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August 4 |
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Morning Reading |
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Evening
Reading |
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"The
people that do know their God shall be strong." |
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Daniel 11:32 |
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Every believer understands that to know God is
the highest and best form of knowledge; and this spiritual knowledge is a
source of strength to the Christian. It strengthens his
faith.
Believers are constantly spoken of in the Scriptures as being persons who
are enlightened and taught of the Lord; they are said to
"have an unction
from the Holy One," and it is the Spirit's peculiar office to lead them into
all truth, and all this for the increase and the fostering of their faith.
Knowledge strengthens
love, as well as faith. Knowledge opens the door, and then through
that door we see our Saviour. Or, to use another similitude, knowledge
paints the portrait of Jesus, and when we see that portrait then we love
him, we cannot love a Christ whom we do not know, at least, in some degree.
If we know but little of the excellences of Jesus, what he has done for us,
and what he is doing now, we cannot love him much; but the more we know him,
the more we shall love him. Knowledge also strengthens
hope. How can
we hope for a thing if we do not know of its existence? Hope may be the
telescope, but till we receive instruction, our ignorance stands in the
front of the glass, and we can see nothing whatever; knowledge removes the
interposing object, and when we look through the bright optic glass we
discern the glory to be revealed, and anticipate it with joyous confidence.
Knowledge supplies us reasons for patience. How shall we have
patience unless we know something of the sympathy of Christ, and understand
the good which is to come out of the correction which our heavenly Father
sends us? Nor is there one single grace of the Christian which, under God,
will not be fostered and brought to perfection by holy knowledge. How
important, then, is it that we should
grow not only in grace, but in the
"knowledge" of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. |
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Evening Reading |
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"I
smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your
hands." |
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Haggai 2:17 |
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How destructive is the hail to the standing
crops, beating out the precious grain upon the ground! How grateful ought we
to be when the corn is spared so terrible a ruin! Let us offer unto the Lord
thanksgiving. Even more to be dreaded are those mysterious destroyers —
smut, bunt, rust, and mildew. These turn the ear into a mass of soot, or
render it putrid, or dry up the grain, and all in a manner so beyond all
human control that the farmer is compelled to cry,
"This is the finger of
God." Innumerable minute fungi cause the mischief, and were it not for the
goodness of God, the rider on the black horse would soon scatter famine over
the land. Infinite mercy spares the food of men, but in view of the active
agents which are ready to destroy the harvest, right wisely are we taught to
pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." The curse is abroad; we have
constant need of the blessing. When blight and mildew come they are
chastisements from heaven, and men must learn to hear the rod, and him that
hath appointed it.
Spiritually, mildew is no uncommon evil. When
our work is most promising this blight appears. We hoped for many
conversions, and lo! a general apathy, an abounding worldliness, or a cruel
hardness of heart! There may be no open sin in those for whom we are
labouring, but there is a deficiency of sincerity and decision sadly
disappointing our desires. We learn from this our dependence upon the Lord,
and the need of prayer that no blight may fall upon our work. Spiritual
pride or sloth will soon bring upon us the dreadful evil, and only the Lord
of the harvest can remove it. Mildew may even attack our own hearts, and
shrivel our prayers and religious exercises. May it please the great
Husbandman to avert so serious a calamity. Shine, blessed Sun of
Righteousness, and drive the blights away. |
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