[October 15]
Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. I Peter 3:15
FOLLOWING this course—of preaching the Gospel
of hope—we are following the Master and the apostles.
They had so much of this spirit of hope, trust, confidence,
love, joy, and peace that they could rejoice in
tribulation; and they did so.
The apostles even sang
praises to God that they were accounted worthy to
share in the sufferings of Christ, that they might also
share in his coming glories.
Let us, then, dear brethren,
realize that the world has tears and sorrows
enough, and fears aplenty.
Let us more and more use
our time, strength, talents, joys, etc., in relieving the
poor world of its mental distress.
Hearken to the
words of Jesus: "God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes."
"Be ye perfect, even as your Father which
is in heaven is perfect."
As it will be God's great work
in the future, through Christ and the church, to wipe
away earth's tears, let us chase away some of those
tears at the present time.
Thus we shall help to prepare
the way for the world to come back into fellowship
with God by and by, for the faithful of the present
time to walk more carefully in the footsteps of Jesus
and to encourage one another in the good way. Z'13-107 R5214:4 (Hymn 280)