Two servants of the Lord went, on one occasion, to preach the gospel at a village, about five miles from the town where they resided. The enemy sought to hinder, as he ever does, and stirred up certain of that class so aptly designated, in the Acts of the Apostles, “lewd fellows of the baser sort,” who set the bells a-ringing in order to stop the preaching. But the good Lord helped His servants and enabled them, spite of all the malignant efforts of the enemy, to deliver their precious message of free salvation through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Having discharged their commission, they started for home, and taking a short cut across the fields, they missed their way, so that the short cut proved a very long one, for they wandered about till nearly two o’clock in the morning.
Next day, a woman from the village called on one of these dear men of God, in great anxiety, to know how they had fared on their way home. She informed him that some of the godless fellows had conspired to waylay them, at a certain point, and ill-treat them. But God so ordered it that, just before His dear servants reached the place where the enemy was lying in wait, they missed the direct path and so escaped their cruel hands.
How marked was the hand of God in this circumstance! How little did His servants know, at the time, why they were allowed to miss their way! Perhaps they felt impatient. Perhaps they attributed their mistake to the enemy. But, ah! the Lord Himself was in it, for if they had not gone astray, there is no knowing what those wicked men might have done to them.
How sweet it is, beloved reader, to walk with God, from day to day, and hour to hour! How blessed and how real to lean on His almighty arm and trust His perfect love! How tranquillizing to remember that our very best Friend is at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens, in the very highest place of power, Head over all things to His church, possessing all power in heaven and on earth. Who can harm us? What have we to fear? What need have we of an arm of flesh to help us? Were not those two dear men of God much better protected on that night, than if they had had an escort of police? No doubt. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” Oh! for more artless confidence!