Something Better!

I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8.
Whatever Christ asks us to renounce, He offers in its stead something better. Often the youth cherish objects, pursuits, and pleasures that may not appear to be evil, but that fall short of the highest good. They divert the life from its noblest aim.
Never let amusements, or the companionship of others, come between you and Jesus, your best Friend…. When natural inclination draws you in the direction of fulfilling some selfish desire, set the Lord before you as your counselor, and ask, “Will this please Jesus? Will this increase my love for my best Friend? Will this course grieve my dear Saviour? Will it separate me from His company? Will Jesus accompany me to the pleasure party, where all will be lightness and gaiety, where there will be nothing of a religious nature, nothing serious, no thought of the things of God?”
Christians have many sources of happiness at their command, and they may tell with unerring accuracy what pleasures are lawful and right. They may enjoy such recreations as will not dissipate the mind or debase the soul, such as will not disappoint, and leave a sad after influence to destroy self-respect or bar the way to usefulness. If they can take Jesus with them, and maintain a prayerful spirit, they are perfectly safe.
An enlightened, discriminating mind will find abundant means for entertainment and diversion, from sources not only innocent, but instructive.
In all our seasons of recreation we may gather from the Divine Source of strength fresh courage and power, that we may the more successfully elevate our lives to purity, true goodness, and holiness.
Those who really enjoy the love of God will have joy and peace. Religion was never designed to make one pleasureless. What can be productive of greater happiness than to enjoy the peace of Christ, the bright sunshine of His presence?
The Faith I Live By p. 227
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Eileen and Mike as they travel. Rose
—-Please pray for our church children and my daughter. Every Sabbath my little girl of 11 years old has to deal with rejection from the only group of girls her age at our church. She doesn’t want to be there, she is heart broken every Sabbath as she tries so hard to be there friend but gets told she is not welcome. I don’t know what else to do except ask for God to change these little girls hearts. Cynthia
—-I have an unspoken prayer request. LS
—-Please pray for several health concerns—none life-threatening in my little family. Susan
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Dear Friends,
Long ago, when my mother was young, she had the opportunity to visit her aunt and uncle who lived on the other side of the state in Detroit. Her friend, Mary Esther, was driving there to see someone and offered to let my mother ride with her. When Mary Esther arrived at her destination, she told my mother that she could take the city bus the rest of the way.
Surprised that her friend was not going to take her to her aunt’s house, my mother became a little flustered and a lot frightened. She didn’t tell Mary Esther how she was feeling. She just got out of the car, picked up her suitcase and her purse, and waited at the corner bus stop. When the bus arrived, the driver told her that she would have to transfer at a main connection somewhere downtown. When she got there, she saw many busses. It was so confusing. Carefully, she read the sign on each bus. At last she saw a bus that was going to Royal Oak (the suburb of Detroit where Auntie Bessie lived). She climbed aboard and handed the paper transfer to the driver. Soon, the bus left the terminal.
Unfortunately, she was not going to Royal Oak. Somehow, in her fear and confusion, she had misread the sign. After riding on that bus for awhile, it stopped and the driver told her that it was the end of the line and she would have to get off. It was only then that she realized that she was on the wrong bus, but she was too embarrassed to tell him where she was going and pay the extra fare to get back to the terminal. She just followed his orders.
Looking around her, my mother soon realized that she was not only lost, she was in a very bad neighborhood. Terror crept over her. She couldn’t get back on the bus, for it had already driven away. Just then, she saw a policeman and explained the situation to him. He hailed a taxi and headed her in the right direction. How thankful she was to finally get to her aunt’s house. How relieved she was to be in a place of safety!
How often it is the same in our life. We can sincerely believe that we are on the right road but in reality are on the wrong one. The Bible tells us, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Prov 16:25 Our Dear Saviour bids us, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matt 7:13,14 Solomon speaks of this path. “Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” Prov 4:10-27
How necessary it is that we choose the right path. Our future happiness depends on it. Our Great Redeemer has given us His Holy Word as our Guidebook. Everything in our life must be checked by it’s precepts. All that we hear, all that we see, all that we read must be measured by the Standard of All Righteousness. How important it is to daily read God’s Great Instruction Book that we may discern the heavenly path from the many paths that lead to destruction. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Heb 4:12 “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:21-25
Let us hide God’s Word in our hearts that we may follow the right path, the rugged and narrow path, that leads to His Glorious Heavenly Kingdom. Let us “study to show [ourselves] approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 Let us declare as did David, ” I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” Ps 119:16
Rose