By Jennie B. Logan.
WHEN my husband and I took over the Egypt General Mission Headquarters in London in the autumn of 1915, things were far from easy. Never shall I forget my first attempts at housekeeping in London—the difficulty of getting help; the large, rambling, partially furnished house; the feeling of insecurity on account of the raids. Truly we were cast upon God, and we proved His power in a wonderful way as days went by.
Some kind friend, guided no doubt by the Holy Spirit, sent us a beautiful picture at that time. It was a painting of dark, threatening, stormy clouds, and above them a lovely clear sunset sky, and on the clear sky the words “BUT GOD” stood out distinctly. Many a time the sight of that picture message brought cheer and steadiness to our hearts. The dark clouds were there, but God would not fail us, and He was above all and over all and our confidence was in Him. I have been thinking how the dark clouds of today may also have “But God” written over them. Take the great dark cloud of sin and the fierce storm cloud of wrath. “You were dead in sins,” God’s Word says, “and were by nature the children of wrath. But God” (Eph. 2:1-8). Then comes the clear shining of His love to us even when we were dead in sins, His glorious provision of resurrection life or eternal life for us in Christ; the new position He gives us in Christ Jesus, the riches of His grace and of His kindness towards us. “By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Sin is dark and terrible, and the day of judgment is coming. But God has made provision. His dear Son has died for the sins of the whole world, and “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
Another cloud we may have to meet is the black cloud of bereavement. Have you noticed how Israel put “But God” over this cloud? He said to Joseph, “Behold I die: but God shall be with you.” What a comfort to the patriarch leaving his family, to know that God would in a special way be with this son Joseph, and that God’s purposes would not be frustrated in him. What a comfort, too, to Joseph to realize that his father’s God would be his God and would be with him all the days of his life, and that He would bring him unto the land of his fathers (Gen. 48:21).
We may have to meet the cloud of physical weakness, too—failing strength. “My flesh and my heart faileth,’’ cried the Psalmist, “but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” How blessed are those who, when earthly strength fails, learn to lay hold of divine strength. “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isa. 40:30, 31). Our own strength decreasing but His life manifested in quickening power in our mortal bodies. “He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me ... . When I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:9,10).
Another cloud that may trouble us is the sense of our own insufficiency, our lack of wisdom, our lowliness, our nothingness. Over this cloud, too, the Bible writes “But God.” “Not many wise... not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are 1nighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Cor. 1:26-29).
Let us never hold back from any call of God because we feel that we are insufficient. “Our sufficiency is of GOD” (2 Cor. 3:5). It is through those who are weak, and nothing in themselves, that He can send “rivers of living water,” and that He can still the enemy and the avenger. So whatever clouds the future may have in store for us, let us in triumphant faith write “BUT GOD” above them all, and we shall prove His power and His faithfulness in every step of the untried way.