In This Issue:
A Failure?
Appearance of Evil
The Lament of a Backslider
Doing It on Their Own
A Good Example
A Burden for Others
Christ, Forever
Volume: 998 March 24, 2025
Theme: Assorted
The Daily View is a free, daily devotion. Sign up (https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/a26cc9M), and you will be e-mailed a link to read or HEAR a KJV chapter and a short commentary (200-700 words) of something taught in the day’s reading. The e-mail will also include a mini-sermon in pictures, a prayer list, Thought for The Day, a Biblestudy, and short articles reinforcing biblical principles.
Read what readers have said about the e-mailed devotion at
https://www.devotionsfromthebible.com/what-readers-say
Many years ago a merchant’s business had failed. He went home greatly upset.
“What is the matter?” asked his wife.
“I am ruined. I will be a beggar. I have lost it all!” he exclaimed, pressing his hands upon his forehead.
“All?” said his wife. “No. I am left.”
“Papa?” questioned his eldest boy. “Here I am!”
“And I, too,” piped in his little girl, running up and putting her arms around his neck.
“I’m not lost, papa,” repeated Eddy.
“And you have your health left,” reminded his wife.
“And your hands to work with,” said the eldest, “and I can help you.”
“And your two feet, papa, to carry you about, and your two eyes to see with, papa,” chimed in Eddie.
“And you have God’s promises,” added grandmother.
“And a good God,” added his wife.
“And a Heaven to go to,” said his little girl.
“And Jesus who came to fetch us there,” said his eldest.
“God forgive me!” said the poor merchant, bursting into tears. “I have not lost it all. What I have lost is nothing compared to what I have,” and he took comfort and began the world afresh.
“He who knows no hardships will know no hardihood. He who faces no calamity will need no courage. Mysterious though it is, the characteristics in human nature which we love best grow in a soil with a strong mixture of trouble.”
— Harry Emerson Fosdick
A thing may have the appearance of wrong-doing and not be evil in itself, just as an apple may have the appearance of sweetness and soundness and yet be both sour and rotten. Why, then, are we to abstain from the “appearance of evil”?
- Because most judge by the appearance and would therefore judge us wrongfully.
- Because in this judgment, our characters would be damaged and Christianity be defamed.
- Because by following the appearance of doing something wrong, we would promote and encourage evil.
- Because we are positively commanded to keep from even looking like we are doing something sinful.
- Because it is directly inconsistent with the good we profess we do.
- Because by abstaining from even looking like we are doing something wrong, we do not appear as hypocrites.
“If you want your neighbor to see what the Christ spirit will do for him, let him see what it has done for you.” — H. Beecher
The Lament of a Backslider
Author Unknown
Where is the Saviour now,
Whose smiles I once possessed?
Till He return, I bow,
By heavy grief oppressed.
My days of happiness are gone,
And I am left to weep alone.
Where can the mourner go,
And tell his tale of grief?
Ah, who can soothe his woe,
Ah, who can give relief?
Earth cannot heal the wounded breast
Or give the troubled conscience rest.
Jesus, Thy smiles impart;
My gracious Lord, return,
Bind up my broken heart
And bid me cease to mourn;
Then shall this night of sorrow flee,
And peace from Heaven be found in Thee.
Doing It on Their Own
H. W. Beecher
Many say, “I can find God without the help of the Bible, church, or minister.” Very well. Do so if you can.
The ferry company would feel no jealousy of a man who should prefer to swim to New York City rather than ride in their ferry. Let him do so if he is able, and we will talk about it on the other shore, but probably trying to swim would be the thing that would bring him quickest to the boat. So God would have no jealousy of a man’s going to Heaven without the aid of the Bible, church, or minister, but let him try to do so. It will be the surest way to return him to the three helpers for assistance.
A chaplain told this story of a young soldier who consulted with a question of Christian duty. “Last night,” said the young man, “in my barrack, before going into bed, I knelt and prayed in a low voice when suddenly my comrades threw their boots at me and laughed.”
“Well,” replied the chaplain, “suppose you defer your prayer until you get into bed and then silently lift your heart to God?”
A week or two afterwards, the young soldier called again. “Well,” said the chaplain, “you took my advice, I suppose? How has it gone?”
“Sir,” he answered, “I did take your advice for one or two nights, but I began to think it looked rather like I was denying my Saviour. I once more knelt at my bedside and prayed in a low whisper as before.”
“And what happened?”
“Not one of them laughs now, sir. The whole fifteen kneel and pray, too.”
“I felt ashamed,” added the chaplain in narrating the story, “of the advice I had given him. That young man was both wiser and bolder than I was.”
“A good example has twice the value of good advice.” — Author Unknown
Ancient history records that a city was besieged and, at length, obliged to surrender. In that city, there were two brothers who had, in some way, obliged the conquering general and, because of this, received permission to leave the city before it was destroyed, taking with them as much of their property as each could carry. Accordingly, the two generous youths appeared at the city gates, one carrying their father, and the other their mother.
If we could all be as generous and burdened as those brothers after we get saved, we would be concerned to tell as many family members, friends, and neighbors as possible about the way to Heaven. More would be Heaven bound from our efforts!
When King Ptolemy built Pharos he wanted his name upon it. Sostratus, the architect, did not think that the king, who only paid the money for its construction, should get all the credit while he had none. Sostratus put the king’s name on the front of the structure in plaster, but underneath, in the eternal granite, the architect had his name chiseled deep into the stone.
The sea dashed against the plaster and chipped it off bit by bit. It lasted out the time of Ptolemy, but by and by, the plaster was chipped away, and there stood the name “Sostratus”.
I am not sure that there are not “waves” that will chip off all human names from the true church that Christ built. I am sure that the one name of Christ shall last forever after all others fade away.