Counsel And Help
by J R Miller
One look of that pale, suffering face
Will make us feel the deep disgrace
Of weakness:
We shall be sifted till the strength
Of self conceit be changed at length
To meekness.
Wounds of the soul, though healed, will ache;
The reddening scars remain, and make
Confession;
Lost innocence returns no more:
We are not what we were before
Transgression.
But noble souls, through dust and heat,
Rise from disaster and defeat
The stronger,
And, conscious still of the divine
With them, lie on earth supine
No longer.
February 1
Look Within
Instead of keeping our eye ever on others, looking for faults and mistakes in them, we are to look to our own example,
lest something we do may hurt their lives, or cause them to do wrong. We easily get into the habit of overlooking
our own faults, while our life is full of inconsistencies which do irreparable harm to the cause of Christ, and
to the lives of His people. We dash at our neighbour’s eye to pull out some little mote we imagine we seen in it,
while at the same time we have a great beam in our own eye which sadly disfigures us.
The first duty of every Christian is to make sure that he lays no stumbling blocks in others’ way. A prominent
man said: "I am fond of wine, and I believe I could drink moderately without danger to myself, but I never
touch any kind of wine. I might set the example for some who could not drink moderately without becoming drunkards.
My liberty would thus become a stumbling block to others."
February 2
God's Day
During the week we have our cares and business, and our hands are full of work that must be done. If there is no
interruption in this secular life, we are apt to be made worldly minded, losing all interest in spiritual things.
It is a proper enough thing for a ship to be in the sea, but when the sea gets into the ship there is an end of
sailing. Christ wants us to be in the world, but He does not want the world to get into us. On the Lord’s Day,
therefore, we should run our barque just as completely as possibly out of the world’s troubled waters into the
peaceful bay of spiritual rest and enjoyment. One who faithfully uses the Lord’s Day will be safe amid the world’s
unspiritual influence. A well spent Sabbath will keep up the tone of the life amid the most intense pressure of
week day duty. No Christian who really desires to be true and faithful dare lose the Sabbaths out of his week,
or fail to use them right.
February 3
Myself The Tempter
Do not think that God is to blame for your temptations. Some people get tangled up in their theology, and have
the impression that God tempts them, or that He might keep them from falling when they are tempted. But the evil
is in ourselves, never in God. He sets us to live in a world where sin is, and where we cannot miss being tempted.
But temptation is not sin: Christ was tempted. The sin comes in when we yield to temptation. Paul shook off the
viper that fastened upon his hand, and was not harmed in the least by its fangs. So may we do with temptation,
through Christ’s help.
"But why does not God keep us from falling when we are tempted? Surely He is strong enough," says someone.
We are moral beings, with power of choice. God never compels us to be good. If He did we would be only machines.
He helps us to meet and overcome temptation if we look to Him for help. Therefore, if we fall the fault is our
own, never God’s.
February 4
Resurrection Joy
Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. No fact in all the world’s history was ever more indisputably certain.
At once a flood of light streams in through this window. An Eastern story tells of one walking on the shore of
the sea, and seeing in the sand a gleaming gold spangle. Picking it up, he found that it was attached to a silver
thread. He wound the silver thread about his neck, his arms and his body, until he was covered from head to foot
with the shining web of silver flashing all over with gold spangles. So it is when we take into our hand this one
blessed truth of the resurrection of Christ. A thousand other blessings and hopes are attached to it. As we accept
these our whole being is wrapped in the splendour of resurrection joy and glory.
February 5
Heaven's Open Door
No matter how many come to Christ, there is yet room for more. However many are received into heaven, heaven will
never be so full that anyone coming shall be shut out. Sometimes we read that at some great meeting the doors were
closed and hundreds were turned away. But this never has been said, never will be said, of the door of God’s love,
or of the door of heaven.
This door is always open. In the representation of heaven as a city, in the Revelation, there are twelve gates
– three on each of the four sides. No matter from which we approach we shall always find a door of entrance. Come
when we may, by day or by night, we shall not find the door shut in our face.
February 6
Preparation For Service
We need the patience of Christ to prepare us for His service. The moment we enter the company of His disciples,
He gives us work to do for Him. We are sent to find other souls, to bind up broken hearts, to comfort sorrow, to
help lost ones home through the gloom. All this work is delicate and important, and we need for it the patience
as well as the gentleness of Christ. It must be done lovingly, in faith, unhurriedly, under the Spirit’s guidance.
February 7
Sanctified Sorrows
If we do not submit ourselves to God in our grief, if we resist and rebel, if we chafe and repine and go on grieving
inconsolably, our sorrow hurts our lives. It mars the beauty. It hushes the song. It dims the eye. It robs the
heart of its love. If, however, we reverently accept our sorrow as a messenger from God, sent on a mission of love,
bearing gifts and blessings from heaven for us, then we shall get good and not evil from our pain and loss. We
have only to keep our hearts sweet, trustful, songful, without bitterness, without fear, and then leave with God
all the outcome of the suffering.
February 8
We Must Help Ourselves
Our own faults ought to interest us more than our neighbour’s, because they are our own, and being our own we are
responsible for them. We do not have to answer for any other one’s sins, but for our own we must answer, and the
responsibility for getting rid of them is ours. "Every man must bear his own burden." No faithful friend,
no wise teacher, can cure our faults for us. If ever they are taken out of our life, it must be by our own decision,
our own faith, our own firm, and persistent effort. The prayer of others may avail to bring divine help, and the
sympathy and encouragement of others may make us stronger in our struggle, but the real work is our own.
February 9
God Has Need Of Us
Christ is the vine, and we are the branches. It is upon our human lives that the fruit must grow which Christ would
feed the hunger of men. He is not here any more in the flesh, but we are here in His place. We represent Him, and
the blessings which He would give to the world must be given through us. There is no other way in which they can
be given. Angels would gladly come to earth to do our work, but they could not do it. We are the body of Christ,
our hands are His hands, our feet are His feet, and our lips are His lips. During His incarnation He lived in one
human body; now His body is the whole company of believers.
February 10
The Lessons Of Sorrow
We should never allow ourselves to face toward life’s glooms; we should never sit down in the shadows of any sorrow
and let the night darken over us into the gloom of despair; we should turn our face away toward the light, and
quicken every energy for braver duty, and truer, holier service. Grief should always make us better, and give us
new skill and power; it should make our heart softer, our spirit kindlier, our touch more gentle; it should teach
us its holy lessons, and we should learn them, and then go on, with sorrow’s sacred ordination upon us, to new
love and better service.
February 11
Rejoice Always
Happiness is a duty, quite as much a duty as truthfulness, honestly, or good temper. There are many Scripture words
which exhort us to rejoice. Jesus was a rejoicing man. Although a "man of sorrows," the deep undertone
of His life, never once failing, was gladness. Joy is set down as one of the fruits of the Spirit, a fruit which
should be found on every branch of the great Vine. St. Paul exhorted his friends to rejoice in the Lord. There
are almost countless incitements to the gladness. We are to live a songful life. There are in the Scriptures many
more calls to praise than to prayer.
February 12
Our Duty To Our Neighbour
We do grievous wrong to others by withholding from them what we owe to them. There is a sin of not doing. We shall
be judged, not alone by what we do, but also by what we leave undone. We need to give more heed to the active side
of our life. We cannot cut ourselves off from our brothers. It is not enough to think of getting on in the world:
we dare not to seek to get on and pay no heed to those who are journeying with us.
February 13
Love Never Faileth
It is wonderful how love transfigures a life. It changes all the world to our eyes. People are not seen now with
critical spirit, watching for faults; nor with sensitive spirit, shrinking from every unkindly touch, and resenting
every rude, disagreeable, or ever unjust thing in their treatment of us; nor, with exacting spirit, demanding attention,
claiming rights, and measuring and counting favours due. Love sees in every other person one to be served, to be
ministered unto, to be helped, to be patiently borne with, to be treated kindly in spite of his faults. Love transforms
all conditions of life, all circumstances. Its business is to be sweet, no matter the weathers or the worry or
the suffering, and it thus takes the bitterness out of whatever would otherwise be bitter. Thus it makes the whole
life bright and radiant.
February 14
Our Only Hope
Only Christ can make any life, young or old, truly beautiful or truly happy. Only He can cure the heart’s restless
fever and give quietness and calmness. Only he can purify that sinful fountain within us, our corrupt nature, and
make us holy. To have a peaceful and blessed ending to life, we must live it with Christ. Such a life grows brighter
even to its close. Its last days are the sunniest and the sweetest. The more earth’s joys fail, the nearer and
the more satisfying do the comforts become.
February 15
As We Live, We Are
This world is a place to gather in for heaven. We shall be there what we make ourselves here. We shall find there
the treasures we have gathered here. Our crown there will be woven of the blessedness of faithful obedience and
service in this world. Says Ruskin: "What fairy palaces we may build of beautiful things – proof against all
adversity – bright fancies, satisfied memories, noble histories, faithful sayings; treasure houses of precious
and restful thoughts, which care cannot disturb, nor pain make gloomy, nor poverty take away from us – houses build
without hands, for our souls to live in."
February 16
Faithful In Little
It is the faithfulness of the one talented million rather than the richly endowed one or two that is needed today
to hasten the coming of Christ’s kingdom. There is not a gift so small that it is not wanted to make the work of
the Church complete. There is not one so small but that its hiding away leaves some life unblessed. There is not
one so insignificant that it may not start a wave of influence which shall roll on over the sea of human life until
it breaks on the shores of Eternity.
February 17
God Knows Best
There is a little fable, which says that a primrose, growing by itself in a shady corner of the garden, became
discontented as it saw the other flowers in their gay beds in the sunshine, and begged to be removed to a more
conspicuous place. Its prayer was granted. The gardener transplanted it to a more showy and sunny spot. It was
greatly pleased, but there came a change over it immediately. Its blossoms lost much of their beauty, and became
pale and sickly. The hot sun caused them to faint and wither. So it prayed again to be taken back to its old place
in the shade. The wise gardener knows best where to plant each flower, and so God, the divine Husbandman, knows
where His people will best grow into what He would have them to be. Some require the fierce storms; some will only
thrive spiritually in the shadow of worldly adversity, and some come to ripeness more sweetly under the soft and
gentle influences of prosperity whose beauty rough experiences would mar. He knows what is best for each one.
February 18
Lonely Lives
There are special experiences of loneliness in every life for which Christ is needed. Youth is one of these times.
Youth seems happy and light hearted. Companionships swarm all around it. But ofttimes a young person feels lonely
even amid such scenes and friendships. All life is new to him. As his soul awakes a thousand questions arise demanding
answer. He is in a world with a thousand paths, and he must choose in which he will walk. Everything is mysterious.
There are perils lurking on all sides. Choices must be made. Lessons must be learned. All is new, and at every
step the voice is heard, "You have not passed this way heretofore." This loneliness of inexperience,
when a young soul is taking its earliest steps in life, is one of the most trying and painful feelings of all the
years. If Christ be not then the Companion, lonely and perilous indeed is the way. But if He walks beside the young
soul in its inexperience, all is well.
February 19
The Duty Of Giving
The world is very full of sorrow and trial, and we cannot live among our fellow men and be true without sharing
their loads. Selfishness must die, or our own heart’s life must be frozen within us. We begin to felicitate ourselves
on some special prosperity, and next moment some human need knocks at our door, and we must share our good things
with a suffering brother. We may build up our fine theories of taking care of ourselves, of living for the future,
of lying up in the summer of prosperity for the winter of adversity, of providing for old age or for our children;
but ofttimes all these frugal and economic plans have to yield to the exigencies of human need. The love that seeketh
not its own plays havoc with life’s hard logic. We cannot say that anything is our own when our brother is suffering
for what we can give.
February 20
The Place Of Honour
The way a commander honours the best regiment on the field of battle is not by assigning it to some easy post,
to some duty away from danger. He honours it by giving it the most perilous post, the duty requiring the most splendid
courage. So it is in all life – the place of honour is always the hardest place, where the most delicate and difficult
duty must be done, where the heaviest burden of responsibility must be borne. It is never a real honour to be given
an easy place. Instead of demanding a place of honour as a favour of friendship, which sets no seal of real greatness
upon our brow, we should win our place of honour by worthy deeds and services.
February 21
Creeds Or Christ?
What is Christ to you personally? Is He only in your Creed? Is He only a person about whom you believe a great
many blessed and glorious things? Is He in your thoughts only as the mighty Saviour of all who believe on Him?
Is He anything to you personally? Is He your Saviour, your Friend, your Helper? These are the questions that tell
just where we stand with regard to Christ and eternal life. Opinions about Christ, though ever so true and orthodox,
are not enough; only living faith in Him saves.
February 22
Personal Help
There are some who want to help others, if at all, at a convenient distance. They work through committees or agents.
It is a great deal better to come close to those to whom we would do good. There is a wondrous power in a human
touch. A gift to the poor may do good in whatever way it comes; but if you bestow it yourself, and manifest personal
interest and sympathy, its value will be largely increased. You put something of yourself into your gift. The Gospel
may save the fallen, though coming through the cold air from a lofty pulpit; but it will be far more likely to
save if the sinner feels the touch of a hand of love, and catches the message warm from quivering lips.
February 23
Nothing Is Lost
We may believe that as in nature so in human life, not the smallest particle is ever wasted. Many things we try
to do seem to fail. At least, they do not realize our desire and intention. We grieve as if the efforts had accomplished
nothing. But some day we shall see that no true purpose ever has failed, that though our efforts may not all have
realized what we hoped from them, yet in the unseen realm, where the true results of life are all gathered and
treasured, we shall find all our hopes and dreams, all our good intentions that could not be fulfilled here, all
our plans and purposes that we had not the strength to carry out in this world.
February 24
Christ As Friend
In the New Testament the Christian’s relation to Christ is represented as a personal acquaintance with Him, which
ripens into a close and tender friendship. This was our Lord’s own ideal of discipleship. He invited men to come
to Him, to break other ties, and attach themselves personally to Him; to leave all and go with Him. He claimed
the full allegiance of men’s hearts and lives: He must be first in their affections, and first in their obedience
and service. He offered Himself to men, not merely as a helper from without, not merely as one who would save them
by taking their sins and dying for them, but as one who desired to form with them a close, intimate, and indissoluble
friendship.
February 25
The Strength Of Sympathy
There is something in the simple touch of a friendly hand, or the look of a kindly eye, or the emotion that plays
on an earnest face, that sends a quickening thrill through our souls. When one is in deep sorrow, how is he strengthened
to bear it by feeling the pressure of a warm clasp, which tells him, better than any words could do, of sincere
sympathy! It cannot bring back his dead; it cannot restore the shattered idol; it cannot calm the storm that is
raging about him; it cannot remover a straw of the burden, nor eliminate one line of the chapter of grief: but
there is another human heart close by that feels for him; there is a loving presence creeping up in the darkness
close beside him; there is companionship: he is not alone, and this blessed consciousness makes him strong.
February 26
Growth And Daily Life
Is your character compacting toward patience, gentleness, truth, love? – or toward impatience, harshness, falsehood,
and selfishness? We grow always in the direction of our daily living. Made to soar above the earth as our souls
are, to fly toward God and heaven, if we only grovel in the dust, and do not use our wings, we lose power to soar,
and our whole life grows toward earthliness. But if we train our selves to look upward, to walk erect, to gather
our soul’s food from the branches of the tree of life, our whole being will grow toward spirituality and heavenliness.
February 27
Christ Asks Our Lives
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." He gave His life to save the world; He calls
us to give our lives to save the world. It is not enough to tell in flaming words of the love of Christ to men;
we must be in flaming lives the love of Christ to men. It is not enough to sit in our places of worship and sing
praises to God for our own salvation; we must hasten out to seek and to save the lost.
February 28
Sorrow's Gifts
We should always remember that there are blessings which can come to us only in sorrow, lessons which can be learned
only in pain and suffering. Even of Jesus it is said that He was made perfect through suffering. There were qualities
in Him which could not reach their best save in the school of pain. There are in all of us possibilities of spiritual
loveliness and strength, and love, and helpfulness which never can come to their highest development save in suffering.
If we cannot endure suffering we cannot grow to our best.
February 29
Small Services
There are many people living in the midst of unattractive circumstances, amid hardship, toil, and care, whose daily
life breathes out gentle music which blesses others about them. They do no great services, but they crowd the hours
with little ministries which fall like silver bell notes on weary hearts. They are faithful in all their commonplace
duties. They are patient under all manner of irritating experiences. They keep happy and contented even in times
of suffering and need, cheerful and trusting even in want. They live in quiet harmony with the will of God, making
no jarring discords by insubmission or willfulness. Thus in their lowly sphere they make music which is sweet to
the ear both of God and man.
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