Daily Devotional for April 9
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. (1 Corinthians 9:24)
TO gain the victory we must not only put on the armor of God, but we must be heroes in the strife, and wage an aggressive warfare upon the lusts of the eye and flesh and pride of life and all the foes of righteousness and purity. Love--love for the Lord, for the Truth and for righteousness--must inspire us, or we shall never be victors. Love alone will keep us faithful even unto death, and make us meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. Where fervent love rules the heart it implies that the heart is fully submitted to the Lord, and that means that nine-tenths of the battle is already won. But even then, as the apostle says (Jude 21), we must keep ourselves in the love of God, in watchfulness and prayer and zeal; and grace will abound where love abounds. Z.'95-93 R1799:4
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And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. (Psalm 107:7)
WITH spiritual Israel it is particularly true that the Lord leads in the right way, in the best way; and that therefore all truly his people should be careful to note his leadings and quick in following them. In the end we will surely see that he has led us in the right way, however different that way may be from the one we would have chosen for ourselves. The difficulty with many is that the way they take is not the one which the Lord led and hence not the best way, even though the Lord may overrule their waywardness so that it shall not work to them a great injury which otherwise might have been theirs. The more of the true knowledge of the Lord we possess--the more of the knowledge which perfects our love for the Lord--the greater will be our faith, the more precious will be the results in this present life as well as in the life to come, in which--as star differeth from star in glory--the more faithful of the Lord's people, and more zealous and more Christlike will have the more shining, the more blessed part and experience. Let us, then, with full faith in him who has led us hitherto, go forth through the coming days conquering and to conquer, fighting against the world, the flesh, and the Adversary, strong not in ourselves, but in him who has called us and led us hitherto. `Z'07-287` R4064:5 (Hymn 315)
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