A celebrated Scottish nobleman and statesman once replied to a correspondent that he was “plowing his lonely furrow.” Whenever God has required someone to do a big thing for Him, He has sent him to a lonely furrow. He has called him to go alone.

You may have to become the loneliest person on earth, but if you do, you will be able always to see around you the chariots of God, even twenty thousand, and thousands of thousands, and then you will forget your loneliness.

The soil is hard, And the plow goes heavily.

The wind is fierce And I toil on wearily— But His hands made the yoke!

Ah wonder—that I should bear His yoke— It is enough, if I may but plow the furrow, For the Sower to sow the seed.

If you have taken hold of the plow, hold on until the field is finished.

“Let us not become weary” (Galatians 6:9).

Says Theodore L. Cuyler, “After long and painful perplexities about accepting a certain attractive call, I opened the Book and read: ‘Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way?’” (Jeremiah 2:36 KJV).

Your present field may be limited, but you are not limited by your field.

Great men have sprung from the furrows. Great men have plowed and harrowed, and leaving these things have written their names deep in history.

There are heights undreamed of, ecstasies unthought of, for the one who follows on. So follow on in the valley, looking for hills. One day you will look back with surprise, and then turning go forward with fresh courage.

You were made to mount and not to crawl!

“One lonely soul on fire with the love of God may set the whole universe ablaze” (Acts 2:41; Revelation 5:11).

Often the last step is the winning step. In Pilgrim’s Progress the greatest number of dangers were lurking in the area closest to the gates of the Celestial City. It was in that region the Doubting Castle stood. And it was there the enchanted ground lured the tired traveler to fatal slumber.

It is when heaven’s heights are in full view that the gates of hell are the most persistent and full of deadly peril. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). “Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

In the bitter waves of woe Beaten and tossed about By the sullen winds that blow From the desolate shores of doubt, Where the anchors that faith has cast Are dragging in the gale, I am quietly holding fast To the things that cannot fail.

And fierce though the fiends may fight, And long though the angels hide, I know that truth and right Have the universe on their side; And that somewhere beyond the stars Is a love that is better than fate.

When the night unlocks her bars I will see Him—and I will wait.

WASHINGTON GLADDEN

The greatest challenge in receiving great things from God is holding on for the last half hour. SELECTED

In the famous lace shops of Brussels, there are special rooms devoted to the spinning of the world's finest lace, all with the most delicate patterns.

The rooms are kept completely dark, except for the light that falls directly on the developing pattern, from one very small window. Only one person sits in each small room, where the narrow rays of light fall upon the threads he is weaving, for lace is always more beautifully and delicately woven when the weaver himself is in the dark, with only his work in the light.

Sometimes the darkness in our lives is worse, because we cannot even see the web we are weaving or understand what we are doing. Therefore we are unable to see any beauty or any possible good arising from our experience. Yet if we are faithful to forge ahead and “if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9), someday we will know that the most exquisite work of our lives was done during those days when it was the darkest.

If you seem to be living in deep darkness because God is working in strange and mysterious ways, do not be afraid. Simply go forward in faith and in love, never doubting Him. He is watching and will bring goodness and beauty from all of your pain and tears. J. R. MILLER

The shuttles of His purpose move To carry out His own design; Seek not too soon to disapprove His work, nor yet assign Dark motives, when, with silent tread, You view some somber fold; For lo, within each darker thread There twines a thread of gold.

Spin cheerfully, Not tearfully, He knows the way you plod; Spin carefully, Spin prayerfully, But leave the thread with God.

CANADIAN HOME JOURNAL

I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.—I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.—Strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.—The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Thus said the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets.—Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not.—The Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might.

If God be for us, who can be against us?—Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not.

Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.—Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

All power is give unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: . . . and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea.

Though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.—My word . . . shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.—So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

The Lord , the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.

Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind.

In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground.—We commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.—Study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.—The night cometh when no man can work.

Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.—Always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

There remaineth . . . a rest to the people of God.—Unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.—This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.

Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?—I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.—Wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.—Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord.

Let us not be weary in well doing: . . . in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.—Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

They that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.—They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.—He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.—He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.—The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.—He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

As ye have . . . received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

That on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

By faith ye stand.

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

He knoweth the way that I take.—O Lord , thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting, and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path, and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are.—The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.—Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.—A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.

Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.—The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.—Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.