The Ohio Independent Baptist, July 1966

==– ~·- . . - • By Rev. B. C. Jennings LEEPLE ES a n Did you ever pend a leepless night? Who hasn't? Let me suggest, if not a cure, at lea t a way to spend such period profitably. Instead of counting heep , try com– muning with the hepherd. I did and it worked. S RIPTURES One sleeples night. after trying everything but tranquil– izers, I decided to quote cripture. It was in the wee hours of the morning when I met the psalmist David. Leisurely we trolled over rolling hill , through green pastures, and beside still water . Together we ch anted: On P ALM 23: "The Lord is my shepherd ; I hall not want. H .. n1aketh me to lie down 1n green pa lure : HI:: lcadcth 111e beside the sti ll water . H .. restoreth my soul. H .:. leadeth 111c in the paths of righteot1~nes~ for H i na111c's sake." HADOW • • we ,,vent, 1ng111g, "Y a, thougt1 I walk tl1rot1gl1 shadow of death-" tl1c val ley of the Jt1~t n 111on1cnt - omething hacl happened. There wa<; 11 n1 t) re green gra, s. The water. were no longer st i 11. They' were rt1. hing, gt1 . hing, and spla, hing arot1n(i ti ~ ith tl deafening roar. uddenl y antl abruptly we were in the valley - the valley of hadow . SOLITUDE A en e of lonelines gripped u a we entered the dark valley. The ong a well a the de ire to sing wa gone from our heart . To ing about Him wa good enough on the unny hill but here in the dark val ley our need wa the Shepherd, not a ong. H EP HERD Excited and bewildered, it i doubtful that I would have been con cious of the pre ence of the hepherd had not Dav id exclaimed: ·r will fear no evil: for THOU art with me. THY rod and THY taf f they con1fort 1ne. Tl-IOU prepare t a table before n1e in the pre ence of n1 ine enemie : THOU a nointe t my head with oil ; my cup runneth over.' ' U nti) we reached the valley we had talked only abo11t Hin, , peaking in the third per on - ' 'He." After reaching the vall ey, we talked to Him. ow we u ed the econd per ·on - "Thou,' ' 'Thy.' The valley experience had 1nacte it nece ary for u to draw near and talk to Hin1. SHELTER Aft er we h ad n1et and talked with the hepherd, the Iutt1re looked different. Now we could ay with a urance: " t1rely goodne and mercy hall fol low n1e all the day of my life; and I will dwell in the hou e of the Lord for ever. ' SUMMARY Beloved it i good to talk and ing aboitt the Lord and l1i goodne . It i ea y to do that while on the unn) hill and by till water ; but when we come to the valley, a ooner or later we all will, then we will want, not only good doctrine , but the good Doctor. I f the Lord i yot1r hepherd. you need fear no evil. He goe before Hi heep. The path that lead throt1 gh the dark vall ey lead nl o to unlit t1n1n1it . tay in it nnd pre s on. A IOUR 1 f the I..ord i not y ur hepher{i , ~ n 't yot1 a h. Hin1 to be yot1r hcpherd ? here 1s sal ation and ect1r1t) for a ll lo t hecp ~ ho can say i 11 faith b 11 \ i11g, '" he 1 or(I I\ ,, l) hephcr(l' ' ! The good hcpherd gav Ht \ 11 tc for the hce11 John 10 : 11 "I he gr ea t hcphe1 (i li, c~ to 1'.cep Ht hce1) Heb. t ~·20 Jls 23: 1 he ch1ct "ht:JJh t ti \\ 1 111 t ctt1rr1 l )r l-1 t') \hcc11 I J>cter 5 -.J. ORPHANS .. THE CHILDREN'S GOSPEL HOUR, INC. • • • t~EED YOUR HELP. International Christian Relief sponsors orphans In orea, Brazil, India, Chile, and Africa. A new orphanage program will be 1art– ing in Soutl. Vletnan1. Won't you help those who cannot help 1hen11sel es? 1O00 per month will 1d e care of on orphan. Write: R . Jam I s• w, International Chr1s1 ,an ehef 801 Haddon Ave., Col I 1ngswood, t\J J 98108. BAP IST Livingston, Tenr1 . 38570 Presenting Jesus Christ to Youth by Radio nd TV Now on WSPD-TV Ch . 13 - Tole do, Ohio - Sunday 8 :00 a .n, . PRAY FOR THE SALVATION OF BO S AND GIRLS Write A Card Of Thanks To W PD-TV The Children':> Go~pel Hour is now on 40 radio and 20 TV tations e ch week. Pray that more stations will take the progran1. The youth of Arnerica need to hear ihe Gospel now Writ for further in orn1a11on. Henry C. Geiger, E. ecutive Di ector JULY, 1966 PAGE 7