“The Father Himself loveth you.”
How these words speak to our hearts, as we tread the wilderness journey. Having proved His divine love for many years, one would fain tell out what we have so learned, while we can only add, “it passeth telling,” for “it passeth knowledge.”
A daughter tells the following touching incident in her loved mother’s life:
During a time of pecuniary pressure, we had come to our last sixpence, and on going to our meeting as usual on Sunday morning, my dear mother asked me if I had the sixpence to put into the box. I looked surprised as I remarked, “It is all we have,” but her gentle rebuke was,
“The silver is His and the gold is His.”
“But, mother, dear, do you think the Lord would expect it from us?”
“It is His, darling, and He is a debtor to no one.”
I took it and offered it on her faith, more than mine. On my return, I met a friend whom I had not seen for years. We were mutually pleased to meet, and on parting, she asked if I could come into her home for a few moments which was close at hand. I at once assented, and afterward I remembered she seemed especially pleased that I did so. On leaving, she put into my hand an envelope, remarking, “Your dear mother will enjoy the little book enclosed.” Later on, we sat down to read, and as I was in the habit of reading to my loved mother, I thought of the little book. On opening the envelope, there lay a bright sovereign, but she was not surprised. With the calm assurance of faith, she remarked,
“It is just like Him, no one but Himself would give such interest on sixpence. Are you not glad you gave it to Him?”
With broken words we tried to thank Him for the love of which even then we did not know the full extent.
The next day, when my dear friend called, as I related how His love had used her to supply our need, with tears she told the following details:
“Yesterday morning, while speaking to the Lord before I left the house, a voice distinctly said to me, ‘Give Miss H. a pound,’ so clearly it sounded in my ear, that I started. Again emphatically the voice said, ‘Give Miss H. a pound,’ and for a third time the words were repeated, and I wondered if it was only my personal love for you. Knowing nothing of the trial of your faith, I hesitated at first, but the words being repeated the third time, told me the Lord was the Giver, but He was allowing me to be His messenger. To be quite sure, for my own feeble faith was slow to apprehend that He had so honored me, I asked Him if I invited you to come to my home, would you be willing to come, and it would be an additional proof to me that He had spoken to me.”
We wept at the evidence of such love; she, that He had so used her, while I felt shame and sorrow that I so questioned about giving our last sixpence, but on relating it all to my dear mother, she received it only as a fresh token of His tender, loving kindness. To her it was only a confirmation of that comforting verse,
May each dear child of God, know more of the Father’s heart, and the unchanging love of Christ, resting faithfully upon His Word, knowing,