WHILST the full soul loatheth an honey-comb, to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. These truths are, perhaps, more proved in regard to simple scriptural statements than in any other way. The humble, meek, and growing Christian picks up the crumbs, and delights to handle and turn over the simple passages and promises of God’s word, pleading them in prayer, meditating on them in secret, and endeavoring to fortify himself by them in practice.
Not so the more lofty or self-satisfied Christian: (and alas! may we not all more or less plead guilty of this sin?) he passes by the simpler passages; he would fain dive deep, or soar high, and be restless if obliged to tarry at an elementary truth. But thanks be to God, as we grow in experience, so we grow in setting a high value upon the simplest and most elementary portions of God’s holy word. And may we not consider it a subject of praise and thankfulness, that God’s pure word is daily becoming more and more the household bread of our souls? Much as we value the love and gifts of others, truly do we find that they serve us really only as they are used by God, and as we use them to Him. Happy advance, when our souls find all our good in Him, though this be learned through the breaking of earthly cisterns.
Jesus, to whom I fly,
Does all my wishes till:
What though the creature streams are dry,
I have a fountain still.
When walking in the narrow path, and realizing the daily difficulties of the Christian life, the grand truth that God is a God of impossibilities, will afford a deep solace and consolation to the tempted and harassed soul. Whilst he contemplates this glorious character of God, he will be led, in calmness and composure, to lay all difficulties at the footstool of divine grace: he will be led to look less at difficulties and more at God: he will be less often disappointed, and oftener made glad: he will be led to consider matters, and as this or that will be for God’s glory; easy though it be or difficult, he will plead with One whom he knows is fully able to maintain His own glory and honor, though, as to sight and reason, there may be many obstacles. The history of the children of Israel (Ps. 105, 107, 78. &c.) fully verifies this character of God. Have we any difficulties, personal, family, or others of a graver nature? Yea, have we not many? Let it be our business then to prove our God, and to know Him as the God of wonders. Jeremiah pleads thus, “Ah, Lord God! behold Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee” (Jer. 32:1717Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: (Jeremiah 32:17)). Our blessed Lord said, “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:2626But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)). And this He himself pleads in His ‘hour of sorrow, “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee” (Mark 14:3636And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. (Mark 14:36)).
The amount of our faith in this business is of great importance; but these remarks are rather for those of weak faith, pointing out to such what a God we have to do with. It is often said in such and such a trial, ‘Oh! it is past hope!’ the smile on the lips betrays the unbelief of the heart, and many a child of trial succumbs under it with the impression that there is no remedy.
Moses says, “Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the Gods? who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders” (Ex. 15:1111Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)). Isaiah testifies that “His name shall be called Wonderful,” (Is. 9:8), and says, that “the Lord of Hosts is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working” (Isa. 28:2929This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. (Isaiah 28:29)).
The Scriptures, however, abound in similar testimony, and the more we read them, the more shall we learn, amid other things, of the character of God.
Let the timid, and tempted, and cast down, in this cloudy and dark day, be encouraged to trust in God, and to remember that “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:2727And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (Luke 18:27)).
Faith is a mighty principle; it grasps great things, because it is dealing with God. Oh, how near to God our souls are brought when we thus deal with Him, no matter how great the difficulties! It seems as though we bad got up into one of the high mountains, from whence the men and things below look very small, and comparatively insignificant. “O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for His mercy endureth forever. To Him who ALONE doeth GREAT WONDERS: for His mercy endureth forever” (Ps. 136: 3, 4).