Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

place?"you"again?"LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 31, 1955WitnessVOLUME LV TOPEKA, KANSAS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1955 NUMBER 2"Return untoby Edwin Raymond AndersonMeV")This is a rather "time-worn, rather thin" sortstreetcorner,under the light of the overhead street-lamp,of a story A man was standing upon aat his feet. Hisgazing intently upon the curbingbrow was knitted with anxiety, his eyes darting inevery direction along that edge of street. A sympathetic passer-by came up and queried softly, "Didyou lose something, my friend? Perhaps I can helpyou. . The man looked up with relief, "Thank youindeed. Yes, I lost a valuable tie-pin. .The passer-by was standing beside him now gazing along the curbing. "Just where did you lose it."To his surprise, the man turned and pointed abouta quarter of the distance down the street. "I lost itback there. I'm sure of it.""But . . but . he sputtered his surprise, "if.you lost it back there, why are you looking for it atthisTo which the other straightened himself slowlyand replied with dignity, "Because there is morelight over here!"As I said, that is rather old,and perhaps meantfor nothing more than a passing tale of jest. But Itrust there will be something new in it for you, andfor me, as we apply the matter to the spiritual realm.If something is lost, where would one seek the reat the place where the loss hasoc-covery? surelycured ! The matter becomes rather evident in the recall of those words of Spurgeon, "Look for Christwhere you lost Him, for He has not gone away. Didyou lose Christ by neglecting the Scriptures? Thenyou must find Him in the Scriptures. Have you lostChrist by restraining prayer ? Then it is there whereyou must seek and find Him."An old proverb, but very pertinent in this spiritual consideration is the one which speaketh on thisfashion, "Look for a thing where you dropped it; itis there." But better than a proverb of man is theword of the Lord which speaks with all the passionof His holy concern for our oft straying hearts and-ways "Return unto me and I will return unto you,saith the Lord of Hosts" (Mai. 3 :7). Return and recovery and restoration and recommissioning . . .these, beloved, are ever His desire toward us, thatthe life be one of harmony and holiness for Hispraise and for our spiritual profit.Have you lost out on Christ somewhere alongthe way? If so, you will be conscious of it under thepressure of the Holy Spirit. Where Christ has beenleft at some junction, the life will simply not be thesame, even though outwardly all things continueas they were. One will only be going through themotions, but without that meaning of the warmbreath of power from heaven. One may feel that thesetting up of substitutes may serve for satisfaction,but the emptiness of the whole business will becomereadily apparent. It is high time (Rom. 13:11) tocheck up on ourselves. If return and repentance bethe main requirements, then let us get back . . getback! . . to that junction, at whatever cost to selfand to the flesh. The Lord will be there with thewarmth of such welcome as only over-masteringgrace can extend. "Return unto Me and I will return. . . and this Gracious One will more thanuntomeet us half-way along the road.Sometime ago I ran across these lines:"The loss of friends is much,The loss of health is more :But the loss of Christ is such a lossrestore"That nothing canand while these words have often been appliedgospel-wise to the awakening of the unsaved, theysurely have a warning for sinners saved by grace,who perhaps for far too long have lost out on thebest of the Lord. Those losses shall be faced at theJudgment Seat with shame and burning regret. Farbetter to face them here and now, under the ministry of the Spirit, and recover such time as remainsfor us. Where have you lost out? You know the answer for yourself. But the answer will also raise thequestion, "Will you get back and take up(Continued on page 24)