The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-09-22


PRIMARY TOPIC-The Song of the Shop
herd
JUNIOR TOPIC-The Song of a Shepherd
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Songs of Faith and Courage.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
A Steadfast and Triumphant Faith.
What a fitting conclusion to our
three-month study of Old Testament
characters it is to sound the note of
triumphant faith" The life stories
which have passed in review have
been true to life, as they have shift
ed from strength to weakness, from
fear to courage, from moral re-
sponsibility to moral weakness. But
God is the one who changeth not
and we would not close our series
properly without the encouraging
reminder that the man who truly
believes God may know strength out
of weakness, courage in place of
fear, may like David rise out of de-
grading sin and defeat into the joy
and victory of faith.
Two elemental needs are common
to all neutrality-suspicious.. for the
maintenance of life, both physical
and spiritual, and protection from
the enemies of soul and body. Our
first Scripture portion declares the
faith of David in God as his pro-
viding shepherd and the second as
his security from fear.
/, Provision Cps. 23).
1.-The Lord is my shepherd. Put
ting God first in every detail Of life
means that there will be
l. No want wv. 49, "My cup
runneth over" and surely then there
can be no lack of any good thing.
God is able and willing. We, like
David, should trust Him.
2. No weakness ". 81. "He re-
storeth my soul" The world is
puzzled by the rejuvenating power
of the grace of God in the Chris
tian's soul, but it becomes very
real to us through the Word, through
prayer, through the indwelling Holy
Spirit Himself.
3. No wandering ". 81. "He lead
eth me-" In an unknown or dan
gerous country the essential thing
is to stay close to ones guide. In
the wilderness of this sinful world,
we must keep close to our divine
Leader. He knows where the still
waters and the green pastures are
to be found, even in widest and
most barren land.
4. No worry ". g.. Surely good
ness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life" 1t was true
of David, it is Cor should be), pre-
eminently true of the Christian.
Someone has said, eff we trust we
do not worry; if we worry we do
not trust
S. But-blessed assurance. Not
only will the goodness of God follow
us all our days, but we shall "dwell
in the house of the Lord forever"
III. Protection Cps. 27:1-6).
1.-THE Lord is my light and my
salvation"-could there be any
greater certainty that we shall be
delivered from every danger and
difficulty? To the one who walks in
that light there can be
l. No fear ". y. '"The Lord is
the strength of my life, of whom
shall 1 be afraid?" He is the per-
feet and final answer to all the fears
of life.
2. No failure wv. 2, 81. Though
an host should encamp against me
in this will I be confident"
that they shall but stumble and fall.
One of the fears that dogs the
footsteps of a man is that after all
his effort and labor some enemy
will come in and destroy. The
Christian must often meet wicked
and troublesome enemies - but
though they be a host, he may be
serene in his soul, knowing that if
he is right with God the devices of
man or devil against him shall only
fail.
3. No falling wv. 4, 81. "He shall
set me up upon a rock" and that
rock is in "the secret of his taber-
nacle." The assurance of the be-
lever in Christ is in Him, His work
upon the cross and His certain
word of promise.
David longed for the house of the
Lord; he wanted to return to the
temple from which his many wan.
behring's so often separated him.
How blessed is our lot as Christians
for we have in our own bodies the
temple of the Holy Spirit Il Cor.
3:16, 6:19) we have Christ in us as
the hope of glory (Col. 1920. We
also long to be in Gods house Chat
is if we really love HIM, but if we
are born again we have the temple
of God wherever we may be.
4. No fainting ". g.. 'Now shall
mine head be lifted up above mine
enemies round about me-" Just
when, humanity speaking, we would
faint because of the enemies all
around us, or by reason of the heat
and pressure of the fight, then God
causes our heads to be lifted up and
in the moment of apparent defeat
there is victory.
5. But-a song. II will sing
praises unto the Lord" The atmos-
phere of praise is one which the