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Help In Daily Living
the mistakes they were so quick to censure are lost sight of. Experience
teaches them sympathy. God permits men to be placed in positions of
responsibility. When they err, He has power to correct or to remove
them. We should be careful not to take into our hands the work of
judging that belongs to God.
The conduct of David toward Saul has a lesson. By command
[25]
of God, Saul had been anointed as king over Israel. Because of his
disobedience the Lord declared that the kingdom should be taken from
him; and yet how tender and courteous and forbearing was the conduct
of David toward him! In seeking the life of David, Saul came into
the wilderness and, unattended, entered the very cave where David
with his men of war lay hidden. “And the men of David said unto him,
Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, ... I will deliver thine
enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem
good unto thee.... And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I
should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch
forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”
The Saviour bids us, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what
judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye
mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Remember that soon your
life record will pass in review before God. Remember, too, that He has
said, “Thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: ...
for thou that judgest doest the same things.”
1 Samuel 24:4-6
;
Matthew
7:1, 2
;
Romans 2:1
.
Forbearance Under Wrong
We cannot afford to let our spirits chafe over any real or supposed
wrong done to ourselves. Self is the enemy we most need to fear.
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No form of vice has a more baleful effect upon the character than
has human passion not under the control of the Holy Spirit. No other
victory we can gain will be so precious as the victory gained over self.
We should not allow our feelings to be easily wounded. We are to
live, not to guard our feelings or our reputation, but to save souls. As
we become interested in the salvation of souls we cease to mind the
little differences that so often arise in our association with one another.
Whatever others may think of us or do to us, it need not disturb our
oneness with Christ, the fellowship of the Spirit. “What glory is it, if,