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Poems and Short Features
The Scent of Danger A short time ago I read a story that made me thoughtful. A great menagerie was sold at auction. Some straw that had been used as temporary bedding for the wild beasts was bought by a man who owned a livery stable. And horses that had never seen a lion were uneasy and refused to enter the stalls where the straw was. It was an instinctive dread of an unseen enemy. And it is possible for a conscience to be so delicately adjusted to the voice of God that when a lure which we do not certainly know to be sinful, a cunningly baited trap for the soul, is placed in our path, there is a spiritual instinct, a divine scent, that makes us draw back and avoid the danger. The Apostle Paul had such a conscience.
—A. C. Frey Collection
AND FINALLY… [back cover] “When they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison ... and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God” (Acts 16:24, 25). Paul and Silas had peace of mind and heart. They had endured labor and pain for Christ’s sake. Their backs were still tender — their position uncomfortable — their surroundings unpleasant. But they were at peace. They had the “blessed assurance” of God’s favor, and expressed this in praise. Whenever peace is obtained, it brings a certain inward joy, even happiness, despite outward circumstances. |