me
and know my thoughts: and see If
there be any wicked way in me. and
lead me in the way everlasting" II 1t
is comfort you need. you will find IL in
abundance in either of the following
Psalms, "a. 81 or 103.
The gospels are also excellent for
devotional reading because there we
come in contact with the words and
works of Jesus. We see how he lived
In the home and by the wayside, in the
carpenters shop. and by the open
grave. We see him in public life and
In private ministry always the same
never hurried, nor worried, always
thinking of others and never of him.
self. We see him playing with the
children, watching the hens in the
i6or yard. and the birds on the trees
the growing grains and fading flowers
In everything he saw Gods love and
care, and from all things natural he
irew some spiritua, lesson for his own
and others comfort. The epistles are
especially helpful to mature Christians
as revealing the relation of the be
lever to his fellow man; to the
church. and state. and the perishins
world
IL 1t be asked how much one should
.ead at time for devotional purposes
let me answer with an illustration.
once saw a picture of the disciples OF
the way to Emmaus. The master has
just left them and the two are lookins
at each other in glad establishment
One of them is holding both hand!
over his heart as he says with rapture
Did not our heart burn within us
while he talked with US by the way
and while he opened to us the scrip
tures?" He can almost feel his hear
burn still as he recalls the memor,
Of that blessed walk.
II you ask how long one shall real
his Bible for devotional purposes.
answer. read until your heart burns
until your soul thrills with the cor
sciousness of Gods approval. You ma,
read a chapter or a book or a singl
verse, no matter how much or hoy
little. but read II you can. until you ar
consciously in touch with God, an
then. with the fathers morning kis
upon your lips. you are ready to NEE
the outside world.
Some people feel that they canno
spare the time for the morning watct
but question whether any child G
God can afford to do without it. Ou
souls need to be fed daily as we'll a
our bodies. and the Bible is the soul
proper food. Man shall not live b
bread alone. but by every word this
proceedeth out OF the mouth of God. '