Daily Strength for Daily Needs
M >>
Mary W. Tileston >> Daily Strength for Daily Needs
Pages:
1 | 2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17
If thou hast Yesterday thy duty done,
And thereby cleared firm footing for To-day,
Whatever clouds make dark To-morrow's sun,
Thou shall not miss thy solitary way.
J. W. VON GOETHE.
O Lord, who art our Guide even unto death, grant us, I pray Thee, grace to
follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest. In little daily duties to which Thou
callest us, bow down our wills to simple obedience, patience under pain or
provocation, strict truthfulness of word and manner, humility, kindness; in
great acts of duty or perfection, if Thou shouldest call us to them, uplift
us to self-sacrifice, heroic courage, laying down of life for Thy truth's
sake, or for a brother. Amen.
C. G. ROSSETTI.
January 24
_I will bless the Lord, who bath given me counsel_.--PS. xvi. 7.
_Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord_.--ROM. xii.
11.
Mine be the reverent, listening love
That waits all day on Thee,
With the service of a watchful heart
Which no one else can see.
A. L. WARING.
Nothing is small or great in God's sight; whatever He wills becomes great
to us, however seemingly trifling, and if once the voice of conscience
tells us that He requires anything of us, we have no right to measure its
importance. On the other hand, whatever He would not have us do, however
important we may think it, is as nought to us.
How do you know what you may lose by neglecting this duty, which you think
so trifling, or the blessing which its faithful performance may bring? Be
sure that if you do your very best in that which is laid upon you daily,
you will not be left without sufficient help when some weightier occasion
arises. Give yourself to Him, trust Him, fix your eye upon Him, listen to
His voice, and then go on bravely and cheerfully.
JEAN NICOLAS GROU.
January 25
_If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them_.--JOHN xiii. 17.
_Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is
sin_.--JAMES iv. 17.
We cannot kindle when we will
The fire that in the heart resides,
The spirit bloweth and is still,
In mystery our soul abides:
But tasks in hours of insight willed
Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.
MATTHEW ARNOLD.
Hurt not your conscience with any known sin.
S. RUTHERFORD.
Deep-rooted customs, though wrong, are not easily altered; but it is the
duty of all to be firm in that which they certainly know is right for them.
JOHN WOOLMAN.
He often acts unjustly who does not do a certain thing; not only he who
does a certain thing.
MARCUS ANTONINUS.
Every duty we omit obscures some truth we should have known.
JOHN RUSKIN.
January 26
_O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are His judgments, and His--ways past finding out_!--ROM. xi.
33.
_It doth not yet appear what we shall be_.--I JOHN iii. 2.
No star is ever lost we once have seen,
We always may be what we might have been.
Since Good, though only thought, has life and breath,
God's life--can always be redeemed from death;
And evil, in its nature, is decay,
And any hour can blot it all away;
The hopes that lost in some far distance seem,
May be the truer life, and this the dream.
A. A. PROCTER.
St. Bernard has said: "Man, if thou desirest a noble and holy life, and
unceasingly prayest to God for it, if thou continue constant in this thy
desire, it will be granted unto thee without fail, even if only in the day
or hour of thy death; and if God should not give it to thee then, thou
shalt find it in Him in eternity: of this be assured." Therefore do not
relinquish your desire, though it be not fulfilled immediately, or though
ye may swerve from your aspirations, or even forget them for a time.... The
love and aspiration which once really existed live forever before God, and
in Him ye shall find the fruit thereof; that is, to all eternity it shall
be better for you than if you had never felt them.
J. TAULER.
January 27
_For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name
is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a
contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to
revive the heart of the contrite ones_.--ISA. lvii. 15.
Without an end or bound
Thy life lies all outspread in light;
Our lives feel Thy life all around,
Making our weakness strong, our darkness bright;
Yet is it neither wilderness nor sea,
But the calm gladness of a full eternity.
F. W. FABER.
O truth who art Eternity! And Love who art Truth! And Eternity who art
Love! Thou art my God, to Thee do I sigh night and day. When I first knew
Thee, Thou liftedst me up, that I might see there was somewhat for me to
see, and that I was not yet such as to see. And Thou streaming forth Thy
beams of light upon me most strongly, didst beat back the weakness of my
sight, and I trembled with love and awe: and I perceived myself to be far
off from Thee in the region of unlikeness.
ST. AUGUSTINE.
January 28
_O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear
Him_--PS. xxxiv. 9.
_Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfies the desire of every living
thing_.--PS. cxlv. 16.
What Thou shalt to-day provide,
Let me as a child receive;
What to-morrow may betide,
Calmly to Thy wisdom leave.
'Tis enough that Thou wilt care;
Why should I the burden bear?
J. NEWTON.
Have we found that anxiety about possible consequences increased the
clearness of our judgment, made us wiser and braver in meeting the present,
and arming ourselves for the future? If we had prayed for this day's bread,
and left the next to itself, if we had not huddled our days together,
not allotting to each its appointed task, but ever deferring that to the
future, and drawing upon the future for its own troubles, which must be
met when they come whether we have anticipated them or not, we should
have found a simplicity and honesty in our lives, a capacity for work, an
enjoyment in it, to which we are now, for the most part, strangers.
F. D. MAURICE.
January 29
_I the Lord will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will
help thee_.--ISA. xli. 13.
_Show Thy marvellous loving-kindness, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand
them which put their trust in Thee_.--PS. xvii. 7.
Take Thy hand, and fears grow still;
Behold Thy face, and doubts remove;
Who would not yield his wavering will
To perfect Truth and boundless Love?
S. JOHNSON.
Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life in fear; rather
look to them with full hope that, as they arise, God, whose you are, will
deliver you out of them. He has kept you hitherto,--do you but hold fast to
His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all things; and, when
you cannot stand, He will bear you in His arms. Do not look forward to what
may happen to-morrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you to-day,
will take care of you to-morrow, and every day. Either he will shield you
from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at
peace then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES.
January 30
_If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of
the sea: even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold
me_.--PS. cxxxix. 9, 10.
I cannot lose Thee! Still in Thee abiding,
The end is clear, how wide soe'er I roam;
The Hand that holds the worlds my steps is guiding,
And I must rest at last in Thee, my home.
E. SCUDDER.
How can we come to perceive this direct leading of God? By a careful
looking at home, and abiding; within the gates of thy own soul. Therefore,
let a man be at home in his own heart, and cease from his restless chase of
and search after outward things. If he is thus at home while on earth, he
will surely come to see what there is to do at home,--what God commands
him inwardly without means, and also outwardly by the help of means; and
then let him surrender himself, and follow God along whatever path his
loving Lord thinks fit to lead him: whether it be to contemplation or
action, to usefulness or enjoyment; whether in sorrow or in joy, let him
follow on. And if God do not give him thus to feel His hand in all things,
let him still simply yield himself up, and go without, for God's sake, out
of love, and still press forward.
J. TAULER.
January 31
_In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths_.--PROV.
iii. 6.
_He leadeth me_.--PS. xxiii. 2.
In "pastures green"? Not always; sometimes He
Who knoweth best, in kindness leadeth me
In weary ways, where heavy shadows be.
So, whether on the hill-tops high and fair
I dwell, or in the sunless valleys, where
The shadows lie, what matter? He is there.
HENRY H. BARRY.
The Shepherd knows what pastures are best for his sheep, and they must not
question nor doubt, but trustingly follow Him. Perhaps He sees that the
best pastures for some of us are to be found in the midst of opposition or
of earthly trials. If He leads you there, you may be sure they are green
for you, and you will grow and be made strong by feeding there. Perhaps He
sees that the best waters for you to walk beside will be raging waves of
trouble and sorrow. If this should be the case, He will make them still
waters for you, and you must go and lie down beside them, and let them have
all their blessed influences upon you.
H. W. SMITH.
February 1
_Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one
toward another, according to Christ Jesus_.--ROM. xv. 5.
_Let patience have her perfect work_.--JAMES i. 4.
Make me patient, kind, and gentle,
Day by day;
Teach me how to live more nearly
As I pray.
SHARPE'S MAGAZINE.
The exercise of patience involves a continual practice of the presence of
God; for we may be come upon at any moment for an almost heroic display of
good temper, and it is a short road to unselfishness, for nothing is left
to self; all that seems to belong most intimately to self, to be self's
private property, such as time, home, and rest, are invaded by these
continual trials of patience. The family is full of such opportunities.
F. W. FABER.
Only as we know what it is to cherish love when sore at some unkindness, to
overmaster ourselves when under provocation, to preserve gentleness during
trial and unmerited wrong,--only then can we know in any degree the "manner
of spirit" that was in Christ.
T. T. CARTER.
February 2
_Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the
feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men_.--I THESS. v.
14.
The little worries which we meet each day
May lie as stumbling-blocks across our way,
Or we may make them stepping-stones to be
Of grace, O Lord, to Thee.
A. E. HAMILITON.
We must be continually sacrificing our own wills, as opportunity serves, to
the will of others; bearing, without notice, sights and sounds that annoy
us; setting about this or that task, when we had far rather be doing
something very different; persevering in it, often, when we are thoroughly
tired of it; keeping company for duty's sake, when it would be a great joy
to us to be by ourselves; besides all the trifling untoward accidents of
life; bodily pain and weakness long continued, and perplexing us often
when it does not amount to illness; losing what we value, missing what
we desire; disappointment in other persons, wilfulness, unkindness,
ingratitude, folly, in cases where we least expect it.
J. KEBLE.
February 3
_Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see
if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting_.--PS.
cxxxix. 23, 24.
Save us from the evil tongue,
From the heart that thinketh wrong,
From the sins, whate'er they be,
That divide the soul from Thee.
ANON.
Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy
mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts. Dye it then with a continuous
series of such thoughts as these: for instance, that where a man can live,
there he can also live well. But he must live in a palace: well, then, he
can also live well in a palace.
MARCUS ANTONINUS.
Who is there that sets himself to the task of steadily watching his
thoughts for the space of one hour, with the view of preserving his mind
in a simple, humble, healthful condition, but will speedily discern in the
multiform, self-reflecting, self-admiring emotions, which, like locusts,
are ready to "eat up every green thing in his land," a state as much
opposed to simplicity and humility as night is to day?
M. A. KELTY.
February 4
_If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to
bridle the whole body_.--JAMES iii. 2
_Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips_.--PS.
cxli. 3.
What! never speak one evil word,
Or rash, or idle, or unkind!
Oh, how shall I, most gracious Lord,
This mark of true perfection find?
C. WESLEY.
When we remember our temptations to give quick indulgence to disappointment
or irritation or unsympathizing weariness, and how hard a thing it is
from day to day to meet our fellow-men, our neighbors, or even our own
households, in all moods, in all discordances between the world without
us and the frames within, in all states of health, of solicitude,
of preoccupation, and show no signs of impatience, ungentleness, or
unobservant self-absorption,--with only kindly feeling finding expression,
and ungenial feeling at least inwardly imprisoned;--we shall be ready to
acknowledge that the man who has thus attained is master of himself, and in
the graciousness of his power is fashioned upon the style of a Perfect Man.
J. H. THOM.
February 5
_Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at
all times_.--PS. cvi. 3.
_Thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: because thou shalt forget thy
misery, and remember it as waters that pass away_.--JOB xi. 15, 16.
In the bitter waves of woe,
Beaten and tossed about
By the sullen winds that blow
From the desolate shores of doubt,
Where the anchors that faith has cast
Are dragging in the gale,
I am quietly holding fast
To the things that cannot fail.
WASHINGTON GLADDEN.
In the darkest hour through which a human soul can pass, whatever else is
doubtful, this at least is certain. If there be no God and no future state,
yet even then, it is better to be generous than selfish, better to be
chaste than licentious, better to be true than false, better to be brave
than to be a coward. Blessed beyond all earthly blessedness is the man who,
in the tempestuous darkness of the soul, has dared to hold fast to these
venerable landmarks. Thrice blessed is he, who, when all is drear and
cheerless within and without, when his teachers terrify him, and his
friends shrink from him, has obstinately clung to moral good. Thrice
blessed, because _his_ night shall pass into clear, bright day.
F. W. ROBERTSON.
February 6
_Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe_.--PROV. xxix. 25.
_I will cry unto God most high; unto God, that performeth all things for
me_.--PS. lvii. 2.
Only thy restless heart keep still,
And wait in cheerful hope; content
To take whate'er His gracious will,
His all-discerning love hath sent;
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
To Him who chose us for His own.
G. NEUMARK.
God has brought us into this time; He, and not ourselves or some dark
demon. If we are not fit to cope with that which He has prepared for us,
we should have been utterly unfit for any condition that we imagine for
ourselves. In this time we are to live and wrestle, and in no other. Let us
humbly, tremblingly, manfully look at it, and we shall not wish that the
sun could go back its ten degrees, or that we could go back with it. If
easy times are departed, it is that the difficult times may make us more
in earnest; that they may teach us not to depend upon ourselves. If easy
belief is impossible, it is that we may learn what belief is, and in whom
it is to be placed.
F. D. MAURICE.
February 7
_Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk
ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto
you_.--JER. vii. 23.
And oft, when in my heart was heard
Thy timely mandate, I deferred
The task, in smoother walks to stray;
But thee I now would serve more strictly, if I may.
W. WORDSWORTH.
Pray Him to give you what Scripture calls "an honest and good heart," or "a
perfect heart;" and, without waiting, begin at once to obey Him with the
best heart you have. Any obedience is better than none. You have to seek
His face; obedience is the only way of seeing Him. All your duties are
obediences. To do what He bids is to obey Him, and to obey Him is to
approach Him. Every act of obedience is an approach--an approach to Him who
is not far off, though He seems so, but close behind this visible screen of
things which hides Him from us.
J. H. NEWMAN.
As soon as we lay ourselves entirely at His feet, we have enough light
given us to guide our own steps; as the foot-soldier, who hears nothing of
the councils that determine the course of the great battle he is in, hears
plainly enough the word of command which he must himself obey.
GEORGE ELIOT.
February 8
_He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me
in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake_.--PS. xxiii. 2, 3.
He leads me where the waters glide,
The waters soft and still,
And homeward He will gently guide
My wandering heart and will.
J. KEBLE.
Out of obedience and devotion arises an habitual faith, which makes Him,
though unseen, a part of all our life. He will guide us in a sure path,
though it be a rough one: though shadows hang upon it, yet He will be
with us. He will bring us home at last. Through much trial it may be,
and weariness, in much fear and fainting of heart, in much sadness and
loneliness, in griefs that the world never knows, and under burdens that
the nearest never suspect. Yet He will suffice for all. By His eye or by
His voice He will guide us, if we be docile and gentle; by His staff and
by His rod, if we wander or are wilful: any how, and by all means, He will
bring us to His rest.
H. E. MANNING.
February 9
_I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou
hast that is thine_.--MATT. xxv. 25.
Time was, I shrank from what was right,
From fear of what was wrong;
I would not brave the sacred fight,
Because the foe was strong.
But now I cast that finer sense
And sorer shame aside;
Such dread of sin was indolence,
Such aim at heaven was pride.
J. H. NEWMAN.
If he falls into some error, he does not fret over it, but rising up with a
humble spirit, he goes on his way anew rejoicing. Were he to fall a hundred
times in the day, he would not despair,--he would rather cry out lovingly
to God, appealing to His tender pity. The really devout man has a horror of
evil, but he has a still greater love of that which is good; he is more
set on doing what is right, than avoiding what is wrong. Generous,
large-hearted, he is not afraid of danger in serving God, and would rather
run the risk of doing His will imperfectly than not strive to serve Him
lest he fail in the attempt.
JEAN NICOLAS GROU.
February 10
_We have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have
waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation_.--ISA. xxv.
9.
Blest are the humble souls that wait
With sweet submission to His will;
Harmonious all their passions move,
And in the midst of storms are still.
P. DODDRIDGE.
Do not be discouraged at your faults; bear with yourself in correcting
them, as you would with your neighbor. Lay aside this ardor of mind, which
exhausts your body, and leads you to commit errors. Accustom yourself
gradually to carry prayer into all your daily occupations. Speak, move,
work, in peace, as if you were in prayer, as indeed you ought to be. Do
everything without excitement, by the spirit of grace. As soon as you
perceive your natural impetuosity gliding in, retire quietly within, where
is the kingdom of God. Listen to the leadings of grace, then say and do
nothing but what the Holy Spirit shall put in your heart. You will find
that you will become more tranquil, that your words will be fewer and more
effectual, and that, with less effort, you will accomplish more good.
FRANCOIS DE LA MOTHE FENELON.
February 11
_I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do_.--JOHN xvii. 4.
_She hath done what she could_.--MARK xiv. 8.
He who God's will has borne and done,
And his own restless longings stilled,
What else he does, or has foregone,
His mission he has well fulfilled.
FROM THE GERMAN.
Cheered by the presence of God, I will do at each moment, without anxiety,
according to the strength which He shall give me, the work that His
Providence assigns me. I will leave the rest without concern; it is not my
affair. I ought to consider the duty to which I am called each day, as the
work that God has given me to do, and to apply myself to it in a manner
worthy of His glory, that is to say, with exactness and in peace. I must
neglect nothing; I must be violent about nothing.
FRANCOIS DE LA MOTHE FENELON.
It is thy duty oftentimes to do what thou wouldst not; thy duty, too, to
leave undone what thou wouldst do.
THOMAS A KEMPIS.
February 12
_Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits_.--PS. lxviii. 19.
_Nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly
all things to enjoy_.--I TIM. vi. 17.
Source of my life's refreshing springs,
Whose presence in my heart sustains me,
Thy love ordains me pleasant things,
Thy mercy orders all that pains me.
A. L. WARING.
And to be true, and speak my soul, when I survey the occurrences of my
life, and call into account the finger of God, I can perceive nothing
but an abyss and mass of mercies, either in general to mankind, or in
particular to myself; and whether out of the prejudice of my affection,
or an inverting and partial conceit of His mercies, I know not; but those
which others term crosses, afflictions, judgments, misfortunes, to me who
inquire farther into them than their visible effects, they both appear,
and in event have ever proved, the secret and dissembled favors of His
affection.
SIR T. BROWNE.
February 13
_Let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him_.--2 SAM. xv. 26.
To have, each day, the thing I wish,
Lord, that seems best to me;
But not to have the thing I wish,
Lord, that seems best to Thee.
Most truly, then, Thy will is done,
When mine, O Lord, is crossed;
It is good to see my plans o'erthrown,
My ways in Thine all lost.
H. BONAR.
O Lord, Thou knowest what is best for us; let this or that be done, as Thou
shalt please. Give what Thou wilt, and how much Thou wilt, and when Thou
wilt. Deal with me as Thou thinkest good. Set me where Thou wilt, and deal
with me in all things just as Thou wilt. Behold, I am Thy servant, prepared
for all things: for I desire not to live unto myself, but unto Thee; and
oh, that I could do it worthily and perfectly!
THOMAS A KEMPIS.
Dare to look up to God, and say, "Make use of me for the future as Thou
wilt. I am of the same mind; I am one with Thee. I refuse nothing which
seems good to Thee. Lead me whither Thou wilt, clothe me in whatever
dress Thou wilt. Is it Thy will that I should be in a public or a private
condition, dwell here, or be banished, be poor or rich? Under all these
circumstances, I will testify unto Thee before men."
EPICTETUS.
February 14
_I would have you without carefulness_.--I COR. vii. 32.
O Lord, how happy should we be
If we could cast our care on Thee,
If we from self could rest;
And feel at heart that One above,
In perfect wisdom, perfect love,
Is working for the best.
J. ANSTICE.
Cast all thy care on God. See that all thy cares be such as thou canst cast
on God, and then hold none back. Never brood over thyself; never stop short
in thyself; but cast thy whole self, even this very care which distresseth
thee, upon God. Be not anxious about little things, if thou wouldst learn
to trust God with thine all. Act upon faith in little things; commit thy
daily cares and anxieties to Him; and He will strengthen thy faith for any
greater trials. Rather, give thy whole self into God's hands, and so trust
Him to take care of thee in all lesser things, as being His, for His own
sake, whose thou art.
E. B. PUSEY.
February 15
_If ye fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself, ye do well_.--JAMES ii. 8.
Come, children, let us go!
We travel hand in hand;
Each in his brother finds his joy
In this wild stranger land.
The strong be quick to raise
The weaker when they fall;
Let love and peace and patience bloom
In ready help for all.
Pages:
1 | 2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17