The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger (Job 17:9).
Something strange had happened in the house. The little boy was washing his hands again. Mother had always had a struggle with him on the subject of clean hands, but for the past week it seemed that he had been washing them almost constantly. At last she asked, "Son, why are you washing your hands again?" The boy hung his head and said, "You know, Jonny Smith has been mean to me, and I want to be so strong that he can't touch me."
"What do you mean, son?"
"Well, Mother, you know the memory verse we had in Sabbath school says, 'He that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.' "
You may smile at this child's simplicity, but have you ever thought of the great promise in this text? God wants us to hold on our way, the way He has appointed for us. We are not to deviate from it, because it is the way of life. Sometimes this road to the city of God runs over bottomless bogs, and again over terrifying mountains. Obstructions have to be cleared away; sometimes the road itself must be repaired. But "he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger." Hands are the symbol of the acts of life, the doings of the heart. What the heart it, the hands display in their deeds. Clean hands mean a clean heart. How may the heart be cleansed? Tennyson puts into the mouth of Sir Galahad these words: "My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure."
How do we get this clean heart? It is God's gift. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you" (Eze. 36:25, 26).
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Ps. 51:7).
Something strange had happened in the house. The little boy was washing his hands again. Mother had always had a struggle with him on the subject of clean hands, but for the past week it seemed that he had been washing them almost constantly. At last she asked, "Son, why are you washing your hands again?" The boy hung his head and said, "You know, Jonny Smith has been mean to me, and I want to be so strong that he can't touch me."
"What do you mean, son?"
"Well, Mother, you know the memory verse we had in Sabbath school says, 'He that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.' "
You may smile at this child's simplicity, but have you ever thought of the great promise in this text? God wants us to hold on our way, the way He has appointed for us. We are not to deviate from it, because it is the way of life. Sometimes this road to the city of God runs over bottomless bogs, and again over terrifying mountains. Obstructions have to be cleared away; sometimes the road itself must be repaired. But "he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger." Hands are the symbol of the acts of life, the doings of the heart. What the heart it, the hands display in their deeds. Clean hands mean a clean heart. How may the heart be cleansed? Tennyson puts into the mouth of Sir Galahad these words: "My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure."
How do we get this clean heart? It is God's gift. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you" (Eze. 36:25, 26).
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Ps. 51:7).
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