A collection of scriptures with appropriate quotations for every day in the year.
- 0707.March.Monday
March 7
If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us — 1 John 4:12.
Whether I am something or nothing in God's estimation is to be measured by my love for Him, for His brethren, for His cause, for the world in general, and even for my enemies, rather than by my knowledge or fame or oratory. In the measurement of character, therefore, we are to put love first, and to consider it the chief test of our nearness and acceptance to the Lord. Those who have received the holy Spirit should all be good tempered. In no way can we better show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light than by the exhibition of the spirit of love in the daily affairs of life—Z '03, 56, 57 (R 3150).
The Scriptures declare that God is love, and that He dwells in His people, not personally, but by His Spirit, His qualities. Consequently, whoever exhibits this quality of love is indwelt by God, and he who continues to manifest this quality amid the various experiences of life will have the joy of seeing the Divine love perfected in him—P '35, 31.
Parallel passages: John 3:16; 6:54-56; 13:34; 14:21-23; 15:7-12; 17:21; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; 1 John 3:16-18, 22-24; 4:7, 13, 15-19; Rom. 8:8-17; Gal. 4:5, 6.
Hymns: 165, 166, 23, 47, 74, 114, 105.
Poems of Dawn, 97: In My Name.
Tower Reading: Z '11, 205 (R 4849).
Questions: What were this week's experiences in line with this text? How were they met? What assisted or hindered therein? In what did they result?IN MY NAME
THERE were only two or three of us
Who came to the place of prayer—
Came in the teeth of the driving storm;
But for that we did not care,
Since after our hymns of praise had risen,
And our earnest prayers were said,
The Master Himself was present there,
And He gave us the living bread.
We noted the look in each other's face,
So loving, and glad, and free;
We felt His touch when our heads were bowed,
We heard His "Come to Me!"
Nobody saw Him lift the latch,
And none unbarred the door;
But "Peace" was His token in every heart,
And how could we ask for more?
Each of us felt the relief from sin,
Christ's purchase for one and all;
Each of us dropped his load of care,
And heard the Heavenly call;
And over our spirits a blessed calm
Swept in from the Jasper Sea,
And strength was ours for the toil of life
In the days that were yet to be.
It was only a handful gathered in
To the little place of prayer,
Outside were struggle and strife and sin,
But the Lord Himself was there.
He came to redeem the pledge He gave—
Wherever his loved ones be,
To give His comfort and joy to them,
Though they count but two or three.March 12
The end of the commandment is love from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and an undissembled faith — 1 Tim. 1:5.
We are to have clearly before our minds the fact that the ultimate object of all the Divine dealings for us and with us, and the ultimate significance of all the Divine promises made to us, is the development of love, which is Godlikeness, for God is love. And to have this love developed in us, in the sense and to the degree intended by the Lord, it is necessary that it shall come from a pureheart, in full accord with the Lord and His law of love, and wholly antagonistic to the Adversary and his law of selfishness—Z '00, 360 (R 2733).
The beautiful attributes of the ripe Christian character, like those of God's character, consist of wisdom, justice, love and power. While these characteristics support one another, the one that shines out the brightest among them is love; the object of the other three is its development; and the ultimate goal of character development is the supremacy of Divine love, in harmony with, supported by, and flowing out of wisdom, justice and power—P '36, 31.
Parallel passages: Matt. 7:12; Rom. 13:8-10; John 13:35; Eph. 1:4; Gal. 5:14; Col. 3:14; 1 Cor. 13; Jas. 2:8; 1 John 3:18, 19; 1 Pet. 1:22; 3:8; 4:8; Heb. 9:14; Acts 15:8, 9; 1 Cor. 6:11; Titus 3:5; Phil. 2:13.
Hymns: 201, 165, 105, 125, 154, 130, 1.
Poems of Dawn, 79: Love's Alchemy.
Tower Reading: Z '15, 261 (R 5755).Questions: What has this text done to me? How? What helped or hindered? What were the circumstances? What were the results?
LOVE'S ALCHEMY
LOVE is the filling from one's own
Another's cup.
Love is a daily laying down
And taking up;
A choosing of the stony path
Through each new day
That other feet may tread with ease
A smoother way.
Love is not blind, but looks abroad
Through other eyes;
And asks not "Must I give?" but "May
I sacrifice?"
Love hides its grief, that other hearts
And lips may sing;
And burdened, walks, that other lives
May, buoyant, wing.
Brother, hast thou a love like this
Within thy soul?
'Twill change thy name to saint when thou
Dost reach thy goal.
