DAY 151    Read Proverbs 27 through 30.

Today's reading:  Notice again that the good life pays.  These chapters have a lot to say about moral values.

Memory gem:  "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he"  (Proverbs 29:18).

Thought for today:
The other day I was reading of a church member who worked for an infidel, building boats that required nonrusting copper rivets.  These copper rivets were quite expensive, and every day this supposed-to-be Christian would take a few home with him.  In time he had a good many.  He would say to himself: "My boss has thousands of these rivets--he will never miss the few I take, and anyway, he doesn't pay me enough for my work."

Then he began hearing a certain minister preach.  After a few nights he said to him: "Pastor, I am in trouble.  I have heard you preach about how we ought to be honest.  I want to serve the Lord Jesus.  I am a Christian, a church member, and I love the Lord but, you know, I have been taking copper rivets from my employer, and now I want to put them back.  But if I do, and that infidel finds out that I have been stealing, he won't come to your meetings.  It will ruin my influence with him if he hears that I have been stealing copper rivets from him.  If he finds out that I'm just a common thief, he'll lose all faith in Christianity.  You see, I've been trying to get him to come to these meetings.  I want to be a Christian, but I don't know what to do."

The preacher said, "You had better do right."

A few nights later, this man came to the minister with a glow of happiness on his face, and said, "Well, I went and told my employer what I had been doing, and handed him the money for those rivets.  He said, 'Well, Jones, there must be something to this religion after all.  I knew all the time that you were taking those copper rivets--that is one reason why I had no use for you Christians.  I said to myself, "They are all a bunch of hypocrites."  But if it is going to make you an honest man, I think I will go and hear that man preach.  There must be something to it.' "

I just wonder if any of us have a few copper rivets to take back or to pay for.  Oh, we would have a greater revival than we have had yet if all the copper rivets were taken back to their owners.  And don't you think we would be happier?

DAY 150    Read Proverbs 23 through 26.

Today's reading:  Good advice couched in pithy sayings continues to point out the good life.  Over and over the young person is urged to heed the counsel.

Memory gem:  "My son, give me thine heart ,and let thine eyes observe my ways"  (Proverbs 23:26).

Thought for today:
One of America's great preachers grew up as a little boy in Atlantic City.  He loved music, and one day he read in the newspaper that the great Italian violinist Giovanni Viotti was coming to give a concert and would play on a $5,000 violin.

This little boy, the twelve or fifteen years of age, saved his nickels.  He ran errands, sold newspapers, begged money from his father and mother, until finally he had five dollars saved up.  That is what it cost to hear Viotti play.

When the great night came, his mother helped him get all fixed up in his best clothes to go to the concert.  The lad sat spellbound as the great violinist came out, put his violin to his chin, and began to play.  Wonderful!  Every note seemed to melt into every other, and the audience sat enthralled.

Then after a while something seemed to go wrong.  Viotti appeared to be in a nervous state, and jerked the strings of his violin.  Finally he became violent and angry at the violin; he threw it down and smashed it into splinters.  The audience gasped in amazement--a $5,000 violin ruined because of a man's passion!

Finally the artist said: "Sit down, folks; sit down!  That was not a $5,000 violin.  I found it right here in your town and bought it for $1.69.  You came here to see a $5,000 violin.  But I wanted you to come here to hear a man play.  I played on a violin that cost less than two dollars, and you sat entranced with my music.  I just wanted to show you that it is not the violin; it's the man.  Now I will play on the $5,000 violin."

My friends, it may seem to you that your violin, your talent, your life, doesn't amount to much.  It may seem to you that you have ruined everything.  Listen!  If you will put the violin of your life fully into the hands of the heavenly Artist, He will bring from it the very music of the angels, the harmonies of heaven.  Give your heart to Him today.  And may the great God take you and mold you and refine you and use you!

DAY 149    Read Proverbs 19 through 22.

Today's reading:  Another truth that Solomon teaches over and over is the importance of proper parental training.

Memory gem:  "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it"  (Proverbs 22:6).

Thought for today:
William Cady tells about a visit his mother made with her three small children out to the farm of Uncle John and Aunt Sarah.  The greatest wonder of the many the little boy saw there was a square bottle containing an apple much larger than the neck of the bottle.  He couldn't figure it out, so he took it to Aunt Sarah and asked her about it.  She said, "Ask Uncle John; he did it."  So he carried the bottle to Uncle John, who looked at it thoughtfully, then into the boy's eyes, and said, "Someday, Willie, you will know!"  And all Willie's begging could get no more from him.

The next summer Willie was determined to learn the secret, and he spent hours searching the whole farm.  Finally in the orchard he found another bottle fastened to a limb, with a little apple growing in it.  He ran and told Uncle John that he had found out his secret.  "Yes," he said, "I put it in there when it was little--and it stayed."

The best time to get people into the kingdom of God is when they are young.  Professed Christian mother, are you working at this--or are you too busy?  With the father, you share the apostolic command concerning the children, to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord"  (Ephesians 6:4).

Thousands of children are now practically parentless, because so many mothers are working.  But we must not neglect the work God has given us as parents.  Don't expect the judge to teach your child obedience--you must teach him if he ever learns it.  The earliest years are the most important.

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Difficult or obscure words:
Proverbs 21:14.  "Plowing"--better; light, or prosperity.
Proverbs 21:18.  "Ransom"--not in the sense of payment.  Rather, the idea is that the trouble from which the righteous are saved will come upon those who refuse salvation.

DAY 148    Read Proverbs 14 through 18.

Today's reading:  Many of these proverbs point up the contrast between the wrong way and the right way in daily living.  Each of us must choose the way to go.

Memory gem:  "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death"  (Proverbs 16:25).

Thought for today:
The streamlined body of a high-powered roadster swerved around a sharp corner and stopped beside a young barefoot boy.  Beckoning the lad to the side of the car, the driver asked, "How far is it to Washington, Sonny?"

"Going the way you are headed, I think it's about 25,000 miles, Mister," replied the boy.

"What do you mean?" asked the bewildered driver.

"Well, sir," replied the boy, "If you will turn around and go the other way it is only forty miles to Washington.  If you continue the way you are headed now, you'll never reach the city."

The man drove on about a quarter mile to the nearest filling station and had his car filled up with gasoline.  He told the man who was serving him the conversation he had had with the small boy and in conclusion said, "I thought sure I was on the right road."

"Tain't the way ye believe ye'r travelin'," replied the man, "but the way ye actually do travel, Son, that counts in this here life.  And if ye aim to git to Washington terday, ye better turn square 'round right here!"

You see, it isn't the way we think we are traveling from day to day, but the way we are really going that counts.

DAY 147    Read Proverbs 10 through 13.

Today's reading:  Among these sage remarks we find warnings against various kinds of sin.  The wise man tries to show that, in the long run, it pays to do right.

Memory gem:  "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it"  (Proverbs 10:22).

Thought for today:
Is it safe to keep on sinning?  Can a man persist in committing every kind of evil, disregard every moral restraint, continue to be a traitor to God, to his family, to himself, to his country and then die with the assurance that death is the end of it all and that there is no trouble ahead for him?

The story is told of a burglar who entered a servicemen's center in St. Paul, Minnesota, and left with only $23.50.  He left a note addressed to Mrs. Margaret Wood, the director, which read:  "I am sorry that I did this.  There is coming a day when I will pay."

According to the Bible, this thief's statement contained more truth than he realized.  A day is coming when he will pay, when all who break God's law will pay.

What does the Bible say about this topic?

"The wages of sin is death"  (Romans 6:23).  "The fearful, and unbelieving and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire"  (Revelation 21:8).  "There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life" (verse 27).

DAY 146    Read Proverbs 5 through 9.

Today's reading:  One recurring theme in Proverbs is the warning against unfaithfulness in love.  Modern young people--and older ones too--might do well to heed these warnings.

Memory gem:  "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?"  (Proverbs 6:27).

Thought for today:
Love should be expressed in words and deeds.  During courtship a man usually goes out of his way to show affection and kindness to the lady of his choice.  How can he expect to hold her affection and love unless after marriage he continues to show the same affection, interest, and gentleness as he did before?

After his wife's death Carlyle wrote this in his diary: "Oh, if I could see her once more to let her know that I always loved her.  She never did know it."  Poor Carlyle--and poor wife!  He wrote great books, but certainly he could have written greater ones had he been wise enough to express his love to his faithful wife.

Ramsey MacDonald, three times prime minister of Great Britain, paid a beautiful tribute to his wife when he said that to turn to her in stress and storm was like going into a sheltered haven when the waters were at rest.  "When I was weary and worn, buffeted and discouraged, thinking only of giving up to thankless strife,...my lady would heal and soothe me with her cheery faith and conviction, and send me forth to smite and be smitten."

It is as plain as can be that success in marriage consists not only in finding the right mate, but also in being the right mate.  It is important to remember that a marriage license is a license for marriage, not a license for the roving eye and the faithless heart.

On the night that Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ford celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, a reporter asked to what they attributed their fifty years of successful married life.  "The formula," said Ford, "is the same formula I have always used in making cars--just stick to one model."

Christ honored marriage when He performed His first miracle in Cana long ago.  By His grace many who have found themselves in most uncongenial marriage relationships have been able to bring order out of chaos and hope out of despair.  Every effort should be made to preserve marriage.  In the confusion of our world today, it is still the blessed refuge of the heart.

DAY 145    Read Proverbs 1 through 4.

Today's reading:  We begin a study of Solomon's proverbs.  The wise man has a lot to say about "wisdom," "knowledge," and "understanding"--obviously referring to a correct grasp of God's plan for living.

Memory gem:  "If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God"  (Proverbs 2:4, 5).

Thought for today:
Some years ago there was a big scare in London--the alarm sounded which indicated that the crown jewels of the British Empire had been stolen.  These jewels, set in swords, crowns, and scepters, are kept in the Tower of London.  The Great Star of Africa, one of the world's largest diamonds, is there.  The great crown with its 6,170 diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires, which King George V wore when he was crowned as Emperor of India, is there.  The imperial state crown is there, said to be the most valuable and most beautiful in the world.  Almost 3,000 jewels are in that one crown.  Think of the responsibility of guarding that treasure!  The governor of the ancient Tower has it all in his hands.

Well, London's worst scare in thirty years came when suddenly the alarm system began to sound and a recorded voice boomed out in Scotland Yard, "Intruders have entered the jewel house of the Tower of London."  The Scots Guards jumped to their posts at the Tower.  Yeoman warders rushed to their emergency stations.  A flying squad roared out of Scotland Yard.  Radio cars started for the Tower.  Police boats came racing down the Thames.  City police cordoned off Tower Hill.  A sixteen-ton steel cage dropped down over the jewels.

It was a big scare all right, but everything was safe.  The governor of the Tower confessed that he himself had set off the alarm to see how well England's crown jewels were being protected.  Someone from Scotland Yard asked him, "Why didn't you tell us that it was only a practice?"

The governor replied, "What's the use of having a test, if it is not carried out properly?"

Are you, friends, sure that your soul is safe?

DAY 144    Read Psalm 125; 131; 133; 134; 138 through 141.

Today's reading:  These psalms, although probably not written by Solomon, reflect the theme of his prayer--an abiding confidence that God will hear and answer the sincere prayer of a repentant soul.

Memory gem:  "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting"  (Psalm 139:23, 24).

Thought for today:
While we know that God cannot be contained in any earthly building, that even the heaven of heavens is the workmanship of His hands, still this temple of Solomon was a place where His presence was especially revealed, and was therefore sacred.  At its dedication King Solomon knelt down and prayed, and all the people bowed in reverence.

When we come before God today in a house dedicated to His worship, should we not come with reverence, remembering the words of the psalmist: "The Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.... let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker"  (Psalm 95:3-6).

Both in public and in private worship, it is our privilege to bow on our knees before God when we offer our petitions to Him.  We read of Jesus that He "kneeled down, and prayed"  (Luke 22:41).  It is also recorded of His disciples that they too "kneeled down, and prayed"  (Acts 9:40).  And the apostle Paul declared: "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"  (Ephesians 3:14).

The hour and place of prayer are certainly sacred, and we should manifest reverence in attitude and demeanor, remembering that "holy and reverend is his name"  (Psalm 111:9).  If the angels veil their faces when they speak the name of God, with what reverence should we who are fallen and sinful take His name upon our lips!

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Difficult or obscure words:
Psalm 141:5.  "It shall be an excellent oil...their calamities"--The Hebrew cannot be understood.  Perhaps the Septuagint translation is better: "Let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head; for yet shall my prayer be in their pleasures."

DAY 143    Read 2 Chronicles 6 and 7.

Today's reading:  We trace essentially the same events as the previous reading in 1 Kings.  Imagine the awe inspired by the overpowering visible glory of God as He accepted the temple dedicated to Him.

Memory gem:  "If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray,...and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land"  (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Thought for today:
You will remember that in ancient times the place marked by God's special presence was regarded with reverence and awe.

The worshipers in Solomon's temple of old were reverent and walked in the fear of God.  As we consider the mighty truths of God, should we not be reverent before Him?  When we meet in the assemblies of His people, we should put away every evil thing.  We should not be among those people mentioned in the fifteenth chapter of Matthew, of whom the Lord declared: "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouths, and honoureth me with their lips; but  their heart is far from me.  But in vain they do worship me"  (verses 8, 9).

God "dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (Acts 7:48), yet He honors with His presence the assemblies of His people and by His Holy Spirit He dwells in the hearts of those who truly love and obey Him.  Those who worship God must worship Him "in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him"  (John 4:23).

The temple of Solomon is gone.  The worship of God is not now confined to any one race of people.  It is not necessary to go to Mount Gerizim or to Jerusalem, to Rome, to Moscow, to London or to New York to worship God.  He seeks today the temple of the surrendered heart.  That is His true sanctuary.  Shall we not open our hearts to His presence now, and prayerfully say: "The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him"  (Habakkuk 2:20)?

DAY 142    Read 1 Kings 8.

Today's reading:  The great temple is finished, and the Israelites gather in Jerusalem for the dedication.  Solomon's prayer even now lifts us to heights of devotion to our merciful heavenly Father.

Memory gem:  "Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest"  (1 Kings 8:39).

Thought for today:
In the ancient temple of Solomon, only when the lamb was slain was the sacrifice fully accepted.  And so every believer believes not only in Christ, but in "Christ crucified."  (1 Corinthians 1:23).

The temple of Solomon was more than a building.  It was a parable--a great marble book of atoning love.  It revealed God to man.  As Jesus said (see Mark 11:17), it was a house of prayer for all nations.  It is true that many had forgotten its real meaning, but some remembered it.

When at last its true meaning was almost completely forgotten, then it was destroyed, never to be rebuilt.  Jesus said that one stone would not be left upon another, that all would be cast down (see Matthew 24:2), and that is the way it is today.

The great platform on top of Mount Moriah, which was smoothed off by King Solomon, is still there.  This platform, covering about forty-two acres, is one of the most interesting spots to visit in ancient Jerusalem today.  The corners, built up to level by King Solomon and later by King Herod, are still a wonder of mighty masonry.  The southwest corner wall to this day is called the Wailing Wall, where many for centuries have gone to weep and to pray that the temple might be rebuilt.  But of the temple itself, not one stone remains upon another.  The prophecy of Christ was fulfilled completely.

Those who forget the blood atonement forfeited their prosperity.  And it is the same today.  Men may uphold Jesus as a great man, a world teacher, a wise philosopher, but that is not enough.  He is the Redeemer of the world.  He came to die.  If we forget the cross, we have really forgotten Him.