August 14

“Each one helps the other, and says to another, Take courage!”. — Isa 41:6

It was Charles Kingsley who said, “We become like God–only as we become of use.” The saying is truer than at first we may think. Every glimpse we have of heaven’s life–is a glimpse of usefulness, helpfulness. In olden days, angels sometimes came down to earth, and they always came on some errand of service to men. Then, we are told in our New Testament, that the mission of the angels to earth is “to minister to those who shall be the heirs of salvation.” Thus these pure creatures of heaven live only to serve. God himself is revealed on every Scripture page, and always in the same character of helpfulness. Christ came as God incarnate; and his whole life is summed up in the words, “He went about doing good.” Thus the divine life finds its expression in serving, doing good. “God is love;” and love cannot but minister and bless, even to the point of utter self-sacrifice.