The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 5

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 5

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The Holy Family.

In our picture we see the Holy Family: the
Child Jesus together with Joseph, His foster-father,
and Mary, His mother.

Joseph and Mary were not holy by nature; they
were born sinners, like all other men. The Bible
says of all men, ‘‘There is no difference; for all
have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.’’
They were ‘‘by nature children of wrath, even as
others.’? But they believed in Him of whom the
angel said, ‘‘Thou shalt

not get any work, or suppose your health failed, or
suppose you had to go into the workhouse, or sup-
pose—”’
“Stop,” interrupted Nancy, ‘I never suppose.
De Lord is my Shepherd, and I shall not want.”
Nancy knew that it was the Lord’s business
to keep and feed her. She had learned that the
shepherd tends the sheep, and not the sheep the
shepherd.
Old Billy Bray, when speaking of the Lord sup-
plying his need, used to say, ‘“‘Do ye think He’ll
starve Billy? No, no,

call His name Jesus, for
He shall save His people
from theirsins.’’ By faith
in this Saviour they had
forgiveness of sin and be-
came the holy children of
God. As God’s children
they walked in the way of
His commandments, thus
giving an example to all
Christian parents.

The Child Jesus was

holy by nature. He was
conceived by the Holy
Ghost and was without
sin. Therefore the angel
said to the Virgin Mary,
“The holy thing that shall
be born of thee shall be
called the Son of God.”
He was “‘holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from
sinners.’’ He, the Sinless
One, took our place under
the Law, fulfilling all its
demands in our stead. He
also left us an example
“that we should follow :
His steps.’’— Blessed is the family in which parents
follow the example of Joseph and Mary, walking in
the way of the Lord, and in which children follow
the steps of the holy Child Jesus, of whom we read
that He was ‘“‘subject’’ unto His parents and “‘in-
creased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with
God and man.”’

—_-~+--

Trusting the Lord for Supply.

There was once an old colored auntie who went
by the name of Nancy, and who was a bright and
cheerful Christian, though she was very poor. One
said to her one day, ‘‘Suppose, Nancy, you could

The Holy Family.

there’s sure to be a bit of
flour in the bottom of the
barrel for Billy. I can
trust in Jesus, and while
I trust Him, He’d as soon
starve Michael, the Arch-
angel, as He’d starve
Billy.”

The Christian can say
with simple confidence,
“The Lord is my Shep-
herd, I shall not want.’
He need not be ham-
pered by carking care,
nor troubled about ‘‘to-
morrow.”’

Child of God, trust in
your loving Father’s care
and in His Shepherd
character!

“Why should I ever careful
be
Since such a God is mine?
He watches o’er me night
and day

And tells me, ‘Mine is
thine.’”’

— ——e—.e—__ —_

A Hidden Bible.

Once a Bible was baked in a loaf of bread. That
was in a far-away country called Austria. Some
wicked men came into the house to find the Bible
and burn it up, but the woman who owned it was
just going to bake bread, so she rolled her Bible up
in a big loaf and put it in the oven. When the men
went away she took out the loaf, and it was not
hurt a bit. That was a good place to hide a Bible,
don’t you think so? But I will tell you a better
place still. David knew of that place when he said,
““Thy Word have I hid in mine heart,”’ Ps. 119, 11.

Rays of Light.