"He careth for you."--I Pet. v. 7.
It is so pleasant to be cared for; to have kind relations and friends who show that they love you by their care of you, and their care for you. What would you do if no one cared for you, like the poor little children in London who are turned out to "do for themselves" before they are as old as you are? What would you do if there was no one to get anything for you to eat, or to see to your clothes, or to keep a home for you to live in? No one to take any notice if you hurt yourself ever so badly, or if you were ever so ill? You would feel then what a difference being cared for makes to your life. But all the earthly care for you comes because "He careth for you." He planned and arranged everything, without your having anything to do with it, so that you shall be cared for. And He did not arrange it once for all, and then leave things to go on as might happen. No! Every day, every moment, He careth, _goes on_ caring, for you. Not only thinking of you and watching you, but working for you; making things come right, so that everything should be just the best that could happen to you. Not managing the great things, and leaving the little things to arrange themselves; but giving loving care to the least, the very least things that concern you. Even in some tiny little trouble which no one else seems to care about, "He careth;" or when every one else is too much taken up with other things to attend to you, "He careth for you."
You can never get beyond G.o.d"s care, for it always reaches you; you can never be outside of it, for it is always enfolding you.
""Who will take care of me?" darling, you say, Lovingly, tenderly watched as you are?
Listen! I give you the answer to-day, One who is never forgetful or far.
"He will take care of you! All through the year Crowning each day with His kindness and love, Sending you blessings and shielding from fear, Leading you on to His bright home above."
19. Nineteenth Day.
Under His Wings.
"Under His wings shall thou trust."--Ps. xci. 4.
That means to-day, not some other time! Under His wings, the shadowing wings of the Most High, you, poor little helpless one, are to trust to-day.
When the little eaglets, that have not yet a feather to fly with, are under the great wings of the parent eagle, how safe they are! Who would dare touch them? If a bold climber put his hand into the nest then, those powerful wings would beat him in a minute from his hold, and he would fall down the rocks and be dashed to pieces. So safe shall you be "under His wings," "nothing shall by any means hurt you" there.
When the wild snow-storms rage round the eyrie, and the mountain cold is felt, that is death to an unprotected sleeper, how warm the little eaglets are kept! Not an arrow of the keen blast reaches them, poor little featherless things, not a snowflake touches them. So warm shall you be kept "under His wings," when any cold and dark day of trouble comes, or even any sudden little blast of unkindness or loneliness.
"Under His wings shall thou _trust_!" Not "shall thou _see_!" If one of the eaglets wanted to see for itself what was going on, and thought it could take care of itself for a little while, and hopped from under the shadow of the wings, it would be neither safe nor warm. The sharp wind would chill it, and the cruel hand might seize it then. So you are to _trust_, rest quietly and peacefully, "under His wings;" stay there, not be peeping out and wondering whether G.o.d really is taking care of you! You may be always safe and happy there. Safe, for "in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge." Happy, for "in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice."
Remember, too, that it is a command as well as a promise; it is what you are to do to-day, all day long: "Under His wings _shalt_ thou trust!"
"I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, Trusting only Thee!
Trusting Thee for full salvation, Great and free.
"I am trusting Thee to guide me, Thou alone shalt lead!
Every day and hour supplying All my need."
20. Twentieth Day
Always Near.
"I am with you alway."--Matt. xxvlii. 20.
How nice it would be if we could always have the one we loved best in all the world with us; never away from us night or day, and no fear that they ever possibly would or could leave us; never a good-bye even for ever such a little while, and never, never the long farewell of death!
Can this ever be for you? Yes, for you; for to every one who is a disciple of the Lord Jesus (that is, who learns of Him and owns Him as Master), He says, "I am with you alway." He does not even say, "I will be with you;"
so that you might be wondering when He meant to come, when He would begin to be "with you;" but He says, "I _am_ with you." Yes, even now, though perhaps your eyes are holden, like those of the two who walked to Emmaus when Jesus was beside them and they did not know it. Your feeling or not feeling that He is there has nothing at all to do with it, because His word must be true and _is_ true, and He has said, "I _am_ with you alway."
All you have to do is to be happy in believing it to be true. And if you go on believing it, you will soon begin to realize it; that is, to find that it is a real thing, and that Jesus really is with you.
How long will He be with you? Always, "all the days!" He hath said, "I will never leave thee." "Never" means really _never_, not for one moment.
You can not get beyond "never." It goes on all through your life, and all through G.o.d"s great "forever." And "always" means really _always_, every single moment of all your life, so that you need never ask again, "Is Jesus with me now?" Of course He is! the answer will always be "yes,"
because He hath said, "I am with you alway." How safe, how sweet, how blessed!
"O Jesus, make Thyself to me A living, bright reality!
More present to faith"s vision keen Than any outward object seen; More dear, more intimately nigh, Than even the sweetest earthly tie."
21. Twenty-first Day.
Doing G.o.d"s Will.
"Teach me to do Thy will."--Ps. cxliii. 10.
When you see some one doing with very great delight some beautiful and pleasant piece of work, have you not thought, "I should like to be able to do that!" and perhaps you have said, "Please, teach me how to do it."
Can you think of anything pleasanter to do than what the very angels are full of delight in doing? Can you think of anything more beautiful to do than what is done in the "pleasant land," the beautiful home above? Can you fancy anything more interesting to do than what the dwellers there will never get tired of doing for thousands of millions of years? Would you not like to be taught to do it too?--to begin the pleasant and beautiful and most interesting work now, instead of waiting till you are grown up, and then perhaps never learning it at all, because it was put off now? Then pray this little prayer this morning with all your heart, "Teach me to do Thy will." For it is His will that is the happiest work above, and the very happiest thing to do here below.
What is His will? The Prayer-Book version of this Psalm tells you very simply and sweetly. It says, "Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth Thee." So doing G.o.d"s will is just doing the things, one by one, that please Him.
Why did David ask this? He goes on to say why--"For Thou art my G.o.d." If G.o.d is really _our_ G.o.d, we too shall wish to do the thing that pleaseth Him. David did not think he could do it of himself, for he says next, "Let Thy loving Spirit lead me." That loving Spirit will lead you too, dear child, and show you how beautiful and grand G.o.d"s will is, and make you long to do it always, and teach you to do it. So that even on earth you may begin to do what the angels are doing in heaven!
"It is but very little For Him that I can do, Then let me seek to serve Him, My earthly journey through; And, without sigh or murmur, To do His holy will; And in my daily duties His wise commands fulfill."
22. Twenty-second Day.
Working for Jesus.
"Ye have done it unto me." "Ye did it not to me."--Matt. xxv., xl., and xlv.
Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us opportunities of showing whether we love Him or not. He tells us that what we try to do for any one who is poor, or hungry, or sick, or a lonely stranger, is just the same as doing it to Him. And when the King says, "Come, ye blessed," He will remember these little things, and will say, "Ye have done it unto me." But He tells us that if we do nothing for them, it is just the same as if He were standing there and we would do nothing for Him. And He will say, "Ye did it not to me."
One of these two words will be spoken to you in the great day when you see the King on the throne of His glory. Which shall it be? What are you doing for Jesus? Are you doing anything at all for Him? Perhaps you say, "I have no opportunity." Did you ever try to find one? Did you ever ask Him to give you opportunities of doing something for Him? Or is it only that you have never yet cared or tried to do anything for Him? Be honest about it. He knows. And He will forgive.
But now, what is to be done? Begin by asking Him to show you. And then keep a bright, sharp look-out, and see if you can not find an opportunity very soon (and perhaps many) of doing something kind for His sake to some poor or sick or lonely one. Set to work to _think_ what you could do!