A widowed mother tried hard to keep back the tears on this special morning of which I am writing, but they would come, chasing each other down her cheeks, as she poured out the coffee for breakfast, and turned to her young daughter (who in a few minutes would be going out to business), and said, “This is the last of the coffee, dear, the last of everything, and I have no more money in the world. I cannot see where any dinner is to come from.”
The daughter was too young to know much of her mother’s cares, but one thing she did know was “something of the sweetness of the love of Jesus,” and her heart felt restful, peaceful and happy as she answered, “Mother, dear, we must have faith in ABRAHAM’S GOD. He who did such seeming impossibilities for Abraham, can do seeming impossibilities for us.”
The daughter left for business, the younger ones for school, and the mother pondered: Was not God’s word to my husband before he departed to be with Christ, “Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in Me”? (Jer. 49:1111Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me. (Jeremiah 49:11)). And is not God still faithful to His own words? “Hitherto hath the Lord helped me; but it has never been quite so bad as this. Can the Lord have forgotten me?” Then came to her mind one of her hymns:
“Begone unbelief, my Savior is near,
And for my relief will surely appear;
By prayer let me wrestle, and He will perform,
With Christ in the vessel I’ll smile at the storm.”
Yes! the Savior was near, Christ was in the vessel, and He stilled the storm of fear in that mother’s heart, and it became calm.
After four hours of close work, her young daughter returned home tired and hungry. Did she feel greatly concerned at the thought that there might not be any dinner? No! for the peace of God which passeth all understanding had garrisoned her heart, and kept it in peace. Was there any dinner at home? Yes! on this particular occasion one of the Lord’s dear ones, not rich in this world’s goods, had been His ministering servant. Blessed ministry. Do you know anything of its blessedness, my reader? The family dispersed again, refreshed and strengthened, with grateful hearts to the Giver of all good. Did God ever forget to fulfill His promise? Never! Faith was tested, and the table seldom spread with luxuries; but the children grew up to be living proofs of “His faithfulness.”