Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1940-08-29

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GOLDEN TEXT-Bless the Lord
my soul, and forget not all his beneA
Psalm 1892.
We live in difficult and confusi
days with much on every hand TO 4
courage us. We look about us
vain for any encouraging sign. n
result is that unless we exerci
care the temptation will overtake
who are Christians to fall into \
bitter, complaining attitude Of h
world, forgetting the benefits viii
God has bestowed upon us, forg,
ting His mercy and grace, and,
this hour of trial, telling the wor
by our life, if not by our lips, III
we have lost our faith in God.
It is easy to praise God when
goes well, when we see His bleJ
ing upon us; but the Christi
should recognize that praise is
vital part Of his daily fellowship wi
God. an expression of his appreci
ton Of all that God is and does d
him. Psalm 103 has in all gener
tons been a favorite of Christi
people when passing through de,
waters and fiery trials.
I. Praise for Personal BIessinl
wv. 1-5).
Our relationship to God is a pc
sonal one. and His blessings are pei
sonal. Praise also is a person,
soul exercise to which we need ofte
to stir ourselves. We need to ca
on "all that is within" us to BILE,
and praise the Lord.
Forget not''-how prone we al
to do that very thing. We remer
Der the things we ought to forg
and forget the things we ought
remember. We have become so d
customed to the many blessings
God that we accept them as a md
ter Of course.
Note that the chief Of all ble3
ings is the forgiveness Of sin ".
The spiritual is far more imports
than the physical, but that too is
Guided. Only God can heal our d
eases, whether by means or by
rect Intervention. He also me
with true satisfaction every ri
and normal desire Of man, whed
it be physical, social. menszf
spiritual. That calls for praise II
the depths of our beings.
II. Praise for Forgiveness Of
wv. 10-14).
We may put on q 'front.' WI
we deal with our fellow men.
there Is no use in thus trying
fool God. He knows Us for WI
we are-'tfrail children Of dust. Al
feeble as frail." We are not able
meet our own little problems: hd
can we do anything with the
question?
The mercy of God. high as d
heavens, IL revealed nowhere
such overlooking measure as in H
dealing with the sins Of them tha
fear him" ". 49,. For them He hd
the pity of a father, but He ha
more, for He has the authority an
power to cast our sins as far frod
US as the east is from the wes|
and how far that is no one knows
Observe that His mercy is onl|
for them that fear Him" ed
resisteth the proud, but giveth graz
unto the humble" Games 4:6,
Pet. 5:6, y. Whosoever will ma
come and receive of Him abundal4
pardon. Why not come now?
III. Praise for Everlasting LOvinl
kindness (vv. 1919.
Man and everything that ma
makes or does is transient, and WI
one day pass away. What fol
that man is who lives only for n
things of this world which are del
tined to wither like the grass! HoI
tragic to come into eternity and
face God empty handed and COZ
demned for ones own selhshnei
and folly, when He is willing to sho|
unto us that '1oving-kindness" WHO
is not only for this life. but also n
the life that is to come.
As we praise God for this grei
and blessed gift, shall we not
moved to 60 out and seek to WI
others to Him?
In closing this brief study OF II
One Hundred Third Psalm may Y
again suggest that in these bitt9
days which so sorely try the hear
Of men, we lift our souls up to
high spiritual plane by praislL
God. When Hardley Page was ma
ing a fight through the Orient
large rat was attracted by the SINE
Of food and entered into the al
plane. Later, when Mr.. Page W1
in mid-air over a mountainous cou1
try where he could not land. ne SUI
denly heard the sound Of gnawu]
behind him. He knew that the rJ
might so damage his plane as
cause disaster. Then he remeIl
bered that a rat is not made 10
high attitudes. So he began to soal
Soon the gnawing ceased and houi
later when his machine landed
found the rat lying dead beneath u
engine. II is a blessed truth Una ~
Satan cannot endure the high al.
tudes Of praise. He quickly depar'
from the soul whom he finds =
joicing in this high and lofty spD