January 4

Make men see

“Make all men see what is the fellowship” (Eph. 3:9).
“Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw” (2 Kings 6:17).

Lorado Taft, the noted sculptor, related an incident of summer camp life on the banks of a lake where sunsets were exceptionally beautiful. One evening, a little nursemaid asked if she might run to her home nearby and “show the sunset” to her people.
“Certainly,” answered Mr. Taft; “but they will see it, won’t they?”
“No. I never saw the sunset until you came.”
It is a great privilege to make the beauty of the Christian life compellingly attractive to others.

As we meet and touch each day
The many travelers on our way,
Let every such brief contact be
A glorious, helpful ministry.
—S. Coleridge.


Many a groping soul has seen the Gospel long before he has ever heard the grand old story with his ears. Such an one was the Chinaman who applied to a missionary for baptism. When asked where he had heard the Gospel, the reply was, “Nowhere, but I have seen it.” He then told of the remarkable transformation he had witnessed in a depraved opium smoker, noted for his violent temper. But he had met Christ, and the change wrought had broadcast the Gospel message more effectively than any sermon. “Oh,” said the candidate for baptism, “I have not heard the Gospel, but I have seen it.”
The story is told of Gordon Maxwell, missionary to India, that he went to a Hindu Pundit and asked him if he would teach him the language. The Hindu replied: “No, Sahib, I will not teach you my language. You would make me a Christian.”
Gordon Maxwell replied: “You misunderstand me. I am simply asking you to teach me your language.”
The Hindu replied again: “No, Sahib, I will not teach you. No man can live with you and not become a Christian.”

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