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, and the last of everything, and I have not another cent 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 Saviour 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 Saviour 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 dear young reader? “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again.” Proverbs 19:1717He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. (Proverbs 19:17). “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Hebrews 6:1010For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:10).
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.” The Lord blessed the labors of their hands, so that they were able to make that same dear mother comfortable in her old age. And her training and teaching was blessed to them, so that she had the joy of seeing, them all soon brought to know and confess the Lord while still quite young.