October 23

Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God: Thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. — Ps 143:10

The battle of our life is won,
And heaven begun,
When we can say, “Thy will be done!”
But, Lord, until
These restless hearts in Thy deep love are still,
We pray Thee, “Teach us how to do Thy will!”
—LUCY LARCOM.

“You are seeking your own will, my daughter. You are seeking some good other than the law you are bound to obey. But how will you find good? It is not a thing of choice; it is a river that flows from the foot of the Invisible Throne, and flows by the path of obedience. I say again, man cannot choose his duties. You may choose to forsake your duties, and choose not to have the sorrow they bring. But you will go forth, and what will you find, my daughter? Sorrow without duty—bitter herbs, and no bread with them.”
—GEORGE ELIOT.

However dark and profitless, however painful and weary, existence may have become, life is not done, and our Christian character is not won, so long as God has anything left for us to suffer, or anything left for us to do. —F. W. ROBERTSON.