When God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, afflicts or chastens one of His beloved children, He would assure our sorrowing hearts of His unerring, unchangeable love—a love too which always considers the good of its object, and never makes a mistake, but ever has a deep, rich blessing in reserve, into which it is the desire and delight of the blessed God to lead us when the sorrow or affliction through which He has passed us has accomplished His purpose in our souls.
“‘Tis His great delight to bless us;
O, how He loves!”
We find the bitter waters of affliction to be very grievous while passing through them. At times the deep waves of sorrow seem to roll to high, and to press with overwhelming force and strength upon our souls; but the Word declares that “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:1313There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13).
God would have us turn away our eyes from the raging waves and rolling billows; and our ears from the fierce howling winds, to listen to His well-known voice speaking to our hearts, and saying, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” Matthew 14:2727But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. (Matthew 14:27).
How delighted the poor, frightened disciples must have been to hear their Master’s well-known voice! and how gladly they would receive Him into their little ship! With Jesus on board, all was peace; the One by whom, and for whom all things were created, had by His word bound the winds and stayed the waves, and “there was a great calm.” His eyes and His heart had followed that little ship as it rose and fell upon the angry waves, because His own were in it; and as they were being tossed about upon the raging waters, He was up above it all, alone with the Father, praying for them. In their time of need He comes to them, and carries them safely across to “the other side.”
The lesson is learned, the storm has produced its intended effect, and now they can enjoy their beloved Master’s company on “the other side.” “The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebuketh the sea. . . . The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.” Nahum 1.
It may be that God, in His infinite wisdom and love, has sent some great sorrow upon you—such anguish of heart and bereavement as you have never counted upon or expected to pass through. The desire of your heart may have been taken away from you with a stroke. (Ezek. 24:1616Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. (Ezekiel 24:16)). The sea, the fire, or the railway train have, perhaps, been God’s way of removing from your side, and your sight, one dearer to your heart than all else you possess.
Like Job of old, you may have said in your heart, “I shall die in my nest.” Job 29:1818Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. (Job 29:18). But in order to instruct you in His ways, God has come in, stirred up your nest, and taken the choicest nestling away.
The young eagles can never know the strength of the wings that bear them, nor the warmth and softness of the feathers spread out for their rest and comfort, until they leave the nest. God in His divine wisdom and infinite love, has stirred up some of our nests; but the everlasting arms are beneath and around us, and our Great High Priest ever liveth to make intercession for us, so that in the day of sorrow and bereavement our faith does not fail. The Comforter, now present, would seek to turn our gaze away from the spoiled and empty “nest,” to the Father’s house and the many mansions yonder, where Jesus is; from the heavy cloud of sorrow at present overhanging the path, to the bright eternal glory so soon to burst forth—when the Lord Himself shall come and with a shout of joy take us away from sin and sorrow to be with Him, and like Him forever. Earth has one less for many a desolate heart, but heaven has one more.
We read of a shepherd who wanted to get his flock of sheep across some mountain stream into a place of safety; but they refused to cross, and again and again turned aside from the water, Night was quickly coming on, he could no longer delay, so he went to the side of a bleating dam, and taking her little lamb in his arms carried it across the stream to the other side. The dam immediately followed, was the first over, and then the whole flock crossed too. Thus the Good Shepherd sometimes takes a loved one from us and carries our lamb in His bosom safely to the other side, forming a strong link between our hearts here, and Himself where He is. He would have us follow Him more closely (no longer afar off), for the nearer we keep to the Shepherd, the more we help the rest of the flock.
The widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17) to whom the prophet Elijah was sent, had an only son. She knew what it was to trust in the Lord God of Israel, and had in her house an unfailing cruise of oil, a barrel of meal that wasted not. A day came when death entered that house. Her child died. Then the hidden chambers of her heart, so long locked up; the secrets of that heart so carefully concealed from every eye, are opened by the finger of God, and she says to the prophet: “What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?”
“Give my thy son,” says Elijah, and he takes him out of her bosom, and carries him up; and while the poor mother sits below in sorrow and bereavement, a wonderful scene goes on above. The dead child is laid in the living prophet’s bed, and quicker than electric telegraphy, there are communications established between earth and heaven.
The prophet prayed, and we read, “The Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijha took the child, and brought him down. . . and delivered him unto his mother; and Elijah said, ‘See, thy son liveth.’ And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth’” The lesson was learned, her soul had increased in the knowledge of God, and no doubt that day of death and resurrection marked the beginning of a new period in the house of the widow of Zarephath.
The Lord knows each sorrow through which “His own” are passing, not a sigh is breathed, not a groan uttered, not a tear shed without His knowledge. David says to Him, “Put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?” (Psalm 56:88Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? (Psalm 56:8)) and Jehovah, when speaking to Moses about His afflicted people in Egypt, says, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people. . . and have heard their cry. . . for I know their sorrows.” Exodus 3:77And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; (Exodus 3:7).
The Lord Jesus Christ, the sent One of the Father, when passing through this world, was a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Thus we read, “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” Isaiah. 53:3, 4.
Go to lone Gethsemane, and hear Him say, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with Me” (Matt. 26:3838Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. (Matthew 26:38)), and gaze upon Him with adoring heart as He kneeled down and prayed, saying, “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done,” then “there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22. The blessed Lord Jesus Christ may well say to His poor and afflicted people. “Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow.” Lamentations 1:1212Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. (Lamentations 1:12). Pass on to Calvary. There, that blessed, perfect One tasted sorrow as none of His own ever have done, or can do. Listen to the breathings of His heart in Psalm 22:
“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? . . . I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. . .. I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My bowels. . .. they pierced My hands and My feet.” And again, in Psalm 69: “I was the song of the drunkards. . .. Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness, and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave Me also gall for My meat; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.”
There are many sorrowing hearts in this poor sin-stricken world, and many bottles of tears are being shed day after day, and night after night: but God tells us it will not be always so, for there is a day coming when He Himself shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of His people. (Rev. 21:44And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)). Just think of God’s blessed hand wiping away His poor sorrowing people’s tears! And it will so delight His heart to do it that He will not commit this service of love to an angel, not even to Gabriel. He will wipe away their tears Himself. Then those eyes that have been so often and so long dimmed by the hot, fast-flowing tears of grief and sorrow will never shed another, how could they?
“And God has fixed the happy day,
When the last tear shall dim our eyes,
When He shall wipe these tears away,
And fill our hearts with glad surprise;
To hear His voice, and see His face,
And know the fullness of His grace.”
(To be continued)