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MEDITATION:

This meditation was by D.L. Moody and adapted from the book “To the Work” by Olive Tree Bible.

If we cherish love in our hearts for those we try to reach for God, every barrier will be swept out of the way. Love begets love, just as hatred begets hatred. Love is the key to the human heart. Someone has said, “Light is for the mind, and love is for the heart.” When you can reach hearts, then you can turn them toward Christ. But we must first win them to ourselves. There is the story of a boy whose home was near a wood. He was in the wood one day, and he thought he heard the voice of another boy not far off. He shouted, “Hello there!” The voice shouted back, “Hello there!” He did not know that it was the echo of his own voice, and he shouted again, “You are a mean boy!” Again the cry came back, “You are a mean boy!” After some more of the same kind of thing, he went into the house and told his mother that there was a bad boy in the wood. His mother, who understood what happened, said to him, “Speak kindly to him, and see if he does not speak kindly to you.” He went to the wood again and shouted, “You are a good boy.” Of course, the reply came, “You are a good boy.” Then he shouted, “I love you.” “I love you,” said the other voice. This little story explains the secret of the whole thing. You might think you have bad and unpleasant neighbors, but the trouble is most likely with yourself. If you love your neighbors, they will love you. As I said before, love is the key that will unlock every human heart. There is no man or woman so degraded that you cannot reach them with love, gentleness, and kindness. It may take years to do it, but it can be done. Love must be active. As someone has said, “A man may hoard up his money and bury his talents, but one thing he cannot hoard is love.” You cannot bury it. It must flow out. It cannot feed on itself; it must have an object. If we had the love of our Master, would these outlying masses not be reached? There is not one drunk who would not be reached. There is not a poor fallen one, or a blasphemer, or an atheist that would not be influenced for good. The atheists cannot get over the power of love. It will upset atheism and every false faith quicker than anything else. Nothing will break the stubborn heart as quickly as the love of Christ. When these hard-hearted people awake to the fact that love prompts our efforts on their behalf, the hardness will begin to soften, and their stubbornness will begin to bend. This key of love will unlock their hearts. We can turn them, by God’s help, from the darkness of this world to the light of the Gospel.

PRAYER:

Written by Norman Shawchuck, a pastor, teacher, writer and consultant. This prayer is from his book with Rueben Job “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God.”

Make me worthy, Lord, to serve you and all the world’s people who live and die in loneliness, hunger, poverty, and sickness. Give them through my hands this day their daily bread, and by my love, give them peace and joy.