August 1

God is a spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. John 4.24.

Why do the Scriptures so often speak of God as having eyes, ears, mouth, heart, hands, feet, and the like, though God is a spirit? When the Scriptures speak thus of God, it is done to assist the weakness of our comprehension, to teach us facts which otherwise would be inconceivable to our minds. God has no material form. A spirit is not a body. What is it?

A spirit is a being that cannot be seen, that cannot be limited by space or time. Our soul, therefore, is also a spirit. Without leaving the body, the spirit of man takes its flight and wanders into times past. The spirit of man thinks and judges, chooses and rejects, hopes and fears, rejoices and mourns, loves and hates. The angels are also such spirits. An angel from God brought Daniel the answer to his prayer as fast as lightning. "He maketh His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire," says the psalmist. Thus, too, God is an invisible spirit, only much higher, supremely greater, infinitely perfect.

The spirit of man is a personal existence, angels are spirits and personal beings, and also God is a spirit and a personal Being. As such He says: "I am the Lord, thy God." God here says, "I am. He is conscious of His existence. No dead thing, like gold, silver, stone, wood, can say, "I am." God is conscious of the difference between His personality and that of others. He speaks and commands; He punishes and rewards; He is a self-conscious Personality. But God is the highest and most perfect Spirit. Besides Him there is no God. He is the living God; He has life

in Himself, not having received it from any other. He is the Author and Giver of life. All other spirits are created; He is the Father of spirits, the one Creator and Sovereign Spirit. He is the Most High.

Prayer.

O God, Thou holy Spirit, do Thou sanctify every one of us that we may be of a Christian mind, sow unto the Spirit, and of the Spirit at one time reap life everlasting. Yea, when this whole world shall be fully ripe for the last harvest, then let us be gathered into Thy barns as pure wheat and be preserved in heaven unto joys everlasting. There, according to Thy promise, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable. Hear us, O God, and grant all we ask for the sake of Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Holy Spirit, all divine, Dwell within this heart of mine; Cast down every idol throne, Reign supreme—and reign alone.