| The Joy of Service |
Chapter 11 |
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The words of Christ also mean more and more as the new life goes on. The young Christian at first may not see great beauty nor find great help in the Bible. This may be to him also a cause of anxiety; he may think that something is wrong because he cannot find in the Bible all the things other persons have found in it. The Bible is a book which discloses its meaning of comfort and helpfulness gradually and only as we come to experiences in which the special revealing is needed. Every day of life brings us to some new sense of need, and then the Scripture word comes with its blessings. When Jesus met the tempter, His Father’s words – just the right word – came with its revealing of light and truth, and the battle was won. Thousands of times since, when Christ’s disciples have been on temptation’s battles fields, have the holy words of inspiration come with their cheer and strength. When life’s first great sorrow is met, the Christian finds almost a new Bible; countless verses, which he had read repeatedly before, without seeing any special beauty in them, or finding any particular help, now disclose rich Divine comfort.
Robert Louis Stevenson says, “The dearest friends are the auldest friends; the young are just on trial.” A friend must be tried and proved before we can take him into our life, and give him our fullest confidence. We often hear persons in some sore trial say, “I never knew I had so many friends until my trouble came.” We can learn friendship’s holiest and best only in time of need.
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