Devotionals By J.R. Miller, 1895

February 28.

"After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions." Job 42:10

A great many people who try to be comforters, only lay thorns under aching heads. No art needs a more delicate touch, than the comforter's. The hands of most of us are too rough to be laid on throbbing hearts. No wonder Job felt that his friends were miserable comforters, or that he was not at first in a mood to pray for them. But until he could pray for them—blessing could not come to him.

The lesson is for us. Others may have injured or grieved us in some way, and we may not be ready to forgive them. But while we feel so, we are shutting out divine blessing from ourselves. Job's praying at length for his friends, showed that his heart was now softened toward them, that he had forgiven them. Then blessing came to him. When we can pray for one who has wronged us, misjudged us, or said unkind things of us or to us, hurting us in some way—we are in a condition to receive blessing from God.

Job was also ready now to come out of his own sorrow—to try to help others. We do not find comfort by staying in the darkness of our own grief, by thinking only of it; we must forget ourselves, and begin to serve others and seek their good, before we can find the light of God's comfort. Selfishness in sorrow is selfishness, and selfishness in any form misses God's blessing.

February 29.

"I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect." Acts 24:14

It is easy enough when we are in meetings of Christians—to be known as one of them. But Christ wants us to confess him just as distinctly when we are among his enemies. If anyone sneers at us as Christians, we should not blush and hang our head, and stammer out an apology, or, far worse, a denial. We should be ready, without bravado, modestly and humbly—yet boldly, to admit that we are Christians, and to do it in such a way as to show that we rejoice in our relation to Christ, and in confessing it.

Miss Havergal tells of going into a boarding-school as a pupil just after she had united with the church. She was startled to find that in a school family of a hundred, that she was the only Christian. Her first feeling was that she could not avow her love for Christ, with all that company of worldly girls around her. But her second thought was that she could not but avow it, since she was the only one Christ had there to represent him. This thought was most strengthening, and from that hour she quietly took her place as a friend of Christ. It ought to help us, whenever we stand amid enemies of Christ, to remember that he has put us there to represent him, and that if we are ashamed or afraid—we shall be sadly failing and disappointing him.

MARCH

March 1.

"Be men of courage; be strong." 1 Corinthians 16:13

Gentleness and good temper are not all. One may have these qualities, and yet be lacking in the completeness of well-rounded Christian character. There must be strength as well as beauty. Love is the fulfilling of the law; all the commandments being summed up in one, "You shall love." But love is a large word. It is like one of those composite pictures, into which many pictures are blended. All the elements of duty to God and to our fellows—are wrapped up in the divine conception of loving.

It will not do, therefore, for us to take merely the things that belong to the gentle side, and think of these as the whole of Christian character. Christ was infinitely gentle. The warmth of his heart made a tropical summer all about him. But behind the gentleness, was also infinite strength. We must be like him, not only in gentle warmth—but also in truth and strength and righteousness. We must be to others, not only tenderness—but also strength to lean upon, and stability in which they may find refuge.

March 2.

"You are light in the Lord; walk as children of light." Ephesians 5:8.

The tendency to morbidness which shows itself in some people, is most unhealthy. In some it is habitual; a disposition to gloom has been permitted to have its way so long—that now the feelings run, even unimpeded, in melancholy grooves. In others it is incidental, caused by loss or trial, the life requiring some time to react after its shock of grief, and rebound to its wonted cheerfulness. The latter experience is not so unwholesome, because it is transient; but the former, wherever it exists, should be treated as a mental disease, and subjected to the wisest processes of cure. It is destructive of the life's beauty. It mars one's usefulness. It grieves God, for it is practical unbelief.

Why should one persist in refusing the blessing of God's bounteous sunshine, and walk only in gloomy paths? Why should one close windows and doors and live in darkness—when God's glory of light flows everywhere? The morbid person should heroically set himself the task of getting rid of his miserable gloom! It may take time; for when darkness has become ingrained in the soul—it can yield but slowly to the influence of light. Yet the task should be achieved. To stay in the shades of melancholy is most unchristian.

March 3.

"May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's patience." 2 Thessalonians 3:5

We need the patience of Christ to keep us from over-helping others. No peril is greater than this too eager love, when brought close to those who are in need. We would help too much—or too soon. We would lift away burdens—that God would have the person carry longer for his own good. We would make the way easy—that would better be left hard. We would hasten the learning of the lesson—that could far better be learned slowly. We would force the bursting of the flower—before the time God has appointed, thus spoiling his perfect work.

We want to hurry the spiritual development of lives, not content to wait until the development comes naturally. There are hundreds of lives hurt by the impatience of good people, who desire to do them good.

If we would be truly helpful to others, we must never try too hard to help. It is hard for us, in our eagerness to help, just to do our little—and then stand aside and let God work. We feel we ought to be doing something; but in truth our doing is only hurtful intermeddling, and we would far better keep our hands off!

March 4.

"Jesus did not answer a word!" Matthew 15:23

Who has not come to Christ with a burden, crying out for help or for relief—only to find him silent? To many of our earnest supplications, he seems not to answer a word. We are told to ask—and we shall receive, to seek—and we shall find, to knock—and it shall be opened unto us. Yet there come times when we ask imploringly, and do not seem to receive; when, though we seek with intense eagerness, we do not seem to find what we seek; when we knock at the door of prayer until our hands are bruised and bleeding, and there is no opening of the door.

Sometimes the heavens seem to be brass above us; and we ask, "Is there anywhere, an ear to hear our pleadings? Is there anywhere, a heart to feel sympathy with us in our overwhelming need?" Sometimes God seems to be far off—so far that our cries cannot reach him. Nothing is so awful as this silence of God—the feeling that communication is cut off. Few prayers in the Bible are more pathetic than that in the psalm: "Be not silent to me, lest I become like those who go down into the pit!" Anything from God, any punishment, is better than his silence!

Oh, it would be a dreary world, if the atheist's creed were true, that there is no God, no ear to hear prayer; that no voice of answering help, or love, or comfort, ever comes out of the heavens.

March 5.

"He will not break a bruised reed, and He will not put out a smoldering wick." Matthew 12:20

It is a high honor that is conferred upon us—when God sends to us human hearts to be comforted, or human souls to be helped. Yet every thoughtful person must tremble as he accepts the responsibility of such delicate and holy work. It is a serious moment when there is brought to a surgeon a case, on the skillful treatment of which, a life depends; or when a physician stands by a bedside to administer remedies at critical illness. But it is a far more serious moment, when a human life is put into one's hands to be cured of its faults—or comforted in its sorrow—or to have its heart's wounds healed. We need divine skill and wisdom, and great delicacy, for such sacred work! Only Christ can teach us how to deal with human lives, in their need and sorrow. He has a most gentle touch. He binds up with infinite skill the wounds that sin or grief have made. He never breaks a bruised reed. He will give us skill in dealing with hurt lives.

March 6.

"I long to see you—so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to make you strong." Romans 1:11

We ought always to desire to be a blessing to those we love. God sends many of his best spiritual gifts, through human hearts and hands. There could be no fitter morning prayer, as we go out for the day, than that we may be permitted to carry some help, comfort, instruction, inspiration, courage, or cheer—to every life that our life touches. There are always those who need such help. No aim in life is nobler—than to be a help to others in all gentle, quiet ways.

We should make sure, too, that it is the best we have, that we impart to others. There are times when the best thing we can do for a man is to make him laugh. But there are other gifts which we should seek to impart. Sometimes it is cheer to a disheartened spirit. Sometimes it is comfort for sorrow. Sometimes it is the inspiration of a fresh thought which we have found. We should make sure at least that to everyone we meet—we are ready to impart some gift which will do him good.

March 7.

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." John 10:4-5

It is true of sheep in the East, that while they quickly respond to their names when their own shepherd calls them, because they know his voice—yet if a stranger comes to the door of the fold and calls them by the same names, they will be alarmed and will turn and run. It ought to be so with Christ's sheep. They should be quick to hear and know their own Shepherd's voice whenever he calls. They should never be afraid when they recognize his call, though it be in the darkness of sorrow or of trial. But they should also be quick to detect any voice that is not their own Shepherd's.

Such voices do fall continually upon the ears of Christ's friends. There are temptations which would lure them away from the truth—into paths of wandering, which lead to sin and end in death! There are false guides who profess to be true, and to be very much wiser than the old-fashioned, true guides whom Christ has set to be under shepherds; and they want to turn the sheep away from the old paths. Everywhere the "voice of strangers" is heard. The true sheep flee from the voice of strangers, knowing it is not their shepherd's. Every voice which is not known to be Christ's, should alarm the Christian, causing him to run quickly to his own Shepherd for shelter and protection.

March 8.

"So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran." Genesis 12:4

That was faith. Obedience proved it. Abram did not know where he was going; he had simply the call of God and a promise. But he asked no questions. He did not insist on knowing how his journey would come out, how profitable it would be, just what he would get in exchange for the land he was leaving and the sacrifice he was making. Quietly, without question or hesitation, he arose, cut the ties that bound him to his old home, and departed.

That is the kind of faith all of us should have, whenever God gives us a call and a promise. Some people want to see where they are going before they will begin to follow Christ; but that is not walking by faith at all.

We should not trouble ourselves to know where we are to be led, if only we know that God is leading us. His guidance is safe; and we should be willing to trust him, do precisely what he says, and go just where he leads, without asking any questions. Abraham's life is a picture of a true "walk with God."

March 9.

But Jesus told them—"You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" Matthew 20:22

It was an ignorant prayer which the two brothers had offered. They did not know what they were asking for. We know that one dark day two malefactors had the places on the Lord's right and left hand. We all ask many a time for things which we would not dare to seek—if we knew what they would cost.

There is a heathen story which tells us that once a man asked for the gift not to die; and it was granted him by the Fates. He was to live on forever. But he had forgotten to ask that his youth and health and strength also might last forever, and so he lived on until age and its infirmities and weaknesses were weighing him down, and his life grew to be a weariness and a burden to him. Existence, for it could hardly be called life, was one long torment to him; and then he wished to die—and could not. He had asked for a thing which he was totally unfit to enjoy—but he had to take the consequences of it when it was once given.

In our prayers we seek things which we might shrink from seeking, if we knew that they must come to us through pain, tears, and loss. The better way to pray, however, is to let God choose for us, and to give what he sees best for us, and in the way that he knows to be the best.

March 10.

"When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. His heart was not perfect with the Lord his God." 1 Kings 11:4

The Arabs have a tradition that for a long time a little worm was gnawing in the staff on which Solomon leaned, until at last the staff broke and the great king fell. It was at the king's heart—that the worm was really gnawing.

A perfect heart does not mean a sinless heart—but a heart wholly devoted in its aim and motive to God. Solomon had a corner in his heart for the Lord, and then other corners for the gods of other nations. The Savior's words come in here: "You cannot serve both God and Money."

We need to be on our guard against this Solomonian religion. There is plenty of it. It is very broad church. It abhors the preaching of the stern truths of God's Word about sin and holiness. It sends well-near everybody to heaven, and regards hell as a mediaeval fable. It calls strict Christians, intolerant and narrow-minded. It calls great sins 'escapades', and finds no use for such psalms as the fifty-first. It is not hard to see in the story of David and Solomon, however, which of the two kinds of religion pleases God the better, and which leads to the nobler end. If what his religion did for Solomon is a fair sample of the outcome of that sort, it does not appear to be quite satisfactory.

March 11.

"As for the other events of Solomon's reign—all he did . . . are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon?" 1 Kings 11:41

They are all written! They are not all written in the Bible—but they all went down in the chronicles of the kings. Nor was that all. When their ancient paper was used, the impression of the writing goes through and is traced on underlying sheets.

Just so, our life makes its records in the chronicles of the times; but the writing also goes through, and every line and word goes down on pages invisible to our eyes the pages of God's book. We read in the Bible, that the books will be opened for final judgment; and Solomon himself tells us that "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

Solomon is gone, and his record cannot now be changed; but we are concerned with our own lives. The young have the chief portion of their life yet before them. It is important that they remember that all their acts are written; that things which are hidden from the eyes of the world—are yet written down on the Book within the veil; and that some day—all secret things shall be manifested, brought fully to the light, before all the universe. It is important, therefore, that they do, along the common days, only the things which they will be glad to see revealed when all secret things shall be uncovered. When the day of judgment comes, we shall be asked how holy were our lives—and not how fine our words!

March 12.

"The sweet psalmist of Israel." 2 Samuel 23:1

Think of the influence of David's psalms. Take one for example, the twenty-third. Who can count up the blessings it has left, in its wanderings through the world? How many children have learned to say it almost with their first efforts at speech! How many sick people have listened to its sweet, musical accents, as it has been read in softened tones in the hushed chamber! How many dying ones have lisped the beautiful sentences as the gloom gathered about them, especially lingering on the words: "Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me." This precious psalm has been like a beautiful angel, flying up and down through the world, bearing its joy and gladness to hearts of young and old, of rich and poor.

I would rather have written the twenty-third psalm—than have been the greatest emperor this world ever saw! Yet this is only one of many. The psalms contain the records of men's heart-life, and heart-life is the same in all ages; hence people will always find here words which will interpret their own feelings. There never can be another such a prayer-book as the Psalms.

"He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness."

March 13.

"Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the hem of his cloak. She said to herself—If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Matthew 9:20-21

The 'cloak of Christ' still trails nearby us. It is by us, when we open the Bible and read His words. It is by us, when we feel the presence of the Holy Spirit with us. It is by our beds of pain, when we are sick. It is by us, when it grows dark around us with the gloom of sorrow. It is by us in our busiest days, amid the tasks and toils and cares of our life. We never get anywhere but 'that mystic cloak' trails close to us—so that we can reach out and touch it with our hand, and have the feeling of our heart's cry conveyed to the very soul of Christ. If there is in us only a sense of our need, and a turning, with even feeblest faith, to Christ—our touch is instantly felt in heaven, and a voice of love calls, "Who touched Me?"

March 14.

"It is the Lord who judges me!" 1 Corinthians 4:4

There is a story of a young composer whose music was being performed. The audience was enthusiastic, applauding wildly as the composition was played. But the young man seemed utterly indifferent to all this applause. He kept his eye fixed intently on one man in the audience, watching every expression that played upon his features. It was his teacher. He cared more for the slightest mark of favor on his face—than for all the applause of the great company.

Likewise, in all our life we should watch the face of Christ, caring only that he should be pleased. It matters far more what he thinks of our performance, than what all the world besides thinks. If we live to win his approval, we shall not be afraid to have all our deeds laid bare at the last, before the judgment throne.

You who see my soul within,
You who know my unknown sin,
Through your holy eyes let me
Learn what sin is unto Thee.

Make me, Pure One, as you art,
Pure in mind and soul and heart;
Never satisfied with less
Than your perfect holiness.

March 15.

"Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" Ephesians 4:26

The only way to make our life continuously beautiful, and to keep it ever sweet with love—is to insist on judging ourselves day by day. Old accounts are hard to settle. Each setting of the sun, should be a signal to us to apply the law of Christ to all our life for the day. The hour of evening prayer, should always be a time for getting right all that may have gone wrong in us during the day. Then every feeling of bitterness against another should be cast out of our heart. Life is too critical for us to venture into any night's darkness, nourishing anger or envy. "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" is a wise counsel.

The anger left in the heart tonight—will be harder to overcome tomorrow, than it is today; for bitter feelings grow more bitter as they are cherished and nursed, and who knows what the end may be? They may grow into crimes—unless quickly put out of the heart. Evening prayer should bring love's flood into all the life.

March 16.

"I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do." John 17:4

Jesus is the only man who has ever lived—so as to be able to say this!

The best lives are but fragments, leaving many things unfinished. Yet we ought to take a lesson from Christ's finishing of His work. He did it, simply by doing each day—the will of His Father for the day.

He was a young man when He died—only thirty-three. We think of those who die young—as dying before their work is completed. We learn, however, that even a young man, dying, may leave a finished work.

The truth is, enough years are given to each one—in which to do our 'allotted work'. Even a baby that lives only a day, merely looking into the mother's eyes and then going away, does the work that was given it to do. The young man who dies at thirty-three, with his hands full of tasks—if only he has lived faithfully, has finished the work which God gave him to do. Not years—but faithfulness, counts with God!

March 17.

"Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. He went deep into the wilderness" Exodus 3:1

For forty years Moses had been shepherding sheep in the wilderness. It appears to us as if all those years were lost. We can see how profitably the first forty were spent. Those earlier years under his mother's influence—he carried their lessons and impress to the end. Then those years in the schools of Egypt and in the palace he learned much there which was essential to his mission. But what did that long period in the desert do toward fitting him to be a leader, a lawgiver, the builder of a nation? Far more, no doubt, than we can tell. All that while, his character was knitting itself into strength. He was learning self-discipline. In the wilderness, he was taught many a lesson which made him more fit for his work—lessons he could never have learned in the busy life of Pharaoh's palace.

Nowadays, boys can scarcely wait until they are out of their teens to begin their life-work. Some of them think it a waste of time to take a regular college course before they enter a profession. They think they must get at once into the ministry, or into the medical or legal profession. They cannot afford the time to study through all the long course. No wonder such boys fail as men. When God trains a man for any great work—he always takes plenty of time. No boy acts wisely who is in such a hurry to get to work that he cannot wait to prepare well.

March 18.

Now the Lord had said to Aaron, "Go out into the wilderness to meet Moses." Exodus 4:27

God always knows where to find the man he wants. Indeed, he trains men while they know it not—for the work he means them to do by and by. For eighty years Moses had been in special preparation for his great mission as leader. Aaron also had been in training for the particular part of the work he was to do. He did not know what he was being prepared for—but God knew. Probably Aaron had naturally a fine voice. Then we may suppose that while in Egypt he was led to give much attention to elocution and oratory. He did not know what special use was to be made of his power—but God knew. Then when the time came for him to enter upon his work, he was ready.

The young man does not know what work God may have waiting for him to do. But he possesses certain talents and gifts. These he should train to the very highest degree of efficiency. Then when God wants him—he will be ready.

It was the daily prayer of a young Christian girl, that God would prepare her for whatever he was preparing for her. Many lives are failures, because when God wants them they are not ready. Many a young man enters a profession without qualification, having squandered his opportunities. Is it any wonder he makes a failure? We should train ourselves to proficiency in something, and God will want us by and by, and we shall be ready.