POOR pussy, old bright eyes, you have found a resting-place now, have you not? There seems to have been some mischief about. That little fellow on the floor, jumping up and barking must have been the cause of it. O, these dogs, there is no trusting them when cats are about. It seems to be their nature to chase them. But here there is a friend and a place of safety. Now, old Bowser, just do your worst, bark your loudest, jump your highest, you cannot reach her.
See the other cat, though she is above his head she does not feel so settled and so perfectly at peace. She has her back up about it yet. The old pony is not much afraid either. He looks around inquiringly, and that is about all. But you can see that Miss Puss is his friend. He looks after her interests.
It is blessed to have a place of security, is it not? In time of peril or fright how often have you, darling children, found your mother’s arms the place of places for you, and how soon you quieted down, seeming to get her courage and strength and peace.
One Sunday a man was walking along one of the dusty roads outside a city, and he saw a flock of sheep coming along, and behind them a great dog. He barked and worried them a great deal.
But one poor little lamb who had strayed out from the rest a little, learned something of what the dog could do, for he ran off after it, which frightened it so that it bounded along, looking every way for some shelter, till at last it saw a cottage door open into which it rushed for safety. Then it could turn round and face the dog with great bravery, for the door was shut behind it and the dog could not follow. He might bark, but it was all outside, and the little thing was inside. Soon the dog gave up and ran away.
You see it was not in its own strength that it found safety; neither, was it so with the cat, but into the place into which it had fled. That was substantial, and the result of knowing safety was perfect quietness.
Now, Satan is spoken of as a roaring lion, who walks about seeking whom he may devour. That is, he leads into sin and he would destroy us. And we have no strength in ourselves. But, in Christ there is perfect safety, and in Him alone. He is stronger than Satan, and His work on the cross is greater than our sins.
But then these little animals had to be in the place of safety, so we must be in Christ, that is there must be a link between us and Christ and His work. And that link is faith. We are to believe on Him. If you believe on Him, you are safe.
Then you find these creatures were no stronger when they were protected than they were before, in themselves. They stayed where they were because they were weak. We never become strong in ourselves, but our strength is perfect weakness.
But in Christ we can say, “When I am weak then am I strong; Christ has become my strength.” That is it: Christ is all—all for the sinner, all for the saved one; all, all the time. We can say to Satan:
“O thou destroyer, see the blood
That makes the vilest clean;
No prey of thine, the soul on which
This token once is seen.”
O, if people only knew their danger, and their place of safety! We must tell them of these things.
A little bird chased by a hawk once flew into a man’s bosom for protection. Did the man give it up to the hawk? No, indeed, but held it and soothed it as if it had been his child. So Christ never gives up those who rest in Him. He came on purpose to deliver and He has all power in heaven and on earth. No one shall ever pluck those who are His out of His hands. Blessed assurance! May you all rest in Him alone.
ML 03/10/1918