in a marvellously unusual way. You and I are continually making
mistakes and failures and "messing things up." We want to be a success
in life. We want everything we undertake, in work or play, to "pan
out" well. But unseen forces are at work to hinder, and circumstances
intervene which we cannot control. Here's the magic secret: link up
with Jesus' power.

I asked a modest tennis player how he had managed to win out in the
finals against an opponent who was much his superior in skill and
training. He replied: "I'm afraid I took an 'unfair' advantage of
him--I prayed to win"; and he smiled. I heard of a famous quarterback
on one of the big 'varsity teams who linked his game with prayer and
got unusual power in the play. And why not?

But there is more to the secret. To make that "linking up" effective,
it must be accompanied by complete surrender of the life to Jesus'
authority. Power is unsafe unless divinely controlled--worse than
that, it is fatal.

Let's put the whole matter in Jesus' hands, and we'll have a great
time!

_Read John 4:46-54._




XXXIII

CHRISTMAS