d care,
a world full of increasing evils, conflicts and sufferings, He wants
us to have His own peace. The enjoyment of this peace of our Lord
Jesus Christ depends on our communion with God and the realization
of our union with Him. On that blessed evening of the resurrection
day the Lord spoke a second time, "Peace be unto you." Why should He
repeat the same greeting? The words which follow explain this. "As
my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (John xx:22). As
Christians saved by grace and in Christ we are sent by Him as He was
sent by the Father. As we realize this and walk under Him, as we set
the Lord always before our eyes and our life's aim is to do _His_
will and not our own, to please Him and not ourselves, to serve Him
and not man, to let Him plan and not we ourselves, to be nothing
instead of something, to be in the dust instead of exalted, then
shall we enjoy His legacy "His own peace." He wants us to have it.
He wants us to be kept in perfect peace. Are we willing to have it?
And what else honors our absent Lord more than a life which
manifests His peace. What pleases the Father more than to behold His
children reminding Him by their lives of dependence and peace, the
result of the rest of faith, of His own blessed Son. And the Holy
Spirit, who produces all this in us will ever lead us on in the
fuller enjoyment of the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We must expect in the coming days greater tests of faith, greater
conflicts, greater trials. It cannot be otherwise in these perilous
times. We must not expect anything else. But He can and will keep
us. "Thou wilt keep him in _perfect peace_, whose mind is stayed on
Thee, because He trusteth in Thee." And ere long the God of peace
will bruise Satan completely under our feet. What joy--oh what joy
awaits us when we shall see Him face to face, who is our peace.

"They that trust Him wholly
Find Him wholly true."
"Our God is able."

What have I to Do With idols?

MUCH is said in reproof of Ephraim by the prophet Hosea. All the
wicked dealings and defilement of Ephraim is uncovered--and the
Lord said: "I will be unto Ephraim as a lion." Again Jehovah said:
"Ephraim is like a cake not turned." "Ephraim is like a silly dove
without heart." "Ephraim hath made many altars to sin." "Ephraim is
joined to idols, let him alone." But all reproof and chastisement
did not bring Ephraim back. Nothing seemed to be able to draw
Ephraim's heart away