ACTUALLY PERFECT
Genesis 22:1-14
God is ideal, intensely practically idealistic. He insists on the gold being wholly pure, the will wholly strong, the heart wholly perfect in its devotion, the life wholly right. Nothing less will do, even though it cost his own Son’s life to bring things up to standard. And he leads the way in showing us the way. His taking from us is never to make us have less. Following his way, we have more and we are more.
GOD’S MORE
Genesis 21:1-12
God’s delays are love-planned. So the gold is refined, and more is given and got. Abraham waited long for Isaac. And the waiting made a new Abraham, and so the son was a wholly different, finer man because of the new father. Abraham had all he longed for, and more; that “all” became choicer, higher grade. And God had more to use, and the world-plan in his heart was saved thus far. God’s delays are love-inspired.
OTHERS!
Romans 12:9-21
What flows in must get an outlet or stagnate. God gives; it is his very life. Jesus served; it was the God instinct in him. The real God-spirit within must serve others. Not for return, nor for advantage of any sort; not for appreciation, nor thanks, but in the absence of these, even when misunderstood and criticized, it must serve, with exquisite tact, for their sake only. This is the characteristic of God and of true service.
A TRAINED EAR
Genesis 18:23-33
Prayer is Spirit-suggested. It needs a strongly bended will. Through that comes the open or trained ear. So we learn God’s plans. We catch the prayer he needs to have prayed. His promise turns into a prayer on our lips, and so it is a prophecy of what he will do. Thus prayer is restrained as well as inspired. Its whole purpose is to get God’s love-wili done through the needed human channels. Prayer’s touchstone is a trained ear,
A STUDY IN MATHEMATICS
Genesis 18:16-23
Co-operation increases efficiency in amazing proportion. Two working together in perfect agreement have fivefold the efficiency of the same two working separately. The old Book says that where one can handle a thousand, two can dispose of ten thousand. This is as true in prayer as in action. A united Church would be an unconquerable Church. But the moment co-operation sacrifices an essential, real power is at the disappearing point. First true though alone; then co-operation.
