No sooner does Mary know the sweetness of having this Babe than it is told her, while she might well count herself blessed, “A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also.” No sooner was He born into the world than we hear of the slaughter of babes. And so, in our hearts, no sooner is Christ there than Satan, who does not like to give up his power, brings in conflict. Some old suppressed habit will, perhaps, break out with new power. Do not be surprised, if Christ has displaced Satan in you, that Satan should try to regain the mastery. The first thought with a newly-saved soul often is: Now I have God; I have Christ for my peace; now all will go on smoothly. Instead, we find that we have to do with a God who brings in death and resurrection on all that is in us, that we may learn that the excellency of the power is of God and not of us. Through the trials and failures in life, we learn little by little in a practical way what is in our hearts (no good thing) and what is in God’s heart (love, grace and mercy). On the one hand, we learn that “in me, (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing,” and, on the other hand, we learn for our eternal joy that nothing can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Food for the Flock (adapted)