Perhaps you never thought that any one around you had any! Then if you want to fulfill this law of Christ, the first thing will be to find out who has any burdens, and which of them you could bear instead. You will not have to watch long! There are very few without any. Little backs can not bear great burdens, but sometimes those who have great burdens have little ones too, and it makes such a difference if some loving little hand will take one or two of these. If your mother was carrying a great heavy parcel, would it not help her if you took two or three little ones out of her hand and carried them for her? So perhaps she has troubles that you do not even know about, and you see she looks tired and anxious. And it tires her a little more, because a little brother or sister wants to be nursed or amused. Now if you put your own affairs by, and call the little ones away, and amuse them quietly so that mamma may not be disturbed, this is bearing one of her burdens. Never mind if it is really a little burden to you too; is it not worth it, when it is fulfilling the law of Christ? If for a moment a burden that you have taken up does seem rather hard, and you are tempted to drop it again, think of what the Lord Jesus bore for you! Think how He took up the heaviest burden of all for you, when He "His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree!" He did not drop that burden, but bore it till He died under it. Think of that, and it will be easy then to bear something for His sake.
Now be on the watch all to-day for little burdens to bear for others. See how many you can find out, and pick up, and carry away! Depend upon it, you will not only make it a brighter day for others, but for yourself too!
"Little deeds of kindness, Little words of love, Make our earth an Eden, Like the heaven above."
5. Fifth Day.
Instruments.
"Yield .... your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."--Rom. vi. 13.
This does not sound so easy and tuneful as most of your other "morning bells," you think! But listen for a few minutes and you will hear the music.
What are your members? Hands, feet, lips, eyes, ears, and so on. What are you to do with them? "Yield" them, that is, give them up altogether, hand them over to God.
What for? That He may use them as instruments of righteousness. That is, just as we should take an instrument of music, to make music with it, so He may take your hands and feet and all your members, and use them to do right and good things with.
If a little one gives himself or herself to God, every part of that little body is to be God's little servant, a little instrument for Him to use.
The little hands will no longer serve Satan by striking or pinching; the little feet will not kick or stamp, nor drag and dawdle, when they ought to run briskly on some errand; the little lips will not pout; the little tongue will not move to say a naughty thing. All the little members will leave off serving Satan, and find something to do for God; for if you "yield" them to God, He will really take them and use them.
He will tell the hands to pick up what a tired mamma has dropped, and to fetch her a footstool; and the fingers to sew patiently at a warm petticoat for a poor child, or to make warm cuffs for a poor old man. He will tell the feet to run on errands of kindness and help. He will set the lips to sing happy hymns, which will cheer and comfort somebody, even if you never know of it. He will use the eyes for reading to some poor sick or blind woman, or to some fretful little one in your own home. You will be quite surprised to find in how many ways He will really use even your little members, if you give them and your whole self to Him. It will be so nice! You will never be miserable again with "nothing to do!"
"Take my hands, and let them move At the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet, and let them be Swift and beautiful' for Thee."
6. Sixth Day.
Willing and Glad.
"Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly."--I Chron. xxix. 9
We thought yesterday morning about giving our members up to God for Him to use. Did you think you would like to give them up to Him? _did_ you yield them to Him? If you did, you will understand this morning's text! David the King asked his people to help in bringing offerings for God's house and service. He said, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?" And God made them all willing to bring what they could. And what then? "_Then_ the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord." "And did eat and drink on that day before the Lord with great gladness."