July 2:  The Joy of Service.

Creating Opportunities.
"Behold!  My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!  I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles."--Isaiah 42:1, NKJV

TO JESUS, WHO EMPTIED Himself for the salvation of lost humanity, the Holy Spirit was given without measure.  So it will be given to every follower of Christ when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling.  Our Lord Himself has given the command, "Be filled with the Spirit'' (Ephesians 5:18), and this command is also a promise of its fulfillment.  It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Christ should "all the fullness dwell," and "in Him ye are made full."  Colossians 1:19, R.V.; 2:10, R.V.--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 20.

God wants you to work, not with self-disparagement nor in discouragement, but with the strongest faith and hope, with cheerfulness and joy, representing Christ to the world.  The religion of Jesus is joy, peace, and happiness.  As we search the Scriptures, and see the infinite condescension of the Father in giving Jesus to the world that all who believe in Him may have everlasting life, every power of our being should be called into activity, to give praise and honor and glory to Him for His unspeakable love to the children of men.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 579.

Let us work now as we have never worked before....We are to improve every opportunity of drawing souls to Christ....

The work to be carried on by the people of God is declared in the words of inspiration:..."Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him.  He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles....He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law."  Isaiah 42:1-4.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, 62, 64.

July 1:  The Joy of Service.

A Joyous Partnership With God.
"[He] says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, "You shall be built," and to the temple, "Your foundation shall be laid." ' "--Isaiah 44:28, NKJV

GOD WORKS BY whom He will.  He sometimes selects the humblest instrument to do the greatest work, for His power is revealed through the weakness of men.  We have our standard, and by it we pronounce one thing great and another small; but God does not estimate according to our role.  We are not to suppose that what is great to us must be great to God, or that what is small to us must be small to Him.  It does not rest with us to pass judgment on our talents or to choose our work.  We are to take up the burdens that God appoints, bearing them for His sake, and ever going to Him for rest.  Whatever our work, God is honored by wholehearted, cheerful service.  He is pleased when we take up our duties with gratitude, rejoicing that we are accounted worthy to be co-laborers with Him.--Christ's Object Lessons, 363.

Christ accepts, oh, so gladly, every human agency that is surrendered to Him.  He brings the human into union with the divine, that He may communicate to the world the mysteries of incarnate love.  Talk it, pray it, sing it; proclaim abroad the message of His glory, and keep pressing onward to the regions beyond.--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 44.

June 30:  Christian Fellowship.

The Union of Christ and His Church.
"Let us be glad and rejoice and let us give honor to him.  For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself...."  And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb."  And he added, "These are true words that come from God."--Revelation 19:7. 9. NLT

IN BOTH OLD AND THE NEW TESTAMENT, the marriage relation is employed to represent the tender and sacred union that exists between Christ and His people.--The Desire of Ages, 151.

A Jewish marriage was an impressive occasion, and its joy was not displeasing to the Son of man.--The Desire of Ages, 150.

To the mind of Jesus the gladness of the wedding festivities pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day when He shall bring home the bride to the Father's house, and the redeemed with the Redeemer shall sit down to the marriage supper of the Lamb.  He says, "As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee."  "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken;...but thou shalt be called My Delight;...for the Lord delighteth in thee."  "He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing."  Isaiah 62:5, 4, margin; Zephaniah 3:17.  When the vision of heavenly things was granted to John the apostle, he wrote, "I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready."  "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb," Revelation 19:7, 9.--The Desire of Ages, 150, 151.

June 29:  Christian Fellowship.

Christ Will Rejoice Over His Bride.
For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.--Isaiah 62:5, NRSV

GOD CELEBRATED the first marriage. Thus the institution has for its originator the Creator of the universe.  "Marriage is honorable" (Hebrews 13:4); it was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two institutions that, after the Fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise.  When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man's social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature.--Patriarchs and Prophets, 46.

He who gave Eve to Adam as a helpmeet, performed His first miracle at a marriage festival.  In the festal hall where friends and kindred rejoiced together, Christ began His public ministry.  Thus He sanctioned marriage, recognizing it as an institution that He Himself had established.  He ordained that men and women should be united in holy wedlock, to rear families whose members, crowned with honor, should be recognized as members of the family above.

Christ honored the marriage relation by making it also a symbol of the union between Him and His redeemed ones.  He Himself is the Bridegroom; the bride is the church, of which, as His chosen one, He says, "Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee."  Song of Solomon 4:7.--The Ministry of Healing, 356.

                                            You have captured my heart....
                                 You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes....
                                                       Your love delights me,
                                                         my treasure, my bride.
                                                                                  --Song of Solomon 4:9, 10, NLT

June 28:  Christian Fellowship.

The Virtues That the Father Should Enforce.
For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.--Proverbs 3:12, NLT

THE FATHER SHOULD ENFORCE in his family the sterner virtues--energy, integrity, honesty, patience, courage, diligence, and practical usefulness.  And what he requires of his children he himself should practice, illustrating these virtues in his own manly bearing.

But, fathers, do not discourage your children.  Combine affection with authority, kindness and sympathy with firm restraint.  Give some of your leisure hours to your children; become acquainted with them; associate with them in their work and in their sports, and win their confidence.  Cultivate friendship with them, especially with your sons.  In this way you will be a strong influence for good.

The father should do his part toward making home happy.  Whatever his cares and business perplexities, they should not be permitted to overshadow his family; he should enter his home with smiles and pleasant words.--The Ministry of Healing. 391, 392.

                             Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
                                    Let the whole world know what he has done.
                                            Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
                                      Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
                                                    Exult in his holy name;
                                            rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
                                      Search for the Lord and for his strength;
                                                    continually seek him.
                              
                                              --Psalm 105:1-4, NLT

June 27:  Christian Fellowship.

The Sweetest Hour of the Day.
"You shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you."--Deuteronomy 12:12, NKJV

FATHERS AND MOTHERS, however pressing your business, do not fail to gather your family around God's altar.  Ask for the guardianship of holy angels in your home.  Remember that your dear ones are exposed to temptations.  Daily annoyances beset the path of young and old.  Those  who would live patient, loving, cheerful lives must pray.  Only by receiving constant help from God can we gain the victory over self.--The Ministry of Healing, 393.

The hours of morning and evening worship should be the sweetest and most helpful of the day.  Let it be understood that into these hours no troubled, unkind thoughts are to intrude; that parents and children assemble to meet with Jesus, and to invite into the home the presence of holy angels.  Let the services be brief and full of life, adapted to the occasion, and varied from time to time.  Let all join in the Bible reading and learn and often repeat God's law....Let the little ones take part in prayer, and let them join in song, if it be but a single verse.--Education, 186.

                             Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
                                Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
                                            By His name YAH,
                                         And rejoice before Him.
                              
                                        --Psalm 68:4, NKJV

June 26:  Christian Fellowship

The Greatest Inheritance for Our Children.
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he that begets a wise child will delight in him.  Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice.--Proverbs 23:24, 25, NKJV

WHAT THE PARENTS ARE, that, to a great extent, the children will be.--The Ministry of Healing, 371.

Great is the honor and the responsibility placed upon fathers and mothers, in that they are to stand in the place of God to their children.  Their character, their daily life, their methods of training, will interpret His words to the little ones.  Their influence will win or repel the child's confidence in the Lord's assurances....

Happy are the parents whose lives are a true reflection of the divine, so that the promises and commands of God awakens in the child gratitude and reverence; the parents whose tenderness and justice and long-suffering interpret to the child the love and justice and long-suffering of God; and who, by teaching the child to love and trust and obey them, are teaching him to love and trust and obey his Father in heaven.  Parents who impart to a child such a gift have endowed him with a treasure more precious than the wealth of all the ages--a treasure as enduring as eternity.--The Ministry of Healing, 375.

                 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed,
                        knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood
                      you have known the sacred writing that are able to instruct you
                                      for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
                              
                                                                --2 Timothy 3:14, 15, NRSV

June 25:  Christian Fellowship.

From the Cradle.
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.  When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness....Her children stand and bless her.  Her husband praises her: "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!"--Proverbs 31:25-29, NLT

THE MOTHER SHOULD CULTIVATE a cheerful, contented, happy disposition.  Every effort in this direction will be abundantly repaid in both the physical well-being and the moral character of her children.--The Ministry of Healing, 374.

There is a God above, and the light and the glory from His throne rests upon the faithful mother as she tries to educate her children to resist the influence of evil.  No other work can equal hers in importance.  She has not, like the artist, to paint a form of beauty upon canvas, nor, like the sculptor, to chisel it from marble.  She has not, like the author, to embody a noble thought in words of power, nor, like the musician, to express a beautiful sentiment in melody.  It is hers, with the help of God, to develop in a human a beautiful likeness of the divine.--The Ministry of Healing, 377.

Teach them to enjoy the beauties of nature and in useful employment to exercise systematically all the powers of body and mind.  Bring them up to have sound constitutions and good morals, to have sunny dispositions and sweet tempers.  Impress upon their tender minds the truth that God does not design that we should live for present gratification merely, but for our ultimate good.  Teach them that to yield to temptation is weak and wicked; to resist, noble and manly.  These lessons will be as seeds sown in good soil, and they will bear fruit that will make your hearts glad.--The Ministry of Healing, 386.

June 24:  Christian Fellowship.

Obedient Children Bring Joy.
A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.--Proverbs 15:20, NKJV

CHILDREN WHO ARE CHRISTIANS will prefer the love and approbation of their God-fearing parents above every earthly blessing.  They will love and honor their parents.  It should be one of the principal studies of their lives how to make their parents happy.--Messages to Young People, 335.

Children, God has seen fit to intrust you to the care of your parents, for them to instruct and discipline, and thus act their part in forming your character for heaven.  And yet it rests with you to say whether you will develop a good Christian character by making the best of the advantages you have had from godly, faithful, praying parents.  Notwithstanding all the anxiety and faithfulness of parents in behalf of their children, they alone cannot save them.  There is a work for the children to do.  Every child has an individual case to attend to.

Believing parents, you have a responsible work before you, to guide the footsteps of your children, even in their religious experience.  When they truly love God, they will bless and reverence you for the care which you have manifested for them, and for your faithfulness in restraining their desires and subduing their wills.--Messages to Young People, 338.

They will love the Lord Jesus, and it will be their delight to please Him.  They will not be impatient if reproved; but will make glad the heart of father and mother by their kindness, their patience, their willingness to do all they can in helping to bear the burdens of daily life.--Messages to Young People, 333.

                     Listen, O Israel!  The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
                  And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
              all your soul, and all your strength.  And you must commit yourselves
                 wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.
                Repeat them again and again to your children.  Talk about them
                        when you are at home and when you are on the road,
                   when you are going to bed and when you are getting up."
                                                                                  --Deuteronomy 6:4-7, NLT

June 23:  Christian Fellowship.

Mutual Love and Support.
Let your fountain be blessed.  And rejoice with the wife of your youth.--Proverbs 5:18, NKJV

LET THE HUSBAND aid his wife by his sympathy and unfailing affection.  If he wishes to keep her fresh and gladsome, so that she will be a sunshine in the home, let him help her bear her burdens.  His kindness and loving courtesy will be to her a precious encouragement, and the happiness he imparts will bring joy and peace to his own heart.--The Ministry of Healing, 374.

Let the husband and wife study each other's happiness, never failing in the small courtesies and little kindly acts that cheer and brighten the life.--The Ministry of Healing, 393.

Though difficulties, perplexities, and discouragements may arise, let neither husband nor wife harbor the thought that their union is a mistake or a disappointment.  Determine to be all that is possible to be to each other.  Continue the early attentions.  In every way encourage each other in fighting the battles of life....Let there be mutual love, mutual forbearance.  Then marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be as it were the very beginning of love.--The Ministry of Healing, 360.

      Haven't you read the Scriptures?" Jesus replied.  "They record that from the beginning 'God
       made them male and female.' "  And he said, " 'This explains why a man leaves his father
                      and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.'
                               Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart
                                                      what God has joined together."
                                                                                               --Matthew 19:4-6, NLT