Category: General

Discipline is the secret strength, and strength is essential to success. Religious life is not to be honestly and usefully cultivated by fits and starts. Every morning its necessities must he provided for, and every night the day’s account should be audited and signed.

At first it may be hard to get rid of pedantry on the one hand, and morbid self-vivisection on the other. But difficulties are not impossibilities. By exercise we acquire skill, and spirituality is the outcome and the reward of carefully adjusted means. We begin in law, but we end in grace. Every morning the soul should come into conscious contact with God, if only for a few moments the very touch will invigorate and cheer the life, and call forth the truest sensitiveness of the moral nature.

If we would know what Christian discipline is, read the testimony of such a man as the Apostle Paul. I lis words arc the words of an athlete bent on victory, “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things …” (I Corinthians 9:25). “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:27). That is hard work. That is the way to keep down the turbulent body. “But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings” (2 Corinthians 6:4-5). This is consecration! This is loyalty to Christ! But all this was physical discipline, yet the spiritual discipline was not therefore neglected; on the contrary, physical discipline was but the outward proof of inward and spiritual culture. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6: 12). What then? ” … take unto you the whole armour of God … ” (Ephesians 6: 13). Be panoplied, be sober, be vigilant, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life … ” (I Timothy 6:12). The Apostle Paul only exhorted others to do what he had done himself, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

The Apostle Peter was also a disciplinarian. ” … give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10-11 ).

What is all this but the law of the Saviour, “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee … And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee … “(Matthew 5:29-30). “Strive to enter in at the strait gate … ” (Luke 13:24). “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness … ” (Matthew 6:33).

Have we not forgotten the necessity of the advantage of discipline? We are assured by the Apostle Paul that if we live only for the flesh we shall all die, but if through the Spirit we mortify the deeds of the body, we shall live. This is the law of the Kingdom- this the only way to final honour and eternal peace! ” … put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy … seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds” (Colossians 3:8-9). “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself…” (1 John 3:3).

We grow by discipline. Self-watching is the first duty of the day. Do not go out without your sword. Do not advance a step until you have waited upon God in the silence of secret communion. Never plead the exigencies of business or of family life as a reason for neglecting early religious communion. No exigency of the body can be equal to the exigency of eternal things. ” … endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). ” … O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (1 Timothy 6: 11). “… it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

Arc we not fighting for a crown? Are we not the soldiers of Christ? “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully” (2 Timothy 2:4-5).

Is it too much to spend a moment with the Saviour every morning? Is it hard work to take oneself to the heavenly fountain every morning? Is it too severe upon love to look once upon the object of its homage every morning? Does the morning come irregularly? Is the sun an uncertain visitor? Is God fickle? O my soul, bestir thyself and watch early for the coming of Him who bought thee with His blood. Try to be first at the appointed meeting place. Can thou outrun thy Lord? Knowest thou some short way to the altar?

lf I really love my Saviour, nothing will stand in the way of a personal interview every morning. “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it… ” (Song of Solomon 8:7). I do not want more argument, I want more love. I not only want to hear of my Lord, I want to see Him every morning. His written Word is full of tenderness, but O the music of His voice when He whispers His love to my heart! Who would have a letter when he can have a conversation. I want to hear the tender voice. I want to see the radiant face. I want to feel the strengthening touch. “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and look up” (Psalm 5:3).

“…and be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:15)

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s”(Psalm 103:1-5).

There are four kinds of people with regard to this matter of being thankful: First, there are those who are constantly complaining and grumbling. No matter what their circumstance in life, they always have a way of expressing their dissatisfaction.

Second, we have those who live lives of ingratitude. They do not complain, but they never thank God for His obvious blessings.

Third, we have those people who thank God for obvious blessings. When something good happens, then they are grateful. Surely these are better than the two groups above.

Fourth, we find the highest level of men who are grateful for all things at all times. Yes, for these people, thankfulness is the secret of their happy and productive life. The thankful heart counts his blessings and carries his burden.

Sad to say, ingratitude is one of the greatest flaws in the nature of man, and we dare say that most individuals are given to it. One of the most pathetic cases of ingratitude is seen in Jesus’ healing of the ten lepers – only one of them came back to thank Him for such a tremendous blessing. He obviously was disappointed, for He said in Luke 17:17, ” …Were there not ten cleansed’? but where are the nine?”

During the great depression days, which were desperate times for so many, there was a radio personality who had a program called “Job Center of the Air.” He did his best to find jobs for those in need, and, in fact, he did find jobs for 2,500 people in the days when jobs were as “scarce as hen’s teeth.” He reported that out of that large number who received assistance, only ten ever took the time to thank him. What base ingratitude!

A story also is told of a man who remembered a school teacher who had been very helpful to him when he was a child. She was now in her eighties and living all alone. So he sat down and wrote a letter expressing his thankfulness to her. Upon receiving his letter, she wrote to him, “I can’t tell you how much your letter meant to me. You will be interested to know that I taught school for fifty years, and yours is the first note of appreciation that I have received. It came on a blue, cold morning and filled me with cheer.”

Friends, if our ingratitude to man is bad, what about ingratitude to God? The chief enemy for being thankful is self, which is the essence of all sins. This matter of being thankful has to do with the attitude of our heart. The child of God ought to be able to thank God every moment of every day no matter what may be his lot in life. “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5 :20).

The Bible says that in the last days ” … men shall be lovers of their own selves … “ (2 Timothy 3:2). This has always been true, for man is basically selfish, but it is increasing and intensifying like all other sins in these last days. However, God’s people ought to take this time to express their thanksgiving to God for His salvation and provision. Unfortunately, this sin, like many others, is becoming more and more evident in professing Christians. Thanksgiving for most professed believers in Jesus Christ is nothing more than a holiday, a time of feasting, ballgames, and so one.

Dear friend, how grateful are you for God’s blessings and bounty? How grateful are you for God’s ” … unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15)? Are you thankful enough to surrender your all to Him who loved you and gave Himself for you? In spite of the sad condition of our land today, how blessed of God we are. Abraham Lincoln, in his Thanksgiving proclamation, in the midst of that horrible war, said, “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven … but we have forgotten God.”

If we are true believers in Jesus Christ, our gratitude ought to be abundantly evident because of all that He has done for us. “Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11). “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”(Psalm 107:8).

(1 Peter 4:7)

Go not, my friend, into the dangerous world without prayer. You kneel down at night to pray, drowsiness weighs down your eyelids; a hard day’s work is a kind of excuse, and you shorten your prayer, and resign yourself softly to repose. The morning breaks; and it may be you rise late, and so your early devotions an: not done, or are done with irregular haste.

No watching unto prayer! Wakefulness once more omitted; and now is that reparable? We solemnly believe not. There has been that done which cannot be undone. You have given up your prayer, and you will surfer for it.

Temptation is before you, and you are not ready to meet it. There is a guilty feeling on the soul, and you linger at a distance from God. It is no marvel if that day in which you suffer drowsiness to interfere with prayer be a day in which you shrink from duty. Moments of prayer intruded on by sloth cannot be made up. We may get experience, but we cannot get back the rich freshness and strength which were wrapped up in those moments.

If Jesus, the Son of God, felt it necessary to rise before the breaking of the day to pour out His heart to God in prayer, how much more ought you to pray unto Him Who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and Who has promised all things necessary for our good.

What Jesus gathered into His life from His prayers we can never know; but this we do know, that the prayerless life is a powerless life. A prayer less life may be a noisy life, and fuss around a great deal; but such a life is far removed from Him Who, by day and night, prayed to God.

There is a verse in Judges chapter 5 that stands out from all the others of that chapter because it is a curse pronounced in the midst of the praise and blessings, “Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty” (verse 23).

Not too much is known of Meraz. Only that it was a little village near the river Kishon, and the people of the village were Children of Israel and the Lord was their God. It is not mentioned anymore in the Scripture, and it seems that it was utterly destroyed as a result of this curse put upon it by their own prophetess, Deborah. Why would she utter such a curse upon her own people? Why did God send His angel to bring judgement to pass?

For twenty years the children of Israel were being ruled by hard-hearted Jabin who was king of Canaan. He had a large army, and many of his soldiers rode in iron chariots drawn by horses. The children of Israel were in constant fear of them, and for twenty years they were oppressed. Then they cried to God for help. God spoke to the Prophetess Deborah and told her what to do. She called Barak, and together they planned the battle against the Canaanites.

When they reached Mount Tabor, in the north, the place chosen by God for their camp, they found it to be a perfect spot. From there they could look down and see the little river Kishon winding through the valley below them. Sisera soon heard, and ” … gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him … unto the river of Kishon” (Judges 4:13).

Deborah sent her army down, “And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him” (Judges 4:14).

There was a tremendous battle, but all the while this was going on there were some of the Lord’s people in a little village called Meraz who refused to help when they were so greatly needed. They knew what their duty was, and at first they considered it. ” … For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart” (Judges 5:15-16). They felt the patriotic impulse, and, no doubt, at first determined to join the ranks of their brethren; but while they waited and considered, the counter-call came-the more pleasant and peaceful sound of the bleatings of the sheep. Why exchange this for a battlefield? Or the shepherd songs for the trumpet sound of war.”

So here we have it- the call of duty and the counter-call of comfort and worldly gain and self interests. So they abode among the sheepfolds. ” … Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go …?”(Judges 4:6). “Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds …?” (Judges 5:16).

The men of Meroz are many today. They arc the Lord’s dear people who are not in the battle for God. They know their duty but fear the foe. They know the truth but shrink before Satan’s lies. They fear trouble and shrink from being numbered with the few. They lack the courage of their convictions and call cowardice “caution.” But it is the sin of Meroz! It is the love of ease, the “leave us alone, we want to live our own lives” attitude.

Deborah scorned them, and they deserve scorn still. Our duty and privilege is to serve the Lord. He needs and He wants our help to make His message of salvation known. This is the only message that can deliver those who are held captive by Satan and by sin.

Almost everyone wants to keep something which he prizes very much. Here are four “keeps” which are jewels from a treasure chest:

1. Keep the Lord’s commands. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments … ” (1 John 5:3).

2. Keep the love of God. “Keep yourselves in the love of God … ” (Jude 1:21).

3. Keep thy lips. “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile” (Psalm 34: 13).

4. Keep yourself from evil. “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word” (Psalm 119:101).

A Man and His Soul

“I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir” (Isaiah 13: 12).

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). The

Redeeming Blood of Christ

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1: 18-19).

The Inspired Word of God

” … the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:9-10).

Wisdom and Understanding

“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold” (Proverbs 3:13-14).

The Knowledge of God

“Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold” (Proverbs 8: 1 0).

A Good Name

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22: 1).

The Trial of Your Faith

” … ye greatly rejoice … That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1 :6-7).

In his epistle to the Colossians, Paul cautions them against philosophy. He says, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

Philosophy is love of wisdom. There are two types of wisdom: the wisdom of this world which ” … is foolishness with God … ” (1 Corinthians 3:19); and the wisdom of God which is “after Christ.” The latter is the gift of God and not the result of human attainment.

Some Christian magazines are so filled with human philosophy that there is little room left for the true wisdom of God. Only articles written by men who have some educational degree and letters after their names are admitted. These often philosophize on things which can be argued about with little or no reference to the Word of God. Whole chapters are sometimes devoted to discussion on what some Christian celebrity has taught, giving long quotations from other writers about such men, often without any finality or any real profit to the reader. And all this tends to squeeze out profitable exposition of the Word of God.

The Scribes and Pharisees of our Lord’s day were, in their own view, learned men, being exceedingly zealous of the traditions of their fathers. When the disciples, Peter and John, fearlessly and equally lucidly, proclaimed before them the exclusive Gospel of Jesus Christ, their judges ” … perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men … “, and” … they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). That is where true wisdom is found.

To sit at Jesus’ feet while, in fulfilment of His promises, the Holy Ghost guides into truth, is better than all the degrees or the seminaries. We do not despise the teaching of the colleges as an adjunct to the teaching of the Spirit, but it can never be more than an adjunct, for without the teaching of the Word by the Spirit in fellowship with the Lord Jesus there can be no true wisdom at all. The best thing Luke could say of Apollos was that he was” … mighty in the scriptures … ” (Acts 18:24). It is the Scriptures that ” … are able to make thee wise unto salvation … ” (2 Timothy 3:15), and it is the same Scriptures by which the man of God ” … may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:17).

Paul’s exhortation to Timothy was to “Preach the word … ” (2 Timothy 4:2), and in doing so we are to use ” … wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. .. ” (1 Timothy 6:3). The discourse given by our Lord to His disciples, and His following prayer in John 14-17, are couched in simple language. The great majority of the words used are of one or two syllables. Even a small child can understand the words used, and yet the truths conveyed are too deep for angelic minds to fathom. This proves that profound truths can be conveyed in simple language. Paul exhorts Titus to use “Sound speech, that cannot be condemned … ” (Titus 2:8).

A chaplain to Queen Victoria was once asked whether he felt nervous in preaching before the Queen. His reply was to the effect that when the Queen attended divine services, all her domestic staff were also present, right down to the scullery maid; and he said, “I preach to the scullery maid.” Paul tells the Corinthians that he came to them ” … not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God” (I Corinthians 2:1). He said he was sent” … to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect” (I Corinthians 1:17). O ye philosophers, leave your high-falutin language sometimes and come down to the scullery maids! Do not spoil your hearers through philosophy but “Preach the word … ” (2 Timothy 4:2) in language “easy to be understood.”

TO PURGE. “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1 :3).

TO PUT AWAY. “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

TO REMEMBER NO MORE. “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10: 17).

TO CLEANSE. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1 :7).

TO WASH. “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1 :5-6).

TO COVER. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1).

TO REMOVE FROM “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

TO CAST BEHIND HIS BACK. “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back” (Isaiah 38:17).

TO BLOT OUT. “I, even I, am he that blotteth out my transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43 :25).

TO CAST INTO THE SEA. “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).

” … be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

1. A Christian should be fervent in the faith. ” … it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1 :3-4).

When the faith is under attack, it needs to be defended. (Read Titus 2:1 ;Acts 20:29-31; 1 Corinthians 16: 13; 2 Timothy 4:7.)

2. A Christian should be fervent in brotherly love. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1 Peter 1 :22).

A mark of true discipleship to be seen by all men. (Read John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:20; Romans 12: 10.)

3. A Christian should be fervent in prayer. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5: 16)

If it is the prayer of faith, we may expect that it will be fervent. (Read Ephesians 6: 18; Acts 12:5; Matthew 6:5-8.)

4. A Christian should be fervent in worship. “And his disciples remembered that it was written, the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (John 2:17).

The early church is our example in worship. (Read Acts 2:42- 47; Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:25.)

5. A Christian should be fervent in mind. “And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more” (2 Corinthians 7:7).

The effect of wrong thinking; you are what you think. (Read Proverbs 23:7; Philippians 4:8.)

6. A Christian should be fervent in good works. “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).

The life that we live; the Gospel puts emphasis on the life. (Read Titus 2:7; Titus 3:8; Hebrews 10:24.)

7. A Christian should be fervent in spiritual gifts. “Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church” (I Corinthians 14:12.)

These gifts edify and build up the believer and give him strength. (Read 1 Corinthians 12.)

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1).

This is indeed one of the heart-searching passages from God’s Word. We have read it over many times, no doubt; yet, have we ever stopped really to consider its true meaning? Surely the words practically mean this, “Take care that you do not live your life before men instead of before God, for if you do, God cannot bear witness to it and give you His reward.”

It is a severe temptation to live our “righteousness” before men, to be seen by others, to have them think well of us because they notice us doing good deeds or hear us speak kind words. These words truly pierce to the joints and marrow (Hebrews 4: 12).

It is possible to do much of our Christian work to ” … be seen of men … ” (Matthew 6:5) – not intentionally perhaps, but almost unconsciously we ask or think, “How does it look?” or “What will they say?” concerning much that is said and done.

The heavenly life is a life ” … hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3 :3). In Matthew 6:1-18, the Lord Jesus endeavours to tell us about such a life and some things necessary in its living. The Lord in these verses speaks of hidden service (verses 2-4), hidden prayers (verses 5-15), and hidden suffering (verses 16-18).

HIDDEN SERVICE

There is the hidden life of service. Service is a much used word today in the church and Christian sphere. We are urged to serve, and so we ought. Christ does not condemn service, indeed He encourages it; but warns that our Christian service, all our giving of money, time, and strength, should be hidden between God and ourselves (verses 3-4). Even among our members, the left hand and the right hand (verse 3), it is to be a secret service. We are not even to sit down to think or dwell upon it – what we do we are to forget and leave it before God. This is the “closet” life- a life lived close to God.

Such life, lived in secret, will be owned by God openly. It will be seen of men then, but in such a manner that they will glorify God the Father. They will be able to see how God serves us, not how we serve God!

Jesus said one time that what we give up we gain, and what we try to save we lose. This passage of Scripture helps us to understand what He had in mind. If we do a good deed and think of the praise of men, we lose our reward of God. If we think of the praise of God, we gain His approval and His open reward, which men do see after all.

HIDDEN PRAYER

In verses 6-7, the Lord speaks of praying in secret, or hidden prayer. In verse 5, He mentions a class of people who prayed deliberately and intentionally to ” … be seen of men … ” because they loved men’s praise.

“Please excuse me from leading in audible prayer,” some folks will beg, “I just can’t pray so well as Brother So and So.” Another has been heard to say, “Well, if I cannot speak, at least I can pray!” Common expressions, sounding almost humble, yet with perhaps the dangerous “seen of men” poison behind them, a subtle motive being the guiding principle rather than true humility.

“My prayers aren’t answered, so why go on praying?” asks a Christian professor, despondently. “I’ve almost ceased to believe that God hears prayer; so many of mine have gone unanswered lately.” Many have this experience. May it not be possible that, in some cases, the reason is made clear by the Lord’s explanation of prayer rewards? He says plainly, ” … no reward of your Father … ” (verse 1).

Someone has said, “We think of men so much because we know so little of God.” One of the greatest problems of public prayer is here: to keep the thought upon God and off of men. It is much easier to pray in the secret place where men cannot see or hear, but it is also possible to pray in public, ” … before men … ” (verse 1). The characteristics of prayer in this hidden prayer life could be set forth in this way:

1.1t is prayer with no thought of what others think (verse 5).

2. It is prayer shut in with God, whether in private or public worship (verse 6).

3. It is prayer not so much of language as of heart (verse 7).

4. It is prayer which is sure of response and reward (verse 6).

5. It is prayer definite and to the point, “After this manner therefore pray ye … ” (verses 9-13).

6. It is prayer to a Father who will respond to every real need (verse 8).

7. It is prayer in the spirit of forgiving love (verses 14-15).

HIDDEN SUFFERING

This is mentioned by the Lord in verses 16-18. Here, again, we find the warning about being “seen of men” when we suffer. This is perhaps the severest test or temptation of all. Fasting is particularly mentioned by the Lord Jesus. The Christians were not to fast and then go about with a sad countenance so that everyone who met them could tell they were fasting! There is a kind of pleasant martyrdom which Satan often uses, very cleverly, to spoil the Christian’s reward – it is rather “sweet” to do without, if we have the sympathy or praise or commendation of others! But it will bring no other reward, for such “martyrs” have had their reward.

These are very difficult things to make real in our lives, but most of Jesus’ teachings are difficult. He Himself lived fully this hidden prayer life, the hidden life itself. He spoke seldom of His own sorrows, always helped others overcome their difficulties and gave them sunshine. He told His Father the rest, lived in with Him, and was indeed rewarded openly to God’s glory.