May 26

His heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord. — 2 Chr 17:6

There is a bad lifting up and a good lifting up. Some people are made vain by prosperity. The temptation for us when first called to do any work, if we accomplish it with some measure of success, is to become proud.

It ought to make us humble to learn that God is using us, is entrusting us with something of His to minister to others, and is blessing the work which we are doing for Him. Every favor we receive should make us more earnest in doing the will of God.

Too often, as money comes in, and prosperity increases, people get so absorbed in these new gifts of God that the Giver Himself fades out of their vision.

We should never forget that every new kindness which comes to us is a new evidence of God’s thought for us, and that because of it we should love Him the more and devote ourselves the more earnestly to His work.

If only we thus see the hand of God in every new mercy and goodness that comes to us, our hearts will be lifted up in the ways of the Lord.