November 19

November 19.

"I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." Acts 26:19

Doddridge, in his life of Colonel Gardiner, describes the conversion of this soldier. He was waiting near midnight, the hour fixed for a sinful meeting with another, and was carelessly turning over the pages of a religious book, when suddenly he saw before him, vivid and clear, the form of the Redeemer on the cross, and heard him speak: "All this have I done for you; and is this your return?" Like Paul, he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision-but from that moment turned and followed Christ.

That is what everyone of us should do; when we see Christ and hear his voice-we should immediately leave all and go after him. Not only at the beginning-but all the way through life-God sends us visions to guide us. Every time we see in a verse of Scripture, a glimpse of some beautiful thing commended, it is a heavenly vision given to lead us to the beauty it shows.

Every fragment of loveliness we see in a human life-is a heavenly vision sent to woo us upward. Wherever we see beauty which attracts us, and kindles in us desires and aspirations for higher attainments, it is a vision from God, whose mission is to call us to a higher life. We should make sure that we do not prove disobedient to any heavenly vision-but that we follow every one-as an angel sent from heaven to woo us nearer God!