The Raymer enterprise., 1915-11-25

Dratlon IN pay
ing. relaxes the strings so that they
need to be retuned very often. No
matter how good the violin is. II
needs to be tuned every day. and
often many times day.
Man is like a violin. He soon gets
out OF tune with God. The wear and
tear OF life. and the demoralizing at.
mosphere which sin creates, so af-
fects his disposition that he needs TO
be brought into harmony with God
every morning. II is not surprising.
when we consider the subtlety OF
sin, and the weakness OF the flesh,
rather it Is
Strange that harp Of thousand strings.
Should keep in tune so long.
Nothing will bring the believer into
touch with God so soon as q 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 and praise.
Here we behold the calm confidence
which grows out OF a sublime faith.
The Lord is my shepherd; 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
Psalm 81, or the shout Of triumph in
Psalm IS. 1t is doubtful II there is
any experience in life for which we
cannot find q 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 q journey, Psalm 121 is ap-
propriate. II 1t be Sunday, 122. II
in perplexity. read Psalm 81. If
you are grateful. choose. los, or
LOG. or 107. II your heart needs
searching, Psalm 139 will accomplish
ii. %, Lord, thou hast searched me
and known me" and after sublime de
scription OF Gods omniscience, clos.
ing with the prayer which only an
honest heart can utter: Search me,
0 God, and know my heart. try me
and know my thoughts: and see II
there be any wicked way in me, and
lead me in the way everlasting" II II,
is comfort you need. you will find it in
abundance in either Of the following
Psalms. 81. 81 or 103.
The gospels are also excellent foi
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
door 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
drew some spiritual lesson for his own
and others comfort.
II II be asked how much one should
read at time for devotional purposes,
let me answer with an illustration. |
once saw picture of the disciples on
the way to Emmaus. The master has
just left them and the two are looking
at each other In glad astonishment.
One of them Is holding both hands
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 heart
burn still as he recalls the memory
Of that blessed walk.
II you ask how long one shall read
his Bible for devotional purposes, |
answer, read until your heart burns,
until your soul thrills with the con.
sciousness OF Gods approval. You may
read a chapter or a book or a single
verse. no matter how much or how
little. but read II you can. until you are
consciously in touch With God. and
then. with the fathers morning kiss
upon your lips, you are ready to meet
the outside world.
Some people feel that they cannot
spare the time for the morning watch,
but question whether any child OF
God can afford to do without Il. Our
souls need to be fed daily as well as
our bodies. and the Bible is the souls
proper food. Man shall not live by
bread alone. but by every word that