It is very natural for people to look upon their own sorrow and affliction as greater than that of almost anyone else, and to think that God can help and deliver others easily, but their own snarled skein of trouble and care they doubt whether even the Almighty can straighten nut so that the thread of life shall unwind beautifully and evenly in the order of the Lord. It often happens that the childish, the inexperienced hands, so willing to do the work, tangle the skein dreadfully, and then they cry, "O Father!" and in still trying to fix it themselves, the threads arc broken, and the unseemly knots come in that mar the symmetry and beauty of Christian character so much. Then the cry comes up again, "O Father!”
We remember, in childhood, how quickly a patient mother's hands straightened the skein, and a smile encouraged our work. "All we want is a little more faith." But we still keep trying, and God lets us, and the more we try the worse things are, till our strength fails, and we have no wisdom, and we can do nothing, and we get the experience of those who "have no confidence in the flesh." Then we look to God, and keep still. "Therefore have I cried concerning this. Their strength is to sit still." Isa. 30:77For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still. (Isaiah 30:7).
Now, God comes in with a miracle of love. He does not upbraid; He does not condemn. His patient hand, His wise hand, His willing hand, straightens all the threads, for He hath promised (Psa. 50:1515And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalm 50:15)), and,
“No word He hath spoken
Hath ever been broken—
The Lord will provide.”
So we learn a lesson we could net learn i n any other way. It is not taught by flesh and blood.
H. Crouch