Contents
A
Knowledge of God
Chapter 10
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Many are the ways in which God is seeking to
make Himself known to us and bring us into communion with Him. Nature speaks to
our senses without ceasing. The open heart will be impressed with the love and
glory of God as revealed through the works of His hands. The listening ear can
hear and understand the communications of God through the things of nature. The
green fields, the lofty trees, the buds and flowers, the passing cloud, the
falling rain, the babbling brook, the glories of the heavens, speak to our
hearts, and invite us to become acquainted with Him who made them all.
Our Saviour bound up His precious lessons with
the things of nature. The trees, the birds, the flowers of the valleys, the
hills, the lakes, and the beautiful heavens, as well as the incidents and
surroundings of daily life, were all linked with the words of truth, that His
lessons might thus be often recalled to mind, even amid the busy cares of man's
life of toil.
God would have His children appreciate His works
and delight in the simple, quiet beauty with which He has adorned our earthly
home. He is a lover of the beautiful, and above all that is outwardly attractive
He loves beauty of character; He would have us cultivate purity and simplicity,
the quiet graces of the flowers.
If we will but listen, God's created works will
teach us precious lessons of obedience and trust.
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From the stars that in their trackless courses
through space follow from age to age their appointed path, down to the minutest
atom, the things of nature obey the Creator's will. And God cares for everything
and sustains everything that He has created. He who upholds the unnumbered
worlds throughout immensity, at the same time cares for the wants of the little
brown sparrow that sings its humble song without fear. When men go forth to
their daily toil, as when they engage in prayer; when they lie down at night,
and when they rise in the morning; when the rich man feasts in his palace, or
when the poor man gathers his children about the scanty board, each is tenderly
watched by the heavenly Father. No tears are shed that God does not notice.
There is no smile that He does not mark.
If we would but fully believe this, all undue
anxieties would be dismissed. Our lives would not be so filled with
disappointment as now; for everything, whether great or small, would be left in
the hands of God, who is not perplexed by the multiplicity of cares, or
overwhelmed by their weight. We should then enjoy a rest of soul to which many
have long been strangers.
As your senses delight in the attractive
loveliness of the earth, think of the world that is to come, that shall never
know the blight of sin and death; where the face of nature will no more wear the
shadow of the curse. Let your imagination picture the home of the saved, and
remember that it will be more glorious than your brightest imagination can
portray. In the varied gifts of God in nature we see but the faintest
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gleaming of His glory. It is written, "Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9.
The poet and the naturalist have many things to
say about nature, but it is the Christian who enjoys the beauty of the earth
with the highest appreciation, because he recognizes his Father's handiwork and
perceives His love in flower and shrub and tree. No one can fully appreciate the
significance of hill and vale, river and sea, who does not look upon them as an
expression of God's love to man.
God speaks to us through His providential
workings and through the influence of His Spirit upon the heart. In our
circumstances and surroundings, in the changes daily taking place around us, we
may find precious lessons if our hearts are but open to discern them. The
psalmist, tracing the work of God's providence, says, "The earth is full of
the goodness of the Lord." "Whoso is wise, and will observe these
things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord." Psalm
33:5; 107:43.
God speaks to us in His word. Here we have in
clearer lines the revelation of His character, of His dealings with men, and the
great work of redemption. Here is open before us the history of patriarchs and
prophets and other holy men of old. They were men "subject to like passions
as we are." James 5:17. We see how they struggled through discouragements
like our own, how they fell under temptation as we have done, and yet took heart
again and conquered through the grace of God; and, beholding, we are
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encouraged in our striving after righteousness.
As we read of the precious experiences granted them, of the light and love and
blessing it was theirs to enjoy, and of the work they wrought through the grace
given them, the spirit that inspired them kindles a flame of holy emulation in
our hearts and a desire to be like them in character--like them to walk with
God.
Jesus said of the Old Testament Scriptures,--and
how much more is it true of the New,--"They are they which testify of
Me," the Redeemer, Him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. John
5:39. Yes, the whole Bible tells of Christ. From the first record of
creation--for "without Him was not anything made that was made"--to
the closing promise, "Behold, I come quickly," we are reading of His
works and listening to His voice. John 1:3; Revelation 22:12. If you would
become acquainted with the Saviour, study the Holy Scriptures.
Fill the whole heart with the words of God. They
are the living water, quenching your burning thirst. They are the living bread
from heaven. Jesus declares, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man,
and drink His blood, ye have no life in you." And He explains Himself by
saying, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life." John 6:53, 63. Our bodies are built up from what we eat and drink;
and as in the natural economy, so in the spiritual economy: it is what we
meditate upon that will give tone and strength to our spiritual nature.
The theme of redemption is one that the angels
desire to look into; it will be the science and the song of the redeemed
throughout the ceaseless ages of
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eternity. Is it not worthy of careful thought
and study now? The infinite mercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our
behalf, call for the most serious and solemn reflection. We should dwell upon
the character of our dear Redeemer and Intercessor. We should meditate upon the
mission of Him who came to save His people from their sins. As we thus
contemplate heavenly themes, our faith and love will grow stronger, and our
prayers will be more and more acceptable to God, because they will be more and
more mixed with faith and love. They will be intelligent and fervent. There will
be more constant confidence in Jesus, and a daily, living experience in His
power to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him.
As we meditate upon the perfections of the
Saviour, we shall desire to be wholly transformed and renewed in the image of
His purity. There will be a hungering and thirsting of soul to become like Him
whom we adore. The more our thoughts are upon Christ, the more we shall speak of
Him to others and represent Him to the world.
The Bible was not written for the scholar alone;
on the contrary, it was designed for the common people. The great truths
necessary for salvation are made as clear as noonday; and none will mistake and
lose their way except those who follow their own judgment instead of the plainly
revealed will of God.
We should not take the testimony of any man as
to what the Scriptures teach, but should study the words of God for ourselves.
If we allow others to do our thinking, we shall have crippled energies and
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contracted abilities. The noble powers of the
mind may be so dwarfed by lack of exercise on themes worthy of their
concentration as to lose their ability to grasp the deep meaning of the word of
God. The mind will enlarge if it is employed in tracing out the relation of the
subjects of the Bible, comparing scripture with scripture and spiritual things
with spiritual.
There is nothing more calculated to strengthen
the intellect than the study of the Scriptures. No other book is so potent to
elevate the thoughts, to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling
truths of the Bible. If God's word were studied as it should be, men would have
a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose rarely
seen in these times.
But there is but little benefit derived from a
hasty reading of the Scriptures. One may read the whole Bible through and yet
fail to see its beauty or comprehend its deep and hidden meaning. One passage
studied until its significance is clear to the mind and its relation to the plan
of salvation is evident, is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with
no definite purpose in view and no positive instruction gained. Keep your Bible
with you. As you have opportunity, read it; fix the texts in your memory. Even
while you are walking the streets you may read a passage and meditate upon it,
thus fixing it in the mind.
We cannot obtain wisdom without earnest
attention and prayerful study. Some portions of Scripture are indeed too plain
to be misunderstood, but there are others whose meaning does not lie on the
surface to be seen at a glance. Scripture must be
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compared with scripture. There must be careful
research and prayerful reflection. And such study will be richly repaid. As the
miner discovers veins of precious metal concealed beneath the surface of the
earth, so will he who perseveringly searches the word of God as for hid treasure
find truths of the greatest value, which are concealed from the view of the
careless seeker. The words of inspiration, pondered in the heart, will be as
streams flowing from the fountain of life.
Never should the Bible be studied without
prayer. Before opening its pages we should ask for the enlightenment of the Holy
Spirit, and it will be given. When Nathanael came to Jesus, the Saviour
exclaimed, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"
Nathanael said, "Whence knowest Thou me?" Jesus answered, "Before
that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee."
John 1:47, 48. And Jesus will see us also in the secret places of prayer if we
will seek Him for light that we may know what is truth. Angels from the world of
light will be with those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance.
The Holy Spirit exalts and glorifies the Saviour.
It is His office to present Christ, the purity of His righteousness, and the
great salvation that we have through Him. Jesus says, "He shall receive of
Mine, and shall show it unto you." John 16:14. The Spirit of truth is the
only effectual teacher of divine truth. How must God esteem the human race,
since He gave His Son to die for them and appoints His Spirit to be man's
teacher and continual guide!
Contents
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