THE FAMILY ALTAR
During a Bible-lesson a teacher asked his little tots which
were the two greatest letters in the alphabet. When the children
failed to answer, he said: Why, children, they are the letters
m and y. We all know that Jesus is the Savior, and that is
something very good and great to know. But only when I can
take the letter m and put it before the other letter y and can say,
Jesus is my Savior, — only then am I blest and happy. It was
so with Thomas. He doubted the news that Jesus had risen from
the dead. But Mien Jesus in His wonderful loving-kindness ap-
pears also to him and lets him touch His hands and His side,
Thomas falls at his risen Savior's feet with the cry of joyous faith :
My Lord and my God! All doubt and fear and unbelief have
now left him forever. Can we join in his joyous cry of faith?
It is not enough to know that Jesus is a Savior; the devils also
know that truth, and yet they tremble. Jesus must become our
Savior by personal, undoubting faith. He must be more to us
than a great religious teacher, a wise prophet, a mighty miracle-
worker; He must be such a Lord and Savior for us that we can
truthfully say of Him: I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord
who was born, suffered, died, and rose again from the dead, and
thereby has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, from
all my sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, and
made me His own in life and all eternity. I must not only hope
that of Jesus, or think it true, or probable, or possible, but I must
believe it, that is, make it mine in undoubting faith. Yes, the
two greatest letters in the alphabet are the letters m and y. But
it is only God's Holy Spirit that works such appropriating faith
in us through the Word of Jesus, through the Gospel. Let us
ever open our hearts to its sweet teachings, and we shall then
joyfully say with Thomas to Jesus: My Lord and my God.
He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly Friend,
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I'll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King!
He lives, and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.
He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same.
O the sweet joy this sentence gives,
"I know that my Redeemer lives!"
