In every "Oh my Father!"
Slumbers deep a "Here, my child."
Tholuck.
This world, with its wonderful creations, its beauties, and mysteries may lead a child up to the father's throne, if his heart and mind are open to it. Fill the heart with goodness and there is no place for badness. Fill the soul with heaven, and there is no hell. And this delightful time will come when "God is all and in all."
Abbie E. Danforth.
Our Father, who art in heaven; we know that Thou hast been good to us. We thank Thee for the daily witnesses of Thy love. And we would walk worthily before Thee. But we are weak. Help us, O Father to see clearly what Thou would'st have us do! Give us strength. Fill us with Thy spirit, that all the way we may be pure and patient. Help us to walk aright. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
December 21
Grand is the seen, the light, to me—grand are the sky and stars,
Grand is the earth, and grand are lasting time and space,
And grand their laws, so multiform, puzzling, evolutionary;
But grander far the unseen soul of me, comprehending, endowing all those,
Lighting the light, the sky and stars, delving the earth, sailing the sea,
(What were all those, indeed, without thee, unseen soul? of what amount without Thee?)
More evolutionary, vast, puzzling, O my soul!
More multiform far—more lasting Thou than they.
Walt Whitman.
O Thou, our Heavenly Father, in spirit we reach out to Thy great spirit. Quicken within us visions of what things we may do this day, with Thee at hand, Thy love abounding. Give us vision that we may rise to the opportunities of our daily task. Let Thy holy spirit bear witness to the reality of our dreams and aspirations, that we may look not idly upon our opportunities, but rather that each new opportunity shall challenge us to nobler effort. O keep us this day full of faith in ourselves and Thee, each obedient to our vision, until full purposed, winning Thine approval, we shall accomplish the thing for which Thou sendest us, and Thine be the glory. Amen.