Food for the Lambs; or, Helps for Young Christians written by Charles Ebert Orr

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Although man can not by the exercise of his will-power in right-doing
evolve into a Christian, the will plays an important part in the
formation of Christian character. It is true, the will is most usually
led by the affections of the heart; therefore the writer of Proverbs
said, "Out of the heart are the issues of life." The heart must,
however, get consent of the will before its desires are fulfilled. Here
is a truth of vast importance to the Christian.

Many people's wills have become so in bondage to the impure affections
and desires of their depraved hearts that they have no will to do right
and shun the wrong. The desires of the heart sway their scepter of power
over the will, and it acts to the granting the heart its wishes. This is
a sad picture. A human being created to be free, but now a wretched
slave. When he wills to do good evil is present with him; the good he
would do, he does not do; and the evil he would not do, that is what he
does. O miserable man! A person who has rejected the mercy of God and
has yielded to the inclinations of an unholy heart until he has no
power to accept the offers of mercy and shun the ways of sin, is an
object of the greatest pity. To him there is no hope of escaping the
damnation of hell.

There is a time in the life of every rational young man and woman when
they can accept the blessed offers of salvation which God extends
through his Son, if they will. God gives the Holy Spirit to operate upon
the depraved heart, making it to feel something of the realities of a
Savior's love and goodness, and something of the awfulness of sin. The
Holy Spirit does not take hold upon the will and compel it to serve God,
or force it into right action. He just takes hold upon the heart,
suppressing its love for sin, and awakening desires for a better life,
thus removing the unrighteous scepter the heart swayed over the will,
giving the will freedom and power to accept or reject the mercies of
God. While the impure affections and unholy desires of a depraved heart
are being restrained by the power of the Holy Spirit, before the will is
set the way of life and the way of death, each subject to choice. Now is
the time for whosoever will to come and drink of the water of life
freely, and whosoever will now call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved.

Not only does the will act an important part in securing the salvation
of the soul through the offered mercies of God, but it is the purpose of
God that the will act an important part all along the Christian way.
After the Christian enters through the "strait gate" and steps out upon
the "narrow way" that leads to eternal golden glories, he is not carried
forward in a "chariot of fire" through the journey of life and crowned
at the end with eternal blessedness irrespective of his will. Often it
is true that the soul is carried blessedly onward in the way of life on
the wings of joy, without any apparent exercise of the will; but how
often Good seems to have deserted or forsaken us, Joy has hid her
smiling face, and Good Feelings have departed, and we are left to serve
God and attend to our Christian duties from choice of will. God wants
our life service to be a willing service. It is necessary, therefore,
that he apparently forsake us and permit dark powers to engage us. It is
that our wills may be exercised. The Psalmist says, "I _will_ go the way
of thy commandment; I _will_ keep thy testimonies," and let us all say
amen.

The blessings and joys the Lord bestows upon us are the rewards of
willing service, for which things you should be very thankful; but never
let them influence you in your conduct toward God. There have been
those, who, in the hour of seeming desertion, refusing to use their
will-power, have turned back to the world. This is faint-heartedness and
cowardice, ignobleness and unmanliness.

Every faculty of the body or soul that is unused or unexercised will
weaken and die. The muscles if unused will grow weak, the mind if unused
will weaken, and the will if unexercised will lose its power. Should God
always keep us soaring aloft on the wings of peace and joy and
blessings, without the exercise of the will, this important faculty
would degenerate into weakness and slavery. O may my young readers arise
in the strength of their manhood and womanhood and use, in choosing and
doing the right, the will God has given them. The tempter may come, yea,
will come, and endeavor to get some of the affections of the heart set
upon the world; but you must reject all such temptations, and by the
force of your will set your affections on things above. God does never
will for us, but he gives us power to will if we will but use the power
he gives us.

You are exhorted by the Scriptures to "work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling." The "crown of life" lies at the end of the
Christian race. When we step over the boundary between time and eternity
our salvation is then eternally secured. Praises be to God! It is for
this crown of amaranthine glory, or blessed eternal salvation, that we
are to watch and labor with fear and trembling. O may you be very
careful! Be watchful, lest something should hinder you in your Christian
race, and you miss at last the blessedness of heaven. Guard the
affections of your heart with the strictest vigilance.

I said above that God would always give us power to will, if we would
but make use of that power. For proof of this I shall refer you to Phil.
2:13, which in our common version is rendered thus: "For it is God which
worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." The meaning
of this text is not so readily comprehended by this version as it is by
some others. By Conybeare and Howson it is translated in these words:
"It is God who works in you both will and deed." Upon examination of the
different translations we find the meaning of this text to be this: "It
is God that gives us power _to will_ and _to do_ his good pleasure." In
the verse preceding this one the apostle tells us to "work out our
salvation with fear and trembling," and then he adds for our
encouragement, "God will work in you the power _to will_ and _to do_
that which will secure your eternal salvation." Never say, "I can't."

Here is something which will prove very valuable to you in your
Christian life if you can only get to fully comprehend it: You can do
nothing; your will is powerless without God and his grace, and God can
do nothing in you without the consent of your will. God does everything,
and we do everything: we are to purify our hearts, and yet it is God who
purifies our hearts; we are to make us a new heart, and yet it is God
who gives us a new heart; we are commanded to work out our salvation,
and God gives us power to do it. God furnishes the power; we are to do.
Do not think that God will act for you. He will give you power to act,
but he will not do the act for you. Do not, therefore, say, "I can't."
You can do "all things" through Christ, who strengthens you. You can
serve God in a way acceptable to him; you can keep your mind stayed on
him; you can pray; you can resist the devil and temptation and be an
overcomer; you can endure unto the end--you can do "all things" by the
grace and power of God, and he will always give you power to do his
pleasure. Do not serve and praise God only when he gives you blessings
and joy, but serve him and praise him when the way is dark. Have a fixed
decision of the will to serve God no matter what the feelings may be. Be
thankful to God for the will-power he has given you, and use it
manfully, nobly in his service. Do not cower and tremble before
temptation. You are to "fear and tremble" before God, but never before
trials, temptations, sin, nor the devil. God will cause you to triumph
by giving you power to will. Be steadfast, be faithful, fix your will
unswervingly to serve God, and in due season you shall reap if you faint
not.

GOD OUR GUIDE.

This is a dark world of sin, error, and uncertainties. It is weak and
transitory. Man, God's chief and highest work in the things of creation,
is weak, ignorant, and can of himself do absolutely nothing. Though he
may have a most scholarly mind, he can not peer with any degree of
certainty one hour into the future. Who knows what the morrow may have
in store? Life may run about the same as to-day, or fortune may come, or
misfortune. Man may plan for the future, but the plan may never be
carried into effect. It is not in man to direct his way.

There is one, however, that knows all future things and shapes the
destiny of man. We are invited to commit our way unto him. He has
promised to guide us with his eye. Life lies before us like an unknown
sea, none know how many days' journey it is across, nor how much
sunshine and shadow there may be on the way. With the unknown expanse
before me, and I, in my ignorant finiteness, not knowing which way to
take, rejoice exceedingly in my heart to be permitted to commit my way
unto Him who makes the clouds his chariots, and rides upon the wings of
the wind, and stills the wave. He knows the best way and will direct in
tender care my every step. He guides me with his eye, and leads me by
his own right hand beside the still waters and into green pastures.

Why are there so many anxious hearts, so much unrest, so many
discontentments and fears? It is because man is attempting to direct his
own way. He feels his weakness, and fears; he knows his ignorance, and
becomes anxious. How blessed to walk out upon life's way trusting in God
and casting every care upon him! The waves may sometimes dash around our
feet, but we are looking up unto Him who shall guide us continually. The
secret of a happy and successful life is to let God lead us. When we get
in a hurry and pass on ahead of the Lord, devising, contriving, planning
over our work and way, then come fears and failures.

Many Christians find it difficult to know the will of God and understand
his leadings. Many hearts are longing to know God's will and way. You
may always know. Do not hurry, only wait, pray and trust, and God will
plainly and unmistakably teach you his way and give you a sweet
consciousness in your soul of his guidance. Sometimes it may require
long waiting. I have for months been almost daily praying and sometimes
rising a great while before day to seek God beneath the stars to know
his will in a certain matter. Sometimes it seems I must act, but God
whispers in sweet stillness, "Only wait."

The Word Our Guide.

In many affairs of life we need no guidance other than the Word of God.
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psa.
119:105. Much reading of the Scripture will impart wisdom and knowledge,
and be a help to us in directing the affairs of life. You may have a
difficult matter to settle with your neighbor. Open your Bible and read:
"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."
Quite likely this will enable you to settle the matter in perfect
satisfaction to all. Some one may have done you much harm, now what must
you do? Open your book of guidance and read: "Dearly beloved, avenge not
yourselves ... vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Thus,
much of life's duties and affairs can be determined and decided by the
Word of God.

The Spirit's Impressions.

The Holy Spirit is given us for a guide. With respect to our conduct and
our duty, we often feel the impressions of the Spirit. The Word of God
tells us to give of our goods as the Lord has prospered us, but the
Spirit may often impress us as to where to give.

We feel impressed by the Spirit to give, we feel impressed to go to a
certain place, we feel impressed to pray for such a one, we feel
impressed to fast and pray, etc. Many a precious soul that once was full
of joy and fatness is to-day in unrest and leanness because these
impressions have been resisted. But are there not impressions given by
an evil spirit? Most certainly, and these impressions have led many an
honest soul into the wildest of fanaticism. Thank God, by living very
humble, with all our motives very pure, and by acquaintance with the
Word of God, we may know the voice of the Spirit of God and that of the
evil spirit I have known people to receive and obey impressions to fast
and pray that were given by Satan. God's Word and God's Spirit favor
fasting and praying, but both are bounded by sound judgment; and in such
matters we should not follow a spirit beyond what common sense would
approve.

It is blessed and beautiful to be led by the Spirit of God. If its
impressions are not resisted, but encouraged by cheerful obedience, they
will lead us into a blessed felicity with God and a deep acquaintance
with him. An evil spirit's whisperings can be very easily detected by
one who has much communion with the Lord. Recently while standing on a
steamer's deck it was whispered to me that the steamer was an ill-fated
vessel, and that I never should see home again. At first I did not know
but that it was the voice of God, but soon I felt attempts being made to
cast over me a tormenting fear; this aroused my suspicion that it was
not God speaking, and to be convinced I allowed the spirit to talk on.
For a while it tried to torment me with fears that I should never see
the dear ones at home again, and then said, "You may as well cast
yourself overboard into the deep." Ah! now I knew the Satanic spirit and
I rebuked it in Jesus' name. I reached my home in safety. Praise the
Lord! Try the spirits by the Word; Satan will soon expose himself.

God's Providences.

In the sure guidance of God we have his Word and his Spirit and also his
providences. Again, we would say, oh, how blessed to await the
providences of God! His providences are always in favor of the
righteous. "All things work together for good to them that love God."
How many can look back through their lives and see how the providences
of God have directed their ways. They may have planned, but God's
providence overthrew and brought better things to pass. Trust in the
providences of God, commit your way unto him, patiently wait, and he
will guide you into the way that is best. Never get in a hurry, but wait
on the Lord, and he will always make the way plain before you. I have
learned never to take a step until I know it is ordered of God. In the
providence of God, Joseph was sold to a company of Ishmaelites and cast
into prison and thus brought to be ruler over all Egypt. In the
providences of God, Kish's asses went astray and Saul being sent in
search of them was led to the prophet Samuel, who anointed him king
over Israel. You may meet with losses, all things may seem decidedly
against you; but be patient, trust in the providence of God, and in time
you will see his kind favor.

If you value your happiness and success in life, wait on God. If you do
not know which way to go or what thing to do, wait until you do know.
God will surely guide you; he will open the way clear and plain before
you. When he has given you full assurance, then go forward in all
security. Mountains may rise before you, but he will pluck them up and
cast them into the sea. Rivers and seas may lie across your path, but he
will divide the waters and let you pass through. Live humbly and only
for the glory of God. Trust in him with all the strength of your soul.
See that all motives are as pure as heaven. Prayerfully seek a knowledge
of God's will, patiently wait on him, cheerfully and promptly obey when
his will is known, and he will lead you in the path of security,
strewing the way with blessings and glory, and make your life one golden
gleam of light across this dark world to lead others to the Lamb.

FRAGRANCE.

Every saintly life on earth, is a sweet fragrance unto God, and every
sinful life is a stench in his nostrils. As the rose scents the evening
air, so a pure life scatters a sweet Christian influence and a knowledge
of God throughout the world. The literal translation of 2 Cor. 2:14
reads thus: "But thanks be to God, who leads me on from place to place
in the train of his triumph, to celebrate his victory over the enemies
of Christ, and by me sends forth the knowledge of him, a stream of
fragrant incense, throughout the world." A saintly life diffuses a
sweet, heavenly fragrance throughout the world, and brings a knowledge
of God and the nature of his salvation to the minds of men. Let me
exhort you, therefore, to a pure life, a life full of devotion and
reverence to God. You can make your life, by God's grace, a constant,
flowing stream of fragrant incense, whose sweetness will linger long on
the air after you have passed to higher realms. So may it be.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you." Mat. 6:33. An injunction of much
importance is here given. Verses 24 to 34 of this chapter show how
beautifully it is in the plan of God to care for his own. We are taught
to have our trust in God for what we eat, for what we drink, for what we
wear--for all the necessities of this life. We are referred to the fowls
of the air and the lilies of the field, which take no thought for their
life, but live in their happy, independent way, without care or trouble.
These God cares for and says we are of more value than they.

What a valuable lesson we are to learn from this! But is it really true
that we are to have the same degree of freedom from care or anxiety that
the fowls or the lilies have? We shall also ask, Is it really possible?
This lesson surely teaches that we are to have such a trust in our
Maker, and therefore it must be possible. The apostle Paul instructs us
in Phil. 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto
God." And in another place, "I would have you without carefulness." Our
lives are to be free from worry or anxiety about anything and
everything. This feature alone of the divine life, or this principle
alone in the economy of God's gracious plan, ought to represent
salvation as a thing greatly to be desired. But in the face of this
people fail to see anything desirable in it, because by their unbelief
they hold such a life to be impracticable. By this kind of unbelief the
enemy of souls deprives many of their privileges in Christ and hinders
the world from seeing the real nature of the salvation experience.

How the world is estranged from the principles of righteousness! How it
holds light to be darkness and darkness to be light! Instead of
accounting that there is any reasonableness in such trust in God as is
shown in this lesson they would fain be selfishly taking upon themselves
the responsibility of maintaining their own existence, and thus every
one seek for his own gain. Thinking that they thus have an excuse for
not devoting their time to God's service and their spiritual welfare,
the things of the Lord are forgotten and neglected, and their souls
consequently are lost. When will individuals learn that they have a
spiritual as well as a physical existence, and that the spiritual is the
more important of the two? Seek first the kingdom.

But the fact that we wish to bring out most prominently is that many
Christian professors, who are supposed to be examples of the Christian
life, do not comprehend the import of the test "Seek ye first the
kingdom of God." The mistake is made on the word _first_. They think to
obey this scripture by first gaining the profession of salvation,
presuming then that the blessings of the kingdom will follow, while they
live as selfishly as before and dig deep into the things concerning the
unrighteous mammon. In so doing they fail to experience the blessings of
the kingdom, and also misrepresent the kingdom to the world. The word
_first_ means not only first in time, but first in _importance_; and
this idea of _importance_ must ever be held before us, not only when we
enter the kingdom, but throughout our whole Christian life. We are to
hold the kingdom of righteousness _first_ in all our lives. If we hold
God first in everything and consider what will be to his glory before
we consider our own, we give God a chance to fulfil his word, and his
own good pleasure in us will be accomplished. We then place ourselves in
the order of his plan where it will be possible for him to do as he has
promised.

The salvation life means an unselfish life. We are not to seek selfish
glory in anything, but seek the glory of God _first_--above everything
else. It has been remarked concerning certain ones who were struggling
for an earthly existence, that if they would only get saved "all these
things" (all earthly necessities) would be added unto them. But it is
not those who merely get saved that can claim this promise; it is those
who _keep saved_ and carry out the principles of the plan of
righteousness. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" in
everything. Lose your own individuality in God, consign your all to him,
live for his glory in all your life, then "all these things shall be
added unto you."

PRAYER.

Upon this subject and the one following I have written in other works
very similarly to this; but since these subjects are so well adapted to
a work of this nature I can hardly feel willing to leave them out. If
you have read very similar words to these in other productions of mine,
I hope the rereading of the subjects will not be time spent to no
profit.

The value of prayer can hardly be estimated. Unless you are willing to
take up a life of prayer and keep it until the close, you had just as
well not take up the Christian profession. Without prayer you will die.
Some one has expressed it thus:

"Prayer is our life, our soul's triumphant wings,
The arm that holds the shield and hand that takes the crown;
Along the line on which a thousand faithful prayers ascend,
Surely God doth send ten thousand blessings down."

What an honor it is to have audience with the King of glory! He extends
the golden scepter to us, and we come hopefully, confidingly, into his
presence and tell him all that is in our hearts. It is only because we
comprehend something of his great love to us that we venture to come
into his presence. Who would not consider it a great honor and blessed
privilege to be admitted into the courts of the lords and the kings of
earth? The greatest honor bestowed upon man is the privilege of coming
into the presence of God and conversing with him. Alas! how few
appreciate the privilege of prayer! How few can properly estimate its
true worth! Jesus by his example has taught us something of the worth of
prayer. His rising a great while before it was day to hold communion
with the Father, and his spending all night in prayer to him, teach us
something of its importance. If it was necessary for Jesus to spend so
much time in prayer, how much more necessary for us.

Prayer is the energy and life of the soul. It is the invincible armor
which shields the devoted Christian from the poisoned missles shot forth
from the batteries of hell. It is the mighty weapon in his hand with
which he fights life's battles unto victory. He who lives in prayer
reigns triumphant. His soul is filled with the peace of heaven. Power
is given him over sin and the world. By prayer all storm-clouds are
driven away, mountains of discouragement are cast into the sea, chasms
of difficulties are bridged, hope is given wings, faith increases, and
joys abound. Hell may rage and threaten, but he who is frequent and
fervent in prayer experiences no alarm. By prayer the windows of heaven
are opened, and showers of refreshing dews are rained upon the soul. It
is as a watered garden, a fertile spot where blooms the unfading rose of
Sharon and the lily-of-the-valley; where spread the undecaying,
unwithering branches of the tree of life.

By prayer the soul is nourished and strengthened by the divine life. Do
you long for deeper joys? for a greater sense of the divine fulness? for
a sweeter balm of hope to be shed upon your soul? for a closer walk with
God? then live much in prayer. Do you desire to feel the holy flame of
love burning in all its intensity in your soul? then enkindle it often
at the golden altar of prayer. Without prayer, the inner being will
weaken, famish, and die; the fountain of love dry up; the spring of joy
cease to flow; the dews will fail to descend; and your heart will
become a parched and dreary desert waste.

Look upon the character of Jesus. Behold his lowliness, his meekness,
gentleness, and tender compassion. Have they any beauty? and would you
love to have them grace your own soul? then draw them down from the
skies in all their glorious fulness by the fervent prayer of faith. As
through the process of assimilation food is transformed into an active,
living being; so through the medium of prayer the character of Jesus in
all its transcendent beauty and glory becomes the character of man.

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