The Washington herald., 1922-05-01
CHOICES OF YOUTH
MOST IMPORTANT
IN LIFE, SAYS FOX
Determine Destinies Of
Many Lives, BE De
clares.
is STRATEGIC HOUR
Remainder Of Career Devoted
To Reaping Fruits of
Early Decisions.
is STRATEGIC HOUR
BY REV. H. r. FOX,
-Hanline ~. L. Church.

Give me now wisdom. and knowl-
edge II Chronicles. 1:1o-, ~,
A king had died. The reips OF
Sovsrnnnsnt had fallen into untried
hands A nation waited and won
dered. Whom would the new king
select for his friends? What. poll
efes would he choose? In what
direction would he go? Hopefully
and prayerfully the people looked
to the new king. Many and oppos-
ing influences were playing around
him. Luxury invited him to ease
and self-indulgence while lust
sought to entiee.
II was with good reason that the
citizens of Israel looked with hope
and apprehension to the boy king
who occupied the. throne. He was
a young man standing at the part
ing Of the ways. 1t was a tense
strategic moment. His choice will
be the irrevocable choice of youth
and 1t will turn the tide of his
tory.
Inexplicabie Mystery.
1t must remain one OF the mex
plicable mysteries of life why
young men and women. scarcely
out of boyhood and girlhood, must
make those choices which deter
mine the destiny not only Of their
own life. but OF other lives, and
sometimes the destiny of q whole
epoch and people: and yet 1t is
true that life's great choices are
all made in youth and most of the
remainder Of life is devoted to car
rrrfa oh ha Aa
in reaping the fruits Of our wis
dom or unwisdom.
Alone with his conscience and
God. facing the sense of his re-
sponsibiIity and feeling the peril
of his place. the king chose the
gifts of knowledge and of wisdom.
This choice. under God. preserved
the Hebrews as a nation and de-
veloped. their religious genius until
they become the perpetual tutors
Of civilization.
Wise Choice ofxBoy.
The. wise choice OF a boy deter
mined, under God. that to the art
of Greece and to the law of Rome
should be added that mighty thing
that we call the religion of the
apostles and prophets. who could
over have dreamed that a boys
choice should be so vital?
Young men, tue choice you make
today may seem simple and per-
sonal: IL may appear to have no
possible relationship to anyone ex-
cept yourself. and so, blindly
thinking, you choose the second
best. but this choice. though SEEM
tngiy limited to self and now. will
reach out and touch a thousand
lives and color Immortality. 1t Is
high strategic hour whenever
and wherever you stand IN the VAL
p ley Of decision. for the thoughts of
youth are long. long thoughts and
the choices of youth are long, long
choices
Out OF the meditative silence of
the wonderful hour when the bov
king chose wisdom and knowledge.
voice like unto the voice of the
Eternal God doomed upon his con-
science. saying. "Becadse this was
in thine heart and thou has not
asked riches or wealth or honor
nor the life of them that hate thee
but mast asked wisdom and knowI-
edge Tor thyself, wisdom and
knowledge is granted unto thee:
S1d I VIII give thee riches and
wealth and honor such as none OF
the kings have ever had that have
oeen before thee" An unselhsh
choice brings not only its own rich
iu,hllment but all things else will
follow in its train.
IL was the announcement of an
eternal principle long operative in
human nfe: in the declaration of a
dogma that Jesus made when He
said, Seek ye first the high. the
essential the holy. the unsel6sb:
seek We first tho kingdom of God
and all these things shall be added
unto you"