"Touch of the Master’s Hand,"

T’was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.

" What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
" Who’ll start the bidding for me?"
" A dollar, a dollar," then, two! Only two?
" Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?

" Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three . . . "But no,
From the room, far back, a grey haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.

" A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;
And going and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
" We do not quite understand
What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply:
" The touch of a master’s hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.

A "mess of potage," a glass of wine;
A game, and he travels on.
He is "going" once, and "going" twice,
He’s "going" and almost "gone."

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand

by
Myra Welsh

Monthly Devotional

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16

The only people that this is written to is saved people: those who have received Christ by faith as personal from sin. All those who are lost cannot perform good works according to God’s Word.

That being true, let us realize that God is glorious and worthy of all the glory of our lives. This verse gives to us a pattern of how we can bring glory to Him. We are called to let our light shine, which asks the question, ‘What is our light?’ According to verse 16, our light is the good works that we do in obedience to the Scriptures and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.

We let our lights shine before men. As others see those works, they will question in one way or another, what makes us so different? Why are we willing to sacrifice? Why are we willing to serve? Why are we willing to forgive? Why are we willing to suffer? What causes us to faithfully assemble together on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and on the mid-week service? Where do we get such peace and what gives us such wisdom? How did we change from what we once were? When they really see it, they should desire it and thirst for it. That is when God gets the glory that He alone deserves and wants from us. When the Christ-like changes in our lives become evident to man, then God receives glory.

This is the time that He has given us to reveal Christ to others. When lost people receive Christ then there are more people available to bring glory to God. Do good works; let your light shine and your Father in heaven will receive the glory in which He is worthy.

Missionary of the Month

Brannon Mayes

Church Planting Asia

Sowing Seeds of Truth

"Touch of the Master’s Hand,"

T’was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer Thought it scarcely worth his while To waste much time on the old violin, But held it up with a smile.

" What am I bidden, good folks," he cried, " Who’ll start the bidding for me?" " A dollar, a dollar," then, two! Only two? " Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?

" Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice; Going for three . . . "But no, From the room, far back, a grey haired man Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin, And tightening the loose strings, He played a melody pure and sweet As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer, With a voice that was quiet and low, Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?" And he held it up with the bow.

" A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two? Two thousand! And who’ll make it three? Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice; And going and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried, " We do not quite understand What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply: " The touch of a master’s hand."

And many a man with life out of tune, And battered and scarred with sin, Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, Much like the old violin.

A "mess of potage," a glass of wine; A game, and he travels on. He is "going" once, and "going" twice, He’s "going" and almost "gone."

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd Never can quite understand The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought By the touch of the Master’s hand

by Myra Welsh