The One Important Thing
By M. C. W.
THESE are days of stress and trial, days of danger and evil. War has lifted its monstrous, cruel head, with its blood-dropping jaws, and glistening, murderous fangs, among the nations, till the larger part of humanity are engaged in internecine strife. The highest inventive skill has been used to devise and perfect instruments potent in slaughter; and the chief motive that moves millions to madness is to kill, kill, kill. Demons must laugh and angels weep at the fearful spectacle. The outcome is uncertain, and the general uncertainty is emphasized by the certainty expressed by the partizans of either side. The wiser, more considerate onlookers are waiting. The victory of a single battalion, a chance shot on one man's part, the dropping of a single bomb, may decide the fearful conflict. Disease and pestilence are dreadful foes, sometimes mighty and gruesome allies. In divine prophecy, we do not have full particulars, nor even complete outlines. The great general trend and the sure outcome are predicted. The wise expositor will be slow in particulars; "for we know in part, and we prophesy in part." Where God is specific, we may be. Where prophecy is not clear, we can wait, trusting Him. What is obscure to-day may be clear to-morrow. Then our dream of yesterday may be upset. But we may not slight the warning voice of prophecy. We are to let the light of its "sure Word" shine; for He has given it to be a light "in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day-star arise." 2 Peter 1:19. THE VITALLY IMPORTANT THING
But there is one thing more important than prophecy, more important than to try to follow the development of events in the world and to speculate as to their outcome; for we may do all this and yet miss the vitally important thing after all. That thing is the uniquely, transcendently important thing of harmony with God, of understanding and knowing Him, of having peace with Him, of being covered with His righteousness, filled with His life; for harmony with God means all this. God has shown its importance by using the greater part of the Scriptures to teach it, impress it, emphasize it. Without that harmony, all else is failure. With it, all else contributes to ultimate success. Our Lord has taken especial pains to emphasize this necessity of knowing God in a moral way, in spiritual life, in character preeminence, even in the great apocalyptic books, Daniel and the Revelation. Yet these books are little used otherwise than as a basis of prophetic exposition, sometimes fanciful, sometimes factual, but generally with little of the practically spiritual. But note: Before we get to the great prophetic delineations and predictions of the character and power and extent of the great antagonistic kingdoms of earth, the great majesty and power, the great character and care of God are set before the children of men and rulers of nations. It is of God as the one great preeminent Teacher of men, superior to all the best of earth's schools, that the first chapter of Daniel treats. His teaching includes the highest upbuilding of the physical, mental, and spiritual man. It is of God the Revealer, in contradistinction to the genesis of the philosophies and vain wishes of men, that chapter two treats. The kingdom of man, not based in righteousness, comes to naught. It is of God the Deliverer, in spite of foes, however strong, that chapter three tells us. He delivers the faithful righteous who may stand against the worshipers of world patriotism, the deification of human ambition. He teaches the nations and their rulers, in chapter 4, that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will." Only those in harmony with that righteous rule can persist. In chapter five, the dread realities of the judgment upon great Babylon, weighed in the divine balances of justice and found wanting, are set before us by a messenger from the throne of God the Judge. And then in chapter six, with a new dynasty come to power, the Medo-Persian, God the Vindicator of the good and just of all the ages, vindicates the faith of His aged servant Daniel, who dares to worship God despite unchangeable decree. If men, if rulers who profess God's name, had heeded the lessons of God the Teacher, the light of God the Revealer, the power of God the Deliverer, the righteous law of God the Ruler, the great tribunal of God the Judge, histories of crime, wars, and fierce persecutions would never have been written. But because they would not, in the book of Daniel follow three great prophecies of coming kingdoms, the rise and fall of empire, cruel persecutions; and then back to the moral lesson and moral character, all-important, the prophet turns: "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." Dan. 12:10. And the wise are they who above all things else are in harmony with God; for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." In that other great apocalyptic book, the Revelation, there is a great seven times sevenfold drama of unfoldment of God's purpose in this sin-doomed world and the world's disregard of God. But the very first of these is His seven times sevenfold letter to His church of the Christian age, with ever the spiritual thought uppermost, that safety lies only in harmony with God, and the overcoming of all sin; and each division rings the appealing cry, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." The next great prophecy, the seven-sealed book, throbs with the same great thought. It is only the One triumphant over all sin, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who overcame that He might, that can break the seven seals which confine the secret of man's salvation. And this He does in sacrifice as a Lamb to bring men back to harmony with God. And in the opening of those seals, we hear the fourfold call, Come, Come, Come, Come. Then the very prophecy closes with the setting of God's seal upon those in harmony with Him. And thus preeminent in every prophecy are not the great events, however mighty, which succeed one another, but the great moral truth of God, which makes or breaks mankind as they receive or reject its mighty power. And finally that great book makes last appeal to all, of every land, of every tribe, of every condition, proud Pharisee or half-believing skeptic, self-righteous formalist or discouraged sinner, to come, come back to harmony with God. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22:17. Dear heart, wherever you are, accept the invitation. You may not understand all prophecy. You may not be able to harmonize seeming or real differences of interpretation. Let them wait. But come into harmony with God now. Yield all to Him. Find in Him the Solver of all doubts, the Saviour from all sins, the Refuge from all ills, the restful Shadow of a great Rock in this weary land. Believe one who has at least tested Him in part, and found Him never to fail. Make the one important thing yours.