Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 122, 27 June 1941, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

PRAYER

KEEPING UP TO OUR BEST! By tho Rev. James Reid, D.D. "Lift up the hands which hang clown, and the feeble knees."—lieb, xii. 12. Much of the New Testament i:< ■ occupied with keeping up the mor ale of the early Church. They had to face overwhelming difficulties. Their great need was not tho courage required for some big effort. It was the need of fortitude, of tho power to carry on amid the constan' pressure of trouble and persecution The French havei a saying that it is the first step that costs. This is not strictly true. The first step may be taken on a burst of enthusiasm. The difficulty is to carry on wlien the fine glow of the spirit lias faded. There are tAVO things we should have in mind if we are tempted to fail in spirit. One is our influence on other people. The thought ot others is a powerful stimulus to keep us up to our best. We do not ilways realise how deeply our mood and the quality of our spirit infects the spirit of others. It may be unconscious. Neither w; nor they may realise what is happening in these hidden regions of the soul. But something is going from us all the time, Francis Thompson says that everything in this world is linked together so that we "cannot touch q flower, without troubling, of star." Was it not this that Jesus meant when He said that not a snarrow falleth to the ground without your Father? In the secret places o ? the heart we arc in closer touch with others than wei know. Something is always passing from our spirit into the spirit of o.thers. Our faith or our unbelief communicates itself to them though no word be spolcen. Our courage or our fear stimulates or dapresses those around us. "No man liveth to himself." Mav this influence not carry further than '-ve realise? Cur men are fighting a desperate battle. It is important that their spirit should be maintained. May not cur faith and courage be vita" to them at this moment? If Ave fail or flag, if we lose courage or faith, the; whole atmosphere in which they struggle may lose vitality. Above aH. we fail them bitterly-if at this moment Ave fail in prayer. We close the secret door by Avhich God finds entrance to the situation Avith His grace. "Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down and confirm the feeble knees." There is another reason, hoAvotver. for keeping up to our best. O'ui own private victory is vital to the Struggle. It becomes cletirer every flay that the real struggle is between spiritual forces. But it is not on battlefiedds alone that it is being waged. We are all in it. Each of us has his oAA'n fight to make, his victory to win. The Avar is a symptom the irruption of the deeper struggle that is going on eiveryAvhere, betAveen God's Avill and man's own self-Avill. There is no need to describe it further. We knoAV the battle in our OAvn hearts. Wa are all conscious of the pull of things that discouragc or tempt or in some AA T ay keep u > from our best. Has our private conflict any bearing on the other? If we are) fighting for justice, truth righteousness, and if that is the aim that gives this horror of cruelty any meaning, then every blow count? which Ave strike at pride or greed or evil. Our self-discipline counts. Our day-to-day victory over Aveariness. and depression counts. We may have to hold on to our faith, like a soldier holding his: post Avit.li his back to the Avail. That victory counts in the final OA'erthroAA" of evil. The disciples once asked Jews Avhy thev Avere unable to cast out a devil from a sick child. Jesus replied, "This kind goelli not out saA'e by prayer and fasting." The CA'il tliar possesses the; minds of many Europe to-day AA'ill be finally cast out by the victory Ave Avin on the battleground of the soul. For through our prayer, and self-discipline, God establishes His rule in us and through us; and in His rule is oar peace. Come, let us to. the Lord our God With contrite hearts retivn; Our God is gracious, nor will leaA r e The desolate to mourn. His A r oice commands the tempest forth And stills 1 the stormy AvaA r e;

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE (Supplied by the Whakatane Ministers' Association).

And though His arm be strong to smite 'Tis also strong to save. Long hath the night ol' sorrow reigned; The dawn shall bring us light: God shall appear, and we shall rise With gladness in His sight. Our hearts if God we sieek to know, Shall know Him and rejoice; His Coming like the morn shall be, Liko morning, songs His voice.

Oh, that Thou wouldest rend th» heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at. Thy Presence: to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries,. that the nations may tremble at Thy Presence. Thou meetest him that rejoicetli and worketh righteousness; behold Thou wast wroth with ust bccausr we had sinned. Be not wroth very sore, O LorfVl, neither remember iniquity for ever. Behold, look, we beseech Thee, "'we are all Thy people. Wilt Thou refrain Thyself, 0 Lo,rd?'"Wilt Thou hold Thy peace? O Thou who didst pledge Thyself to save a cry if oven ten just men

could be found therein, hear us, help us, and spare us, and give us the victory over our enemies who arc Thine enemies also, not for our sakts and whether we be many or few, bill for His sole sake, who never grieved Thee, but at Thy Word, faced life and death pledging Himself that His sacrifice availed for such as made this -plea and none other: even Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.