A lady who owned an estate, but had learned what was more enduring riches than anything on the earth—that is, the love of Christ to sinners—was accustomed to have meetings for prayer and reading the Scriptures, and conversation in her house. At one of these meetings they were speaking of the kindness of God, in times of sorrow and trial, and it was asked if there were any present who could tell of some things in their own life that showed this in a special way.
An old man then related this account of the Lord’s goodness to him,
“Many years ago, at the time of famine in this part of the country, my wife and myself were suffering great want. At last we had come down to having nothing at all in the house to eat. Then the queion came from my wife,
‘What shall we do?’
I told her to put on the pot for porridge, and we would look to the Lord for the oatmeal to make the porridge in it. So she put the water on the fire, and we bowed before our gracious Father in prayer, asking Him to give us oatmeal to keep us from starving, as He had given us salvation through Christ. And now, dear friends, mark this, as a token of His being a living and ever present God. While we were at prayer, we heard a noise near the door, and upon our rising from our knees, we opened the door, and there stood a sack of oatmeal ready for our use! We could see nobody anywhere near, and feeling sure that the Lord meant it for us, took it in, rejoicing in our blessed Lord who had so wonderfully prided for us. We never learned through whose hands it came, but we knew well that it was from the Lord, and that He had sent it just in the right time. He is worthy of all praise.”
All listened with deep interest while the old man was speaking, but especially the lady at whose house they were gathered. Deeply affected, she told her story, which was really an explanation of this very matter.
“I remember, she said, very clearly, one evening, during that time, in which there seemed to be laid on my heart a great weight—the condition of the poor about me—so that I could not go to sleep. I thought, Here I am having plenty, and some might be at the very point of starving. O, if I only knew how to find them out! So deeply did I feel the matter that I arose and called a. servant, and bid him take a sack of meal at that very hour of night.
‘But where shall I go?’ he asked.
‘Take the horse, and put the sack on his back, and let him go for himself, and wherever he stops, put down your sack at the nearest door, and come home.’
Then I asked the Lord to direct the whole matter, leading the animal to the place where the meal was most needed, as He led the oxen which bore the ark, when the Philistines sent them with it (1 Sam. 6:1414And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord. (1 Samuel 6:14)); and as He led the ravens to His prophet Elijah in his need.
The servant returned in due time, telling me he had left the sack as I directed, the horse having stopped at a cottage at some distance. After putting down the sack, he came back, at once, without seeing anyone. And now, dear friends, I see the movement of the Lord’s hand in all this, and I praise Him who has brought it all out tonight. How rich is His mercy! It endureth forever.”
Was not this a precious token of God’s kind care, in taking from one of His chiren to provide for others, just at the right time?
If that had happened to you, either as giver or receiver, would you not feel quieted with the thought of how near He was? And if He has come to you desing to forgive your sins, and make you His own, is He not as near? You may safely rest in Him.
ML 01/17/1943