By C. H. Spurgeon.
I INVITE every troubled brother and sister to cry for grace from God to be able to see God’s Hand in every trial, and then for grace, seeing God’s Hand, to submit at once to it, and not only to submit, but to acquiesce, and to rejoice in it. “It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good.” I think there is generally an end to troubles when we get to that, for when the Lord sees we are willing that He should do what He wills, then He takes back His Hand, and says: “I need not chasten My Child; he submits himself to Me. What would have been affected by My chastisement is effected already, and therefore, I will not chasten him.” There are two ways of getting help. The one is to go round to all your friends, and get disappointed, and then go to God at last.
The other is to go to God at first. That is the shortest cut. God can make your friends help you afterward. Seek first, God and His righteousness. Out of all troubles, the surest deliverance is from God’s right Hand. Therefore from all troubles the readiest way to escape is to draw near to God in prayer. Go not to this friend or that, but pour out thy story before God.
“Were half the breath that’s vainly spent,
To heaven in supplication sent;
Our cheerful song would oftener be,
‘Hear what the Lord hath done for me.’”
Human friends fail us. The strongest sinew in an arm of flesh will crack, and the most faithful heart will sometimes waver. But our God is Eternal and Omnipotent: who ever trusted in Him in vain? Where is the man that can say, I looked up to Him and hoped in Him, and I am ashamed of my hope?
The beauty of David’s looking alone to God came out in this, quite calmly and quietly. He said to himself: “God will get me out of this”; therefore he was not angry with Shimei; he did not want his head to be cut off, or anything of the sort. “God will do it.” If a man keeps in that frame of mind, what can disturb him? Though the mountains were cast into the midst of the sea and the earth were removed, yet still would he in patience possess his soul, and still be calm, for of such a man I may say: “His soul shall dwell at ease, his seed shall inherit the earth.” God hath given His angels charge concerning such a man to keep him in all his ways; for this is the, man that “dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High,” and “he shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” The Lord saith of Him: “Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high, because he hath known My Name. He hath proved it by trusting in Me, and Me alone; therefore will I never fail him.” “Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” Gather up your confidences, make them into one confidence and fix them all on Him. Lean not here and there—thou wilt grow crooked in thyself, and the staff thou leanest on shall turn to a spear, and pierce thee. Lean wholly upon God, and as He is everywhere thou shalt stand upright in leaning upon Him.