Text: John 13:13-17

 13 Ye call me Master and Lord:  and ye say well;  for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet;  ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord;  neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.    

Tuesday, 17^th September 2024

PRUDENCE AND HOLINESS 2

Text: John 13:13-17

Memory verse: John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Prudence is the ability to govern and discipline oneself using reasoning, understanding or discernment in the management of affairs, it is a skill and good judgment in the use of resources, careful in providing for the future; and watchful. But a "holy man," in the ordinary Christian sense, is one who exhibits in his conduct the inward purity, benevolence, and holy devotedness to the Savior, with which his heart overflows.

To be prudence as a Serpent and holly as a dove is to know the seasons of grace and improve on them. To know the seasons of grace is the wisdom of the serpent. It is wisdom for the farmer to know the right time for pruning of trees and sowing of seed. It is not less wisdom to know the golden seasons of grace. While we hear the joyful sound, while we have praying hours, while the Spirit of God blows on our hearts is a strong wind for heaven. The day of grace will not always last; the shadows of the evening seem to be stretched out. Things look as if the gospel is tending towards a decline. Be wise as serpents, know the kind of treasure that is put in your hands. And with the serpent, join the dove in improving the seasons of grace. Doves not only know their season but improves on it. They fly to the warmer climate during harmattan. Here is the serpent and dove united, knowing and improving the days of grace.

When we profit by ordinances, when we mix the word with faith, when an ordinance has stamped holiness upon us. This is to improve the seasons of grace. The soul is the angelic part; the loss of the soul can never be made up. God has given a man two eyes. If he loses one, he has another; but he has but one soul. If he loses that, it is irrecoverable. It can never be made up again. Unite the serpent and the dove, prudence, and holiness. Use the world, but love your soul; trade on earth, but beware of failing in your trade for heaven. They are wise for the world, but fools for their souls. It is too often seen that men pull down their souls, to build up a worldly estate.

CGDS HYMN 54: SS&S 582: 

MORE HOLINESS GIVE ME, MORE STRIVINGS WITHIN 

1. More holiness give me, more strivings within ;

More patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin ;

More faith in my Saviour, more

sense of His care ;  

More joy in His service, more purpose in prayer.

2. More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord ;

More zeal for His glory, more hope in His Word ;

More tears for His sorrows, more

pain at His grief;

More meekness in trial, more praise for relief.

3. More purity give me, more strength

to o'ercome ;

More freedom from earth-stains,

more longings for home ;

More fit for the kingdom, more used

would I be;  

More blessed and holy, more, Saviour, like Thee.

 Prayers 

1.  Lord Jesus, help me to improve on my season of grace.

2.  LORD God Almighty, keep me sensitive to trade my soul for the things of this world in Jesus’ name. Amen.    

3.  Pray for others in this regard.