In my early life I entered into a partnership with a friend in the wholesale ice business. For two seasons in succession our ice was swept away by winter freshets.

In the winter of which I speak, things had come to a serious pass and it seemed very necessary that we should have ice. The weather became very cold; the ice formed and grew thicker and thicker until it was fit to gather.

Then there came an order for thousands of tons of ice which would lift us entirely from our financial stress.

Not long before this, God had showed me that it was His will that I should commit my business to Him and trust Him with it absolutely.

I never dreamed what testing was coming. At midnight there came an ominous sound—that of rain. By noon the storm was raging in all its violence; by afternoon I had come into a great spiritual crisis in my life.

I have learned this: a matter may be seemingly trivial, but the crisis that turns upon a small matter may be a profound and far-reaching one in our lives.

By midafternoon of that day I had come face to face with the tremendous fact that down deep in my heart was a spirit of rebellion against God. And that rebelliousness seemed to develop in a suggestion to my heart like this: “You gave all to God. This is the way He requites you.”

Then another voice: “My child, did you mean it when you said you would trust Me? Would I suffer anything to come into your life which will not work out for good for you?”

And then the other voice: “But it is hard! Why should He take your business when it is clean and honest?”

At the end of two hours (during which waged one of the greatest spiritual battles of my life) by the grace of God I was able to cry out, “Take the business; take the ice; take everything; only give me the supreme blessing of a will absolutely submitted to Thee.”

And then came peace!

By midnight there came another sound—that of wind. By morning the mercury had fallen to zero, and in a few days we were harvesting the finest ice we ever had.

He gave back the ice; He blessed the business; and He led me on and out, until He guided me from it entirely into the place He had for me from the beginning—that of a teacher of His Word. JAMES H. MCCONKEY

Give your life to God, and God will give you back your life!

Whosoever . . . shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.—He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.—Praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.