Friday: CONFIDENCE AND ENDURANCE

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.-Psalm 1: 1-3.

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing..

At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known,

Friday

and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.-II Timothy 4:18, 16-18.

O God, may the examples of fidelity kindle in us the determination to show a similar spirit at all times. Thou art our defense and our deliverance, and we praise Thee for all the help that we have received from day to day. May we always be alive to the joy of each day, with its toil and difficulty, its pleasure and success, its defeat and sorrow. May we always remember that every cloud has its silver lining, and that every condition has its compensations. May we then be diligent in understanding Thy will and devoted in doing it. When so many changes are taking place in the world and there is so much misery and distress, let us see that these have been caused by selfishness. Truly, the only sufficient cure is in Jesus Christ. May His Spirit control us and may we adhere to His standards. May we offer to Thee the sacrifice of work well done. Guide us in the choice of only those things that are pleasing to Thee. Be gracious. to those who are in trouble and let Thy peace abide with us, through Jesus Christ.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Saturday

Saturday: THE TRUE RECOGNITION

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.-Psalm 1: 1-3.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

For I was a hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.-Matthew 25:31-40.

Saturday

Almighty Father, we give Thee hearty praise and thanksgiving for the heroes and heroines of history. We are not thinking only of those whose names are paneled on the pages of fame, but also of the still larger number who were counted faithful by Thee and who glorified Thee in the quiet and obscure places of the world. They were not recognized outside the immediate circle of their commonplace life. But the light divine shone in them and through them, and they brought blessing to those who came in contact with them. They were satisfied with the thought that they had done their best, according to their knowledge of Thy will; and they furthermore rejoiced because Thou wast so gracious to them. They were calm in danger, patient in trial, persistent in loyalty, and true to the last. They were thus given the right to enter into the eternal Kingdom of Christ. May we also be diligent to make our calling and election sure, by looking to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, to whom be glory for

ever.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Sunday: THE FRIENDS OF JESUS

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.-Psalm 91: 1, 2.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

These things I command you, that ye love one another...

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God..