February 11

God means for us to be active. It is against the nature God gave us for us to seek ease and the easy way out. "The only thing in which we can be said to have any property are our actions. Our thoughts may be bad, yet produce no poison; they may be good, yet produce no fruit. Our riches may be taken away by misfortune, our reputation by malice, our spirits by calamity, our health by disease, our friends by death. But our actions must follow us beyond the grave; with respect to them alone, we cannot say that we shall carry nothing with us when we die, neither that we shall go naked out of the world" (Colton).

February 12

The disciples of Jesus progressed from common men into uncommon revolutionists who changed hearts and attitudes. When we envy others their success, or seeming success, let us think of this small band of men who Jesus chose to be His first pupils. And let us remember that these His followers thought Jesus had failed when He was raised up on the cross. But O! that glorious testimony of the Son of Man, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all...to myself" (John 12:32). In the lifting of that cross from earth to heaven is the accomplishment and vindication for us all. From that seeming greatest defeat of all came the consecrated and perfect success for humanity. Thank You, Jesus!

February 13

"God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters" (Dr. Jowett). When we look back on our times of trouble we know that God uplifted us. What He gave was strength as well as consolation. His comfort is not a sedative to desensitize but a brace to fortify our spirit so we might then share courage with others in their time of distress. The cup of grief is full for our friend, and our tenderness is sorely needed, but with that compassion we can tell our friend about His Passion, and thereby help that person to see a reason to live through his or her sorrow.

February 14