God loves us so well that He will not permit us to take less than His highest will. Some day we shall thank our faithful Teacher who kept the standard inflexible and then gave us the strength and grace to reach it. We shall thank Him who would not excuse us until we had accomplished all His glorious will. Let us be inexorable with ourselves. Let us mean exactly what God means, and have no discounts upon His promises or commandments. Let us keep the standard up, and never rest until we reach it. Let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:4). Even if we fail a hundred times, let us not accommodate God's ideal to our thinking, let us rather be like the brave ensign who stood in front of his company waving the regimental banner. When the soldiers tried to call him back, he only waved the banner higher and cried, "Don't bring the colors back to the regiment; bring the regiment up to the colors." Forward, forward, leave the past behind thee, Reaching forth unto the things before; All the Land of Promise lies before thee, God has greater blessings yet in store.
