"Let's not be living in the past,
On what we have been doing, Nor building castles in the air
And after them pursuing. 'Work in my vineyard, go today':
The Master's time is narrow For yesterday we'll see no more--
We may not see tomorrow.
"If for discouragements you look,
You certainly shall find them,
But they are not discouragements
Except to those who mind them.
The future for itself will care,
We'll not its trouble borrow;
Sufficient evil is today,
Then think not of the morrow.
"Let's cast our bread upon the flood,
In many days to gather,
But then at eve hold out the hand
For present blessings rather.
We hide the seed deep in the ground
And watch the closing furrow,
When, lo! the field's already white,
Not waiting for the morrow.
"The sower and the reaper both
May now rejoice together,
For what they sow and gather in
Is fruit that lives forever.
The saint rejoices evermore,
E'en in the midst of sorrow;
He knows the weepings but a night,
Joy cometh on the morrow."
Man was made to labor. He is so constituted that he can not find true
rest and enjoyment in idleness. How much the Bible says about good works!
We are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them." Jesus purifies unto "himself
a peculiar people, zealous of good works." We are told by the scriptures
to "be careful to maintain good works" to "be not weary in well-doing,"
and to "do good unto all men." Time is given us to spend in usefulness, not
in idleness. Money lost may be regained, but a moment never.
As Christians we have the mind of Jesus. With such a mind we can not
be contented unless we are doing the will of God and making the proper use
of the moments he gives us. Mind is the same quality whether it be in
Jesus, in angels, or in men, and it is governed by the same laws. It is true
that after man's transgression he was told that in the sweat of his face
he should eat bread, but this does not imply that the disposition to labor is a
result of the fall. The disposition to labor that we find in man's constitution is
not the fruit of corruption in his nature, but is a part of his original
constitution. We find this disposition in the mind of angels. They are
ministering spirits. They are doing the will of God. How often we read in the
Book that tells of heaven how angels have visited this transitory world of
ours on errands of help, mercy, and consolation.They have closed the
mouths of lions, opened prison doors, stilled the waves, whispered comforting words, rolled away the stone, and ministered strength and help
to the needy.
Man is not designed for prayer and praise only; he is designed for service as
well. His mission is twofold: he is to adore and praise his Creator and to
serve his fellow men. Some have symbolized the two functions of man's life
by the ascending and descending of the angels on the ladder that Jacob saw
in his dream. They ascended to God and descended to man. Life should be
spent in praising God and in serving man for God's sake.
There is something to do. There is much to do. There is too much to do
for us to idle away one moment of time. A full and well-spent life is
one which is spent in doing good out of pure love to God and man. When
we shall have come down to the end of life's journey, how sweet it will be
to know that we have done all we could to help other pilgrims make
their journey in safety! There is a reward for every generous act. Heaven
is faithful and will repay. What we do here will find an eternity of reward. Let
not, therefore, one day pass you by without your doing something purposely
for God.
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits Psalm 103:2
