"When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the Rock that is higher than I"

(Ps. lxi. 2).

The end of self is the beginning of G.o.d. "When the tale of bricks is doubled then comes Moses." That is the old Hebrew way of putting it.

"Man's extremity is G.o.d's opportunity." That is the proverbial expression of it. "When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I." That is David's way of expressing it. "We have no might against this company, neither know we what to do." No might, no light-"but our eyes are upon Thee," that was Jehoshaphat's experience of it. "Mine eyes fail with looking upward. I am oppressed, Lord, undertake for me."

"When I had great trouble I always went to G.o.d and was wondrously carried through; but in my little trials I used to try to manage them myself, and often most signally failed." So Miss Havergal has expressed the experience of many a Christian. G.o.d wants us "at our wit's end," and then He will show His wisdom, love and power. How often we ask G.o.d to help, and then begin to count up the human probabilities! G.o.d's very blessings become a hindrance to us if we look from Him to them.

DECEMBER 16.

"I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker worm and the caterpillar and the palmer worm, my great army, which I sent among you" (Joel ii. 25).

A friend said to me once: "I have got to reap what I sowed, for G.o.d has said: 'Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.' Then why don't you apply this in the spiritual world, and compel the sinner to pay the penalty of his sins?"

Christ has borne this penalty, and the same Christ has borne the natural penalties, too, and delivered us out of condemnation in every sense.

Physical sufferings come to us, but not under the law of retribution, but only as a Divine discipline. Every penalty has been fulfilled by Christ and every law satisfied, and so far as we can have risen with Him into the plane of spiritual and eternal life, we are lifted above the mere realm of law, and we enter into the full effects of His complete satisfaction of every claim against us. So it is true that even the wreck that sin has brought upon our physical and temporal life is removed by His great atonement, and the promise is made real to us, "I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten."

DECEMBER 17.

"Be careful for nothing" (Phil. iv. 6).

What is the way to lay your burden down? "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." That is the way to take His burden up. You will find that His burden is always light. Yours is a very heavy one. Happy day if you have exchanged burdens and laid down your loads at His blessed feet to take up His own instead. G.o.d wants to rest His workers, and He is too kind to put His burden on hearts that are already bowed down with their own weight of cares.

Are you fearing, fretting or repining?

You can never know G.o.d's perfect peace.

On His bosom all your weight reclining.

All your anxious doubts and cares must cease.

Would you know the peace that G.o.d has given?

Would you find the very joy of heaven?

Be careful for nothing, Be prayerful for everything, Be thankful for anything, And the peace of G.o.d that pa.s.seth understanding Shall keep your mind and heart.

DECEMBER 18.

"The faith of the Son of G.o.d" (Gal. ii. 20).

Faith is hindered most of all by what we call "our faith," and fruitless struggles to work out a faith which is but a make-believe and a desperate trying to trust G.o.d, which must ever come short of His vast and glorious promises. The truth is that the only faith that is equal to the stupendous promises of G.o.d and the measureless needs of our life, is "the faith of G.o.d" Himself, the very trust which He will breathe into the heart which intelligently expects Him as its power to believe, as well as its power to love, obey, or perform any other exercise of the new life.

Blessed be His name! He has not given us a chain which reaches within a single link of our poor helpless heart, but that one last link is fatal to all the chain. Nay, the last link, the one that fastens on the human side is as Divine as the link that binds the chain of promise in the heavens.

"Have the faith of G.o.d," is His great command. "I live by the faith of the Son of G.o.d" is the victorious testimony of one who had proved it true.

Lord, teach me to have the faith of the Son of G.o.d.

DECEMBER 19.

"G.o.d giveth grace unto the humble" (James iv. 6).

One of the marks of highest worth is deep lowliness. The shallow nature, conscious of its weakness and insufficiency, is always trying to advertise itself and make sure of its being appreciated. The strong nature, conscious of its strength, is willing to wait and let its work be made manifest in due time. Indeed, the truest natures are so free from all self-consciousness and self-consideration that their object is not to be appreciated, understood or recompensed, but to accomplish their true mission and fulfil the real work of life.

One of the most suggestive expressions used respecting the Lord Jesus is given by the evangelist John in the thirteenth chapter of His Gospel, where we read, "Jesus, knowing that He came from G.o.d, and went to G.o.d, riseth from supper and began to wash the disciples' feet." It was because He knew His high dignity and His high destiny that He could stoop to the lowest place and that place could not degrade Him.

G.o.d give to us the Divine insignia of heavenly rank, a bowed head, a meek and lowly spirit.

DECEMBER 20.

"That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of G.o.d" (Rom. xv. 16).

This is a very beautiful and practical conception of missionary work.

There is a great difference in being consecrated to our G.o.d. We may be consecrated to our work and consecrated to our G.o.d. We may be consecrated and fitted to do missionary work, and utterly fail, if He should call us to do something different. But when we are consecrated to Him, we shall be ready for anything He may require of us, and be as well qualified to serve Him by the sick bed of a brother, or even in the secular duties of home, as in standing in the pulpit or leading a soul to Christ.

Paul's conception is holy work, or a special sacrifice, and directly unto Christ, and Christ alone; and he stood as one should stand at the altar of incense, lifting up with holy hands the Gentile nations unto G.o.d, and laying all his work like fragrant incense before the throne, pleased only with what would please his Master, and stand the test of His inspection, and the seal of His approval in that glorious day.

This is the spirit of true service.

DECEMBER 21.

"Give us day by day our daily bread" (Luke xi. 3).