THE FAMILY ALTAR

August 1.

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He

shall bring it to pass." Ps. 37::5.

Our Reformed Church bears the proud distinction of being

known as the "Singing Church of Christ." No other church has

produced such a long train of sweet singers glorifying the Lord

and His saving grace as has our Church. Luther opened

the melodious train with his immortal doctrinal hymns. But the

unrivaled singer of hymns of comfort in affliction, of "songs in

the night," is Paul Gerhardt, born near Wittenberg, in 1607, and

died at Luebben, in 1676. On account of his staunch defense

of God's Word and Luther's doctrine pure he was deposed from

his pastorate in Berlin by the Elector of Brandenburg and driven

into want and exile. It was then he composed his deathless song

on the above passage of the 37th Psalm, which is known and loved

by millions of Christ's suffering saints under the title Commit

whatever grieves thee. The original German contains 12 stanzas,

but we can read only a few of them here.

 DAILY READINGS IN LIFE OF CHRIST - J.R. Miller (1890)

August 1. Crumbs from the Master's Table

"And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table!" Matthew 15:27

Both the humility and the quick, eager faith of this woman — appear in this response. She was not offended by the language our Lord had used. She was willing to be as a dog under the Master's table. The children were first served, and then the pieces they let fall, belonged to the dogs. And even the crumbs from that table were enough for her, more than the richest dainties from any other table.

Thus both humility and faith were shown in her answer; and in both, she is an example to us. We should come to Christ with a deep sense of our unworthiness, ready to take the lowest place. It is such a precious thing to be permitted to take even the crumbs from the Master's table — that we should exult in the privilege. Even the crumbs of His grace and love — are better than all the richest feasts of this world.

Yet we are not fed with crumbs; we are seated at the full table, with the richest provisions before us. The prodigal, returning, asked only to be made a servant, as he felt unworthy to be restored to a son's place. But father-love knew no such half-way restoration as that. The white robe, the ring, the shoes, were given to him — insignia of sonship. God puts the lowliest and unworthiest at once into the children's place, and feeds them abundantly!