Daily Devotional

We live in a hard, unfeeling, uncharitable world. Satan and his confederacy are trying their every art to seduce and entrap the souls for whom Christ has given his precious life. And every one who loves God in sincerity and truth will love the souls for whom Christ has died. If we wish to do good to souls, our success with these souls will be in proportion to their belief in our belief and appreciation of them. Respect shown to the human, struggling soul, is the sure means through Christ Jesus, of the restoration of the self-respect the man has lost. Our advancing ideas of what he may become is a help we cannot appreciate. . . .

Treat them you may as they deserve. What if Christ had treated us thus? He the undeserving was treated as we deserve. While we are treated by Christ with grace and love as we do not deserve, but as He deserved. Treat some characters as you think they richly deserve, and you cut off from them the last thread of life, spoil your influence, and ruin the soul. Will it pay? No! I say, No! A hundred times. No! Bind these souls, who need all the help it is possible for you to give them, close to a living, sympathizing, pitying heart, overflowing with Christ-like love, and you will save a soul from death and hide a multitude of sins.

There is nothing in Christianity that is capricious. If a man will not exercise his arm it becomes weak and deficient in muscular strength. Unless the Christian exercises his spiritual powers he acquires no strength of character, no moral vigor. Love is a very precious plant, and must be cultivated if it flourishes. The precious plant of love is to be treated tenderly. If practiced it will become strong and vigorous and rich in fruit-bearing, giving expression to the whole character. A Christ-like nature is not selfish, is not unkind, will not hurt the souls of those who are struggling with satanic temptations. Enter into the feelings of those who are tempted, that the trials of temptations shall be so managed as to bring out the gold and consume the dross.

For want of patience, kindness, forbearance, unselfishness, and love,--the revealings of the opposite traits flash forth involuntarily, when off guard, and unchristian words and unchristian exhibitions of character burst forth, sometimes to the ruin of a soul. "Rejoiceth not in iniquity;"--mark it, the apostle meant that where there is a cultivation of genuine love for precious souls it will be exhibited for those most in need of that patience which "suffereth long and is kind," and which will not be ready to magnify a small indiscretion or direct wrong into large, unpardonable offenses--will not make capital out of others' misdoings. The love for souls for whose salvation Christ died, will not do that which will expose the errors and weaknesses of the erring before others.