February 9Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee — Psa. 116:7.
The Christian's habit of thought has much indeed to do with his spiritual progress or retrogression, as it is also an index of his spiritual state; and good habits of thought need to be carefully cultivated. By "habit of thought" we mean that normal condition to which the mind habitually (characteristically) returns in the moments of mental leisure. While engaged in the active duties of life, we must of necessity bend our mental energies to the work at hand, for if we do anything merely mechanically and without concentrating thought upon it, we cannot do it well; yet even here Christian principle, well established in the character, will unconsciously guide. But when the strain of labor and care are lifted for a time, the established habit of thought, like the needle to the pole, should quickly, return to its rest in God—Z '95, 250 (R 1884). The Christian life is one in which, from the standpoint of the flesh, there is much perplexity and unrest, and the Christian's danger under these circumstances is permitting this perplexity and unrest to become a part of his character. To overthrow this tendency a constant returning in confidence in the Lord's good will and purpose toward him as expressed in the Word is necessary; for in such reliance upon the Lord through the Word, he finds rest and peace amid trouble and perplexity—P '33, 16. Parallel passages: Job 34:29; Psa. 1:1, 2; 4:8; 25:12; 29:11; 85:8; 119:165; 125:1, 5; Prov. 3:13-26; Isa. 26:3, 12; 28:12; 32:2, 17, 18; 53:5; Luke 1:79; John 14:27; 16:33; Acts 10:36; Rom. 10:15; Phil. 4:7, 9. Hymns: 244, 220, 339, 296, 90, 97, 22. Poems of Dawn, 25: Let Not Doubts O'erwhelm. Tower Reading: Z '14, 25, 204 (R 5387, 5492). Questions: What have been this week's experiences with the Word as our resting place? What helped or hindered therein? What were the results? |
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LET NO DOUBTS O'ER WHELM
HOW oft we doubt
And fear we shall be overwhelmed in sin,
Because temptation grows so strong without,
Because our courage is so faint within.
And thus we sigh:
Then can it be that I have known the Lord?
Can I be one with Him that sits on high?
Have I e'er felt the power of His Word?
Is this poor life
Fit prelude for a high eternity?
Alas! Have I not yet begun the strife,
Or must I fail before the victory?
O heart of doubt!
When wilt thou, O thou foolish heart, be wise?
Thou lookest everywhere, within, without,
Forgetting only to lift up thine eyes.
No more despair,
There is no help for thee in things below;
Search not within for hope—it is not there,
But unto Christ do thou for comfort go.
Christ is thy Rock;
Doubt not this firm foundation, true and tried;
Fear not the gathering tempest's angry shock;
It harms not those that on this Rock abide.
Christ is thy Friend,
He knows thy weakness, He will give thee strength;
Trust! In His name is victory; He will end
The conflict for thee; thou shalt win at length.
Christ is thy Peace;
From penalty and stain He sets thee free;
And in the white robe of His righteousness,
Before the approving God presenteth thee.
Christ is thine ALL:
Forget thyself, and in Him sweetly rest;
And thou shalt enter, whatsoe'er befall,
The everlasting mansions of the blest.
HOW oft we doubt
And fear we shall be overwhelmed in sin,
Because temptation grows so strong without,
Because our courage is so faint within.
And thus we sigh:
Then can it be that I have known the Lord?
Can I be one with Him that sits on high?
Have I e'er felt the power of His Word?
Is this poor life
Fit prelude for a high eternity?
Alas! Have I not yet begun the strife,
Or must I fail before the victory?
O heart of doubt!
When wilt thou, O thou foolish heart, be wise?
Thou lookest everywhere, within, without,
Forgetting only to lift up thine eyes.
No more despair,
There is no help for thee in things below;
Search not within for hope—it is not there,
But unto Christ do thou for comfort go.
Christ is thy Rock;
Doubt not this firm foundation, true and tried;
Fear not the gathering tempest's angry shock;
It harms not those that on this Rock abide.
Christ is thy Friend,
He knows thy weakness, He will give thee strength;
Trust! In His name is victory; He will end
The conflict for thee; thou shalt win at length.
Christ is thy Peace;
From penalty and stain He sets thee free;
And in the white robe of His righteousness,
Before the approving God presenteth thee.
Christ is thine ALL:
Forget thyself, and in Him sweetly rest;
And thou shalt enter, whatsoe'er befall,
The everlasting mansions of the blest.
