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LESSONS ON PROVIDENCE (8)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
1 John 5:1-5

Jeremiah 17:5-10

 

“…this is the victory that overcometh

the world, even our faith.”

 

LESSONS ON PROVIDENCE (8)
 
The Book of Ruth has given us vital lessons on the doctrine of providence in matters of everyday life facing ordinary people. Through this Book we have drawn lessons from Ruth and Boaz on the workings of providence, the duty to be trusting and faithful as children and servants of God and His instruments in His working out His will and plan in, for and through our lives. In his analysis of the Old Testament Book of Ruth, Morgan Campbell in his book, “Living Messages of the Books of the Bible,” concludes with the following three propositions:
 
“The living message may be stated in three propositions. First, circumstances neither make nor mar saints. The difficulty of the life of saintship to the wealthy man is answered by the story of Boaz. The difficulty of the life of faith to a poor woman is answered by the story of Ruth. …as a necessary sequence to the first proposition, I make the second. The principle of victory is faith. ‘Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the proving of things not seen.’ Faith is the principle that takes hold upon God, and appropriates all His resources. Faith takes hold of that in God which man needs, and enables God to take hold of that in man which He needs. From both of these people I learn something of the laws of faith. An open mind; a personal decision; direct application of the things believed to the details of every-day life; persistent courage in the face of all difficulty. Faith is not a sentiment about which we sing. It is an attitude of life, based upon the conviction of the soul. Finally the book teaches the value to God of that life, which makes the great surrender, and follows Him in faith. The value of such a life can never be known until we pass within the veil. Remember again the sequence with which this book closes; Obed, Jesse, David. Boaz and Ruth had passed into the light ere David came, the king for whom the nation was waiting, yet the sequence did not end with David.”
 
THOUGHT: “God leads His dear children along.”

PRAYER: (Use Psalm 43:3-5.)

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