The Washington herald., 1921-09-26

shamEar delivered Israel we
would not be surprised to learn
that some great person delivered
Israel, but to learn that this man
accomplished such a task Is amah-
ing. We can not but be astonished
because he is a mere OK driver an
old farmer. We would call him lit
tie more than a hayseed.
The story is astonishing. in the
first place, because of the tremen-
dous evils OF the day in which this
man lived. Israel had seen days OF
conquest and victory. There had
been n time when she had triumphed
nightly, but today she was hope
lessly conquered by her old enemy
the Philistines. II one Of her farm
ers succeeded in cultivating 1T
tie wheat 1t was no sooner threshed
than the Philistines seized it. II he
succeeded in raising a few sheep
they were no sooner large enough
to slaughter when these same ma
rauders swooped down and drove
them away.
On every hand there was nothing
but robbery and plunder and op-
preston. The very highways had
been abandoned. The people
lodged here and there through
woods and fields like hunted beasts
Industry was paralyzed. Many
families went hungry and the peo-
pie lived in constant fear Of their
lives.
A Different. Attitude.
Now, what is a man to do in q sit
uation like this? That Is what al
most every man in Israel was ask
ing. And the only answer to the
question was q sad and despairful
nothing"
But there was one who took an
attitude, so different that he
changed the whole outlook of his
day, changed these despairful.
cowed and defeated neighbors of his
into battling conquerors. Through
him alone God was able to win a
great victory and to deliver his
fear-filled and plundered people.
There is some hope for this man
Shamgar. He is in rebellion. He is
in the grip of a noble discomfort
For there is much discomfort today
that is altogether ignoble. There Is
discomfort, for instance. that
make a young man unwilling to be-
gin at the bottom instead of at the
top.
Discomfort That Wins.
But this OK driver had a discon-
tent without which no great achieve
ment is ever won. II you are as
high up the mountain as you want
to climb. you have already seen
your farthest view.
The young man in the Far Coun-
try by the swine trough is in a bad
setting. But~there is hope for the
young man, large and sinewy hope
because he is not content with him
self. He does not feel at home there.
He feels so utterly out of place
that he rises admidst his rags and
filth and says, Il will go to my
Father" And out of the swine
trough he goes into the wealth of
his Fathers House because he was
not content to be other than his
best
Not only did this man have dis
| content, but he had faith. In the
first place, he had faith in God. He
was familiar with the history of
his own people. He knew how
| God had shown himself a mighty
God in days past. He believed
that this God was the same yes
terday, today and forever.
Faith in Himself.
This man also believed in him
self. He did not doubt that God
made it possible for him to do
some good in the world.
With this double faith he
faced the future in the expecta-
ton Of better tomorrow. lie
recognised that things were bad,
but he did not believe It necessary
that they should always be so. He
knew that his people were de-
feated. but he believed that It was
possible for them to. be conquer
ors. This OK dSiver became, by the
! grace of God, an optimist..
And he was a man of real cour-
age. A man can not be a true
cptimist without at the same time
being a. courageous man. Because
he believed in the coming of a bet
ter day, he dared fight for it.
o., Use What You Have.
| Then, he was a man of good.
hard, horse sense. Instead of say
ing what he would do IL he only
had certain equipment, he used
what, was in his hand. That IS the
highest philosophy of life. To re-
fuse to use what you have is to
make an utter failure. II you will
not use what you have, you will
use nothing because you will have
nothing to use,
But II you will use what you
have. that means certain success
and certain victory. 1t means a
victory for yourself personally. II
you Will only be faithful in the use
OF yoSr own, that is success, abso-
Iute, victory.
Not only does it mean individual
victory. but the winning Of the
battle for God. All battles have
been won so. That Is how Moses
delivered Israel That is how the
lad fed the five thousand. That is
how Shamear won God does not