The
Lord’s Prayer
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For the devout soul,
there are spiritual values
everywhere. And we may have them if
we ask for them in the name of Him
who taught us to pray, “Give us
this day our daily bread.”
The Bible is the most
wonderful textbook in the world,
adapted to all classes of people
everywhere. The untutored aborigines
and the learned scholar can there
find spiritual food and consolation.
In it can be found the A B C of
godliness and the deepest and most
profound problems of existence. It is
a textbook that can never be
exhausted. In school, we may graduate
from one class to another and find a
little harder textbook as we advance.
In the Bible we also
advance, but the textbook is the
same, miraculously adapted to every
man, whatever his standing or
attainment. While the practice of
some to read the Bible through as
often as possible is commendable and
much good may be gained, this should
not be the ordinary or only
procedure. It is like going through
the country in an automobile at sixty
miles an hour and viewing the
landscape. This is good, and a
general bird’s-eye view may be
had and much of beauty seen. However,
it is well to stop once in a while,
get out, and look at the flowers, a
waterfall, a Grand Canyon, a cliff
dwelling, a dam, a secluded valley or
the “Great White Throne.”
It is well to rest awhile in the cool
shade of the majestic trees from of
old, or delight in the bloom of the
desert.
We are not
depreciating the practice of reading
the Bible through even many times.
However, neither must we miss the joy
of finding a rose in the desert, or
the beauty of heaven in a little
lake, or the sweet companionship of
saints as we journey along.
In Paul’s letter
to the Hebrews, he took the believers
to task for not studying, as they
ought. “When for the time ye
ought to be teachers, ye need that
one teach you again which be the
first principles of the oracles of
God; and are become such as have need
of milk, and not of strong
meat.” Hebrews 5:12.
This was a serious
rebuke to the church. “Ye ought
to be teachers.” This may be
true of many today. They have not
improved their talent; have not
advanced in the truth, as they ought.
They have need of milk, when they
should be ready for more solid food.
“Everyone that
useth milk is unskillful in the word
of righteousness.” Verse 13.
There is indeed a “sincere milk
of the word;” but it is for
babes, “that ye may grow
thereby.” 1 Peter 2:2. A little
babe is wonderful, but a
sixty-two-year-old babe is not. Such
a one needs to be weaned and learn to
feed himself and masticate his food,
not depending on others to do it for
him. If he is ever to grow up, he
must learn to tackle hard problems in
his study. Note these instructions:
The study of the Bible
demands our most diligent effort and
persevering thought. As the miner
digs for the golden treasure in the
earth, so earnestly, persistently,
must we seek for the treasure of
God’s word.
In daily study the
verse-by-verse method is often most
helpful. Let the student take one
verse, concentrate the mind on
ascertaining the thought that God has
put into the verse for him, and then
dwell upon the thought until it
becomes his own. One passage thus
studied until its significance is
clear is of more value than the
perusal of many chapters with no
definite purpose in view and no
positive instruction gained.
Everyone should seek
to understand the great truths of the
plan of salvation, that he may be
ready to give an answer to everyone
who asks the reason for his hope. You
should know what caused the fall of
Adam, so that you may not commit the
same error, and lose heaven as he
lost Paradise. You should study the
lives of the patriarchs and prophets,
and the history of God’s dealing
with men in the past; for these
things were ‘written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are come.’ We should study
the divine precepts, and seek to
comprehend their depth. We should
meditate upon them until we discern
their importance and immutability. We
should study the life of the
Redeemer, for He is the only perfect
example for men. We should
contemplate the infinite sacrifice of
Calvary, and behold the exceedingly
sinfulness of sin and the
righteousness of the law. You will
come from a concentrated study of the
theme of redemption strengthened and
ennobled. Your comprehension of the
character of God will be deepened;
and the whole plan of salvation
clearly defined in your mind, you
will be better able to fulfill your
divine commission.
“Forgive
Us Our Debts”
When Christ took our
sins upon Himself, died, and thus
paid our debt, we became indebted to
Him. The price He paid for our
redemption was so great that we can
never repay it. In addition, He does
not expect us to. However, He does
expect us to recognize it and express
our willingness to do all we can to
show our appreciation. Moreover, on
some of the gifts He has given us He
requires that we pay interest.
In his letter to the
Corinthians, Paul enunciated a
principle according to which God
works, and which is most comforting.
He said, “If there be a willing
mind, it is accepted according to
that a man hath, and not according to
that he hath not.” 2 Corinthians
8:12.
Paul had been
collecting money for the poor in
Jerusalem. A year had passed, and
some of the pledges were not yet
paid. He encouraged them to finish
the task, saying, “Now therefore
perform the doing of it;” that
is, pay up, “that as there was a
readiness to will, so there may be a
performance also out of that which
we have.” Verse 11.
They had been slow in
paying, and even now some were unable
to pay all they had promised; but, he
said, pay “out of that which ye
have;” that is: If you cannot
pay the whole sum now, pay what you
can, and it will be “accepted
according to that a man hath, and not
according to that he hath not.”
This was most liberal and gracious.
In harmony with this
statement is the following quotation,
given also elsewhere: “when it
is in the heart to obey God, when
efforts are put forth to this end,
Jesus accepts this disposition and
effort as man’s best service,
and He makes up for the deficiency
with His own divine merit.” E.G.
White, Signs of the Times, June 16,
1890.
While we can never pay
the debt we owe, we can recognize it
and make known to the world that the
debt is paid for us and for them,
“that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto Himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto
them; and hath committed unto us the
word of reconciliation. Now then, we
are ambassadors for Christ, as though
God did beseech you by us: we pray
you in Christ’s stead, be ye
reconciled to God. For He hath made
Him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him.” 2
Corinthians 5:19-21.
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