THE DAY THE LORD HATH MADE (10/18/1981)

One morning, Frank Duckworth and I had our little taxi stop so we could watch the sun rise. We had already been travelling an hour so as not to be late to our preaching appointment in a remote village. We had been in India about a month and I had more than two to go, and the prospect was very burdensome. Then, a verse of scripture came to my mind and I said it out loud for tue use of us both. "This is the day the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24). Our spirits were noticeably lifted, as they usually are when we recall the word of the Lord--his will on a given subject. It is wise to savor the moment and enjoy them to the most.

I oft wonder what I would do if I had my days to do again? There would be many changes! I'd go barefoot earlier in the spring! I'd ride more merry-go-rounds and pick more daisies. Yes, I'd plant more trees, and befriend more children. Forget more injuries and gossip injuries to others. Write more letters, and seek more wisdom. I'd give more generously, trust more quickly, and forgive more easily. I'd love more warmly, act more courteously and live more simply. Judge more charitably and pray more expectantly.                BL

"Days of the Lord" (6/8/1980)

The day dawned hot. We had been traveling one and one half hours at daybreak. We were halfway to our destination, having made about forty miles. Frank Duckworth and I were lonesome. I had one month in India behind and two more to go. He was nearing the day to come home, and I would be a lone American. As we stopped to view and photograph the sun coming up I remembered a Psalm: "This is the Day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad." Frank said "Amen." Needless to say, remembering that this, indeed, was the Lord's say, lifted our spirits away from concentrating on how lonely we were. I cannot remember a more exhausting day of preaching. We were out in the Indian villages, we had for food a piece or two of fruit--bananas, and little water.

The world is full of people with weighty problems. Sometimes we would cheer someone but instead of cheer we hear a rebuttal: "I'm about to lose my house," or "my car", or "my family." Others have lost their job. Someone else is seriously ill, and another is lonely. On and on go the maladies that rob people of happiness.

There is a sure-fire cure for what ails the spirit, however, and that, of course, is concentrating on the scriptures. There, we find out that God is in charge, and that he will ultimately square all things, and right all wrongs. There, in the Bible, we find those who suffered being thrown to the lions, lived in caves for fear of their lives, were put to the sword and sometimes saw their babies empaled on soldiers spears.

Then, we can say, "I don't have it so bad." One of our children had a car ruined by hail a couple of nights ago. It made us all sick for awhile, then we remembered, we have our health. WE are not in fear of a booted heel. We are not afraid of being hungry. Ah, yes, we have only to look for it, and life is good. "He who began a good work in you will perfect it." (Phil. 1:6)