What and Where is God? A Human Answer to the Deep Religious Cry of the Modern SoulSwain, Richard La Rue
Religion
What and Where is God? A Human Answer to the Deep Religious Cry of the Modern Soul
Swain, Richard La Rue
Christianity; God (Christianity)
"It was my custom to retire each day to my own room for devotion. On one
occasion when my heart was deeply oppressed my prayers seemed all in
vain. Nevertheless, I continued to plead, 'O Lord Jesus, reveal thyself
to me.' After awhile there came a rap at my door. It was the maid
seeking comfort. She had broken a choice piece of china. But I drove her
away rather harshly, saying, 'You know you are not to bother me at this
hour.' Then I continued, 'O Lord Jesus, reveal thyself.' After more
fruitless prayer, my little girl came sobbing for comfort as she had
broken her first doll. I even drove _her_ away saying, 'My child, you
must not disturb your mother now.' After resuming what seemed to be a
useless petition, there came to me a suggestion as distinct and forceful
as if spoken. 'Inasmuch as ye did it not unto the least of these ye did
it not unto me.' I arose from my knees, unlocked the door, and went out.
In the kitchen I found the maid sullen and angry, to whom I spoke
comforting words. Seeing the light come to her face, I went on to find
my little daughter. From under the grapevine where she had already cried
herself to sleep, I picked her up; and after kissing her and wiping the
tear stains from her cheeks, I told her that I would get her another
dollie,--one ever so much nicer than the first. Having comforted others
for His sake, and for their own sake, my soul was filled with
inexpressible peace! And once more something spoke to my innermost
being, 'Inasmuch as ye did it unto the least of these ye did it unto
me.'"
Let no one draw the conclusion that her habit of devotion was worthless,
for it is not very likely that all this peace and revelation would have
come to her if she had been less inclined to pray. The intense desire of
her prayer, coupled with the unpleasant incidents of the day, brought to
her the fuller truth.
Though a minister may not neglect his sermons, yet there have been times
when I have grown so desperate in my effort to prepare a vital message
that I have thrown down my insipid and stupid manuscript to go out and
find some needy, suffering person whom I could bless in His name.
Whenever I have done this I have found God and my soul and a sermon.
5. Where does Jesus belong in the religious, social and thought worlds?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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