The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-19
Man May Propose, but
God DisDOses

Lcsson February 20, Kings
6:3-2J.
We arc taught by this lesson that.
as long as we are following tho lead
of GODS will there Is no reason why
we should fear the Rnimoslty OF
man. No man ever lived who could
do tho best he know how without
exciting antngonisms, yet tho most
that man can do to head OF God 's
purposes aro sure 10 fail. and II rs
only the cowardly Christian who will
be deferred from doing his real duty
out OF fear for what opposition
may do to him. We are not taught
that God viii always come to our
rescue In the way which We expect,
but Gods purposes must triumph
cNon II the plans wo have laid for
accomplishing what We think Is good
IRE apparently defeated. Man is
short sighted, even when sincere,
and the scriptures do not tcnch us
that any man can conceive I'm his
heart that his way II tho best and be
RgRricvod because he has not the
benefit uf divine support our plans
may be just what God docs not want
to come to pass at that time. and N
we fail, we should remember that
| His purpose are supreme aud cannot
| be laid 90 one side 10 humor "a mere
man who thinks he is doing Gods
service. Paul thought he had di-
vino approval whom he prosecuted
| tho Christian, but his vision on the
/ road 10 DamnAcuB convinced him
| that he was opposing divinity So,
while We have faith In Gods protec-
/ ton 10 lIis servants. we must re-
member that we are not always good
| judges ~ what lie wants--for the
reason that we figure out what We
want und call It Gods viii.
Reckoning without God.
God did not strike Bcn-iladad
dead because he was planning evil
against the lsraeltcs But lie put u
| crimp In the monarch's plans Just
tho same. Tho lesson Of Naaman
had not been forgotten I'm the Syrian
court, and when n mysterious leak
| developed In the kings plans, there
were some there who recalled the
superhumRn power Of the prohpot In
Israel and knew whore 10 place the
! blame for tho failure. Tho syrian
king, with the characteristic cgutism
| OF n Conquoror, could not conceive
| that anybody could nulllfy his plans
except by treason within his own
camp. and with liko ogotism he
thought the best way TO remove op-
! and ftop his activities He did not
realize that E.lisha had God behind
him and that Il was futile TO try 10
ControYeft divinity. so he sent
host down 20 Ellsha's abiding place
to make him prisoner and bring hin
before the king. Perhaps he thought
he could enlist Flisha's mytorlous
power In his own behalf or at least
he could kin him and etop his med
a laNHa L.. Ia
tian age and In a Christian country,
whore Gods power is recognized as
supreme, yet there are many today
who plan their schemes without
counting on what God thinks. aud
even hope TO chockmate Gods plans
by corruptlng or crippllng His
agents. Too many even OF pro-
fessed Christians, fail TO take God
into their calculations or To worry
about divine. approval, without
which all their efforts are vein,
They ridlculc religion and go on the
principle that man is dictator OF
the worlds affairs and that human
power and ingenuity are the first
and only clements TO he considered.
Ss; n His own time and In His own
way God makes Hts power felt and
confounds the plans OF those who ig-
more Him.
Secrets OF the Heart.
The main lesson for us TO remcm-
her IL that God knows the inmost
secrets of our hearts aud we cannot
even plan an act but that Tie knows
II and iSnows the motives that move
us. Doctor Ide claims there are Y
rays In the world OF spirit. Like the
N-rays OF science, they shine I'm the
darkness although human eyes may
not soc them. Christ knew what
was In man, IIe knows the thoughts
and intents OF the heart. II may
be that wo entertained the idea that
our thoughts were known only to
ourselves, but they are an open book
To the divine eye. He knows us al
together. II there is anything
wrong In our hearts, anything mean
and selfish. any half-concoived pur-
pose OF sin, anything that colors ana
disflgures our conduct, let us nll uu-
dorstand that every bit OF 1t IS Omen
and clear to the divine vision. The
inner councils OF Beu-lIaded were
not the first nor last TO give way 10
this spiritual N~ray, but this Is an
instance recorded to teach us this
| eternal fact How many of us are
harboring thoughts that we would
be shamed TO have known. or toler.
atlng half-formod temptations that
I