| The Glory of the Common Life |
Chapter 16 |
Page 4 |
If we are going through the year with God, we need have no fear for the difficulties or the hindrances of the way. The path will be opened for us as we go on, though it be through mountains, and the seeming obstacles will not only disappear as we come up to them, but will prove to be stairways or stepping stones to higher planes, gates to new blessings. As Peter followed the angel, his chains fell off, the doors and gates opened of their own accord, and he was led out of his prison into the free air and back to his work. In every faithful and obedient Christian life hindrances become helps.
“Yet this one thing I learn to know,
Each day more surely as I go,
That doors are opened, ways are made,
Burdens are lifted or are laid,
But some great law unseen and still,
Not as I will.”
Making the journey with God is assurance that every step is a real and true advance. Some people come to birthdays regretfully. They do not lie to confess that they are growing older. But there is no reason for regret, if only we are living our years as we should live them, as we may live them. Empty years are a dishonour. Years filled with sin are blots in the calendar. We should be ashamed to come to a birthday at the close of a year of idleness, indolence, neglect, or unfaithfulness. Jesus said we must give account for every idle word we speak. It will be an unhappy reckoning that we must make after an idle year or for idle hours and days in a year.
But there need never be a shadow of regret in coming to a birthday or to a new year when we have lived our best through all the days.
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