A PHOTOGRAPH gives us an exact representation of the appearance of the outside of what is being photographed just as we see in our picture of the little colored boy. He seems to have fixed himself up for the purpose, although he looks rather sober. But there is something that takes a picture deeper than a photograph, and that is the word of God— “The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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. It gives us a true picture of our hearts and shows them up to be much darker than the face of the little colored boy. In Matt. 15:19 we get a number of dreadful things that come out of the heart and those evil things defile a person. Then in Rom. 3:10-18 we get a very full account of what we are by nature. Oh, what a dark picture it is. It shows us there is nothing there that is suitable to God, but, precious thought, in the 21St verse—God has come out to us with His own righteousness, seeing we have none of our own, and He puts it upon all those who believe. How good of God to let us know how black we are with sin, and how unfit we are, by nature, for His presence; and then let us see that in grace He has come out to us with all that we need and offers it to us freely, but at the expense to Himself of the giving up of His own Son to bear what we deserved.
May each reader believe and praise and thank Him, and ask for grace to live to the praise and glory of Him who has so loved us.
“BY HIM THEREFORE LET US OFFER THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE TO GOD CONTINUALLY, THAT IS, THE FRUIT OF OUR LIPS GIVING THANKS TO HIS NAME.” Heb. 13:15.
ML 01/17/1909