April 26
GRACIOUS DEALING
"And the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest"
Deut. 15:18
An Israelitish master was to give his bondservant liberty in due
time, and when he left his service he was to start him in life with a
liberal portion. This was to be done heartily and cheerfully, and then
the Lord promised to bless the generous act. The spirit of this
precept, and, indeed, the whole law of Christ, binds us to treat
work-people well. We ought to remember how the Lord has dealt with us,
and that this renders it absolutely needful that we should deal
graciously with others. It becomes those to be generous who are the
children of a gracious God. How can we expect our great Master to
bless us in our business if we oppress those who serve us?
What a benediction is here set before the liberal mind! To be
blessed in all that we do is to be blessed indeed. The Lord will send
us this partly in prosperity, partly in content of mind, and partly in
a sense of His favor, which is the best of all blessings. He can make
us feel that we are under His special care, and are surrounded by His
peculiar love. This makes this earthly life a joyous prelude to the
life to come. God's blessing is more than a fortune. It maketh rich,
and addeth no sorrow therewith.