Part 6 (1/2)
27. Twenty-seventh Day.
Do it Heartily
”Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord.”--Col. in. 23.
In 2 Chron. x.x.xi. 21, we read of Hezekiah, that ”in every work that he began, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.” And this morning's ”bell” rings a New Testament echo, ”Do it heartily!” Sing it now, like a little peal of bells!
[Music: Do it hear-ti-ly!]
See if that does not ring in your ears all day, and remind you that it is not merely much pleasanter to be bright and brisk about everything, but that it is actually one of G.o.d's commands written in His own word.
I know this is easier to some than to others. Perhaps it ”comes natural”
to you to do everything heartily. That is very nice, but it is not enough.
What else? ”Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, _as unto the Lord_, and not unto men.” He knows whether the industrious energetic boy or girl is wis.h.i.+ng to please Him, and looking up to Him for His smile; or whether He is forgotten all the while, and only the smile of others and the pleasure of being quick and busy is thought of. But perhaps it is hard to you to do things heartily. You like better to take your time, and so you dawdle, and do things in an idle way, especially what you do not much like doing. Is this right? Is it a little sin, when G.o.d's word says, ”Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily!” Is it not just as much disobeying G.o.d as breaking any other command? Are you not _guilty_ before Him? Very likely you never thought of it in this way, but there the words stand, and neither you nor I can alter them. First ask Him to forgive you all the past idleness and idle ways, for Christ's sake, and then ask Him to give you strength henceforth to obey this word of His. And then listen to the little chime, ”Do it heartily! do it heartily!” And _then_ the last word of the verse about Hezekiah will be true of you too--”Prospered!”
'Up and doing, little Christian!
Up and doing, while 'tis day!
Do the work the Master gives you.
Do not loiter by the way.
For we all have work before us, You, dear child, as well as I; Let us learn to seek our duty, And to 'do it heartily.'
28. Twenty-eighth Day.
The Sight of Faith.
”As seeing Him who is invisible.”--Heb. xi. 27.
If we were always doing everything just as if we saw Him, whom having not seen we love, how different our lives would be! How much happier too! How brave, and bright, and patient we should be, if all the time we could really see Jesus as Stephen saw Him! And by faith, the precious faith which G.o.d is ready to give to all who ask, we may go on our way with this light upon it, ”as seeing Him who is invisible.”
These words were said of Moses; and this seeing Him by faith had three effects. First, ”he forsook Egypt;” it made him ready to give up anything for his G.o.d, and G.o.d's people. It made him true and loyal to G.o.d's cause.
What did He care for anything else, so long as he saw ”Him who is invisible?” Secondly, it took away all his fear. What was ”the wrath of the king” to him, when Jehovah was by his side? Of what should he be afraid? Thirdly, it enabled him to ”endure,” to wait patiently for forty years in the desert, and then to work patiently for forty years in the wilderness; and only think how strength-giving that sight of faith must be which enabled him to endure everything for eighty years!
Try for yourself to-day what was such great and long help to Moses. Ask G.o.d, before you go down-stairs, for faith, ”the eye of the soul,” so that you may walk all day long ”as seeing Him who is invisible.” When you are tempted to indulge in something wrong,--idleness or carelessness, or selfishness,--this will help you to give it up at once, and forsake it; for how can you give way to it when your eye meets His? When something makes you afraid, this will make you brave and peaceful; for how can you fear anything when your G.o.d is so near? When lessons, or work, or even having to be quiet with nothing to do, seem very tiresome, and you are tempted to be impatient, and perhaps cross, this will help you to endure and not only so, but to feel patient; for how can you be impatient when you are looking up to Him, and He is looking down on you all the time!
”G.o.d will not leave me all alone, He never will forsake His own; When not another friend I see, The Lord is looking down on me.”
29. Twenty-Ninth Day.