It is unwise to try to carry next week's burdens today
(J.C. Pittman)
"Do not worry about anything--but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
There is no harm in looking ahead--but it is unwise to try to carry next week's burdens today. There is nothing wrong in looking ahead, but needless worry in regard to the future, is not only useless but injurious--besides evidencing lack of implicit trust in our heavenly Father's care for His redeemed people. Worry looks tremblingly ahead--but never accelerates, and always hinders the speed in life's race.
Yet many drag through life weighted with all sorts of needless cares--and are never in their element unless looking for still more trouble. They are always watching for clouds--and are never content to bask in the sunshine.
Paul has a word concerning the sin of worrying. "Do not worry about anything." The reason is because we are in God's world, and He is able and willing to take care of all His people. "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Never bear more than one kind of trouble at once.
Some people bear all three kinds of trouble at once:
all they have had,
all they have now, and
all they expect to have.
John Wesley said: "I dare not worry--any more than I dare curse and swear!"
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What punishment then can be too great--for so great an evil?
(Ralph Venning, "The Plague of Plagues!")
The worst on this side of Hell, is mercy--and the worst of and in Hell, is but justice!
Cain could say that his punishment was intolerable--but he could not say that it was unjust.
Though his punishment was greater than he could bear--yet it was not greater than he deserved.
Repeatedly, when the judgments of God are spoken of in Revelation, they are said always to be just and true and righteous (Revelation 15:3; 16:7). Though God's ways are unsearchable--yet they are true and just and righteous.
Death is but the due wages of sin (Romans 6:23). Therefore it is said, "Their damnation is just!" (Romans 3:8). Every sin has its just punishment (Hebrews 2:2).
Consider the nature of sin. It is Deicide--God-murder! Thus it is just for God to do with sinners, what they would unjustly do with Him. That is, take away from them all good and glory, displease and destroy them--because they would do so to Him.
If sin had accomplished its intention and desire--horror of horrors!--God would have been no more!
If we consider the person who is sinned against, and that the aim of sin is to ungod God--then what punishment can be thought bad enough?
Sin is an infinite evil. What punishment then can be too great--for so great an evil?
As none but infinite power can pardon sin--so none but infinite power can punish it sufficiently.
Just as sin's aim is infinite--so is its desert. Therefore, though sin's punishment is infinite--yet it is but just.
Seeing sin contains all evil--it is fitting that its punishment should be answerable and proportionate.
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The glittering toys of life!(Harriet Newell)
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Hebrews 11:13
We are pilgrims--we are strangers in a barren land. This world is not our portion--it is incapable of satisfying our desires. The glittering toys of life are not calculated to afford real enjoyment.
There is nothing in Heaven or earth that can delight our hearts and ease us of the heavy load of sin, but God.
Let us not be satisfied with the groveling pursuits of time--but let us look to the unchangeable Jehovah for a supply of His soul-refreshing grace.
How much has God done for us individually! He has made us partakers of His grace and redeemed us from eternal destruction. What shall we render to Him for this abundant mercy? O let our future lives evince gratitude--and let our praises unceasingly flow to His throne.
"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul!" 1 Peter 2:11
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Our dim eyes cannot read the dark pages!(J.R. Miller)
"You do not know now what I am doing--but later you will understand." John 13:7
Peter could not understand why Jesus should so condescend as to wash his feet. It perplexed and puzzled him, and he shrank from submitting to it. Jesus said, "You do not know now what I am doing--but later you will understand." And so it proved. There came days afterwards when he understood it all, when he knew why his Master had done it--and when he truly saw beauty, wisdom, love, richest instruction, and divine necessity in it.
And the same principle applies all through our life. There are many things in the providence of God which at the time appear dark and obscure--but which the future makes clear and plain. The Lord lays us aside in the midst of our usefulness, He desolates our homes, He breaks our harp-strings, He pours bitterness into our cups of sweetness. Our lives are full of strange, perplexing things--and we do not know what they mean.
Our dim eyes cannot read the dark pages.
Our dull ears cannot hear the voice of love which speaks out to us from every adverse circumstance.
Our heavy hearts cannot perceive the love which throbs with full pulse in every darksome event.
But there will come a day when every dark page in our life's history shall be explained--when all the tangle and confusion shall be unraveled, and the web shall lie before us woven through unto the end, warp and woof, with threads of gold and silver.
"You do not know now what I am doing--but later you will understand." John 13:7
Peter could not understand why Jesus should so condescend as to wash his feet. It perplexed and puzzled him, and he shrank from submitting to it. Jesus said, "You do not know now what I am doing--but later you will understand." And so it proved. There came days afterwards when he understood it all, when he knew why his Master had done it--and when he truly saw beauty, wisdom, love, richest instruction, and divine necessity in it.
And the same principle applies all through our life. There are many things in the providence of God which at the time appear dark and obscure--but which the future makes clear and plain. The Lord lays us aside in the midst of our usefulness, He desolates our homes, He breaks our harp-strings, He pours bitterness into our cups of sweetness. Our lives are full of strange, perplexing things--and we do not know what they mean.
Our dim eyes cannot read the dark pages.
Our dull ears cannot hear the voice of love which speaks out to us from every adverse circumstance.
Our heavy hearts cannot perceive the love which throbs with full pulse in every darksome event.
But there will come a day when every dark page in our life's history shall be explained--when all the tangle and confusion shall be unraveled, and the web shall lie before us woven through unto the end, warp and woof, with threads of gold and silver.
This word of Christ is the key to all the dark and strange providences in the life of every believer: "You do not know now what I am doing--but later you will understand."
One reason for the present obscurity--is our ignorance, or limited knowledge. We know now, only in part. We see now, only through a glass darkly. We are all scholars in God's school. The lessons set for us seem at first like the pages of an unknown language. We cannot pronounce the words. We cannot understand their meaning. They confuse and perplex us. We see no wisdom, no beauty, no love in them.
But the passing years bring riper wisdom and fuller knowledge. We shall then be able to read them off with ease. Then we shall see that every line held a golden lesson for our hearts--that every dark providence in our lives was one of God's precious love-thoughts written out for us--and the whole page will glow with divine beauty!
Only fuller knowledge is needed to explain to us much of the mystery of our lives. In the cloudless light and perfect revelation of Heaven--every shadow of mystery will vanish, and the strangest providences will seem as plain and easy as childhood's first lessons are to ripened and cultured manhood.
Another reason why many of the Lord's ways seem so strange to us, is because we see them only in their incompleteness. We must wait until they are finished, before we can fully understand what God is doing.
The work of sanctification is the process of painting the features of spiritual and divine beauty on human souls. And in this process, the Divine Artist oftentimes employs trials as His instruments. He first seems to destroy--but tribulation works patience. Many a man learns submission--when the Father's hand rests so heavily upon him, that he cannot rise.
Many a feature of beauty in the soul--is brought out in the darkness of affliction. The process seems to be destructive--but afterwardsit yields the peaceable fruits of righteousness. Not at the time--but afterwards. When God finishes His work--then it is beautiful and very good.
In the bitterness of his soul Jacob cried out, "All these things are against me!" But these things were not against him--God had not yet finished His work. The final result had not yet been wrought out. All things seemed against him--but he lived to praise the Lord for all the strange providences which appeared so cruel at that hour. These were but the crude blocks out of which God was building up a beautiful home for his old age, and with which He was laying the foundation of future greatness and glory for his family. They were links in a golden chain of blessing.
So it ever is, "You do not know now what I am doing--but later you will understand." Wait until God has completed His work--and then all shall be well. You may see it even on the earth. Before you close your eyes in death--you may see the good brought out of the seeming evil of your life. But if not, if you die with the mystery still unsolved--then one moment in Heaven will explain all! Then you shall see all things completed. You shall see the web out of the loom--all its beautiful figures perfect, not one thread dropped or tangled. You shall see the temple finished--every block in its place, and the whole adorned with glory. You shall see the picture when the artist has put the last touches to it--and when it appears no more marred and spoiled, as you thought it would be by so much trial--but perfect and beautiful, bearing the likeness of Christ in every feature.
Then you shall see all the dark providences of your life carried out to their final result. You shall see . . .
both the discipline--and its blessing;
both the affliction--and its rich fruits;
both the furnace-fires--and the brilliant gold!
One reason for the present obscurity--is our ignorance, or limited knowledge. We know now, only in part. We see now, only through a glass darkly. We are all scholars in God's school. The lessons set for us seem at first like the pages of an unknown language. We cannot pronounce the words. We cannot understand their meaning. They confuse and perplex us. We see no wisdom, no beauty, no love in them.
But the passing years bring riper wisdom and fuller knowledge. We shall then be able to read them off with ease. Then we shall see that every line held a golden lesson for our hearts--that every dark providence in our lives was one of God's precious love-thoughts written out for us--and the whole page will glow with divine beauty!
Only fuller knowledge is needed to explain to us much of the mystery of our lives. In the cloudless light and perfect revelation of Heaven--every shadow of mystery will vanish, and the strangest providences will seem as plain and easy as childhood's first lessons are to ripened and cultured manhood.
Another reason why many of the Lord's ways seem so strange to us, is because we see them only in their incompleteness. We must wait until they are finished, before we can fully understand what God is doing.
The work of sanctification is the process of painting the features of spiritual and divine beauty on human souls. And in this process, the Divine Artist oftentimes employs trials as His instruments. He first seems to destroy--but tribulation works patience. Many a man learns submission--when the Father's hand rests so heavily upon him, that he cannot rise.
Many a feature of beauty in the soul--is brought out in the darkness of affliction. The process seems to be destructive--but afterwardsit yields the peaceable fruits of righteousness. Not at the time--but afterwards. When God finishes His work--then it is beautiful and very good.
In the bitterness of his soul Jacob cried out, "All these things are against me!" But these things were not against him--God had not yet finished His work. The final result had not yet been wrought out. All things seemed against him--but he lived to praise the Lord for all the strange providences which appeared so cruel at that hour. These were but the crude blocks out of which God was building up a beautiful home for his old age, and with which He was laying the foundation of future greatness and glory for his family. They were links in a golden chain of blessing.
So it ever is, "You do not know now what I am doing--but later you will understand." Wait until God has completed His work--and then all shall be well. You may see it even on the earth. Before you close your eyes in death--you may see the good brought out of the seeming evil of your life. But if not, if you die with the mystery still unsolved--then one moment in Heaven will explain all! Then you shall see all things completed. You shall see the web out of the loom--all its beautiful figures perfect, not one thread dropped or tangled. You shall see the temple finished--every block in its place, and the whole adorned with glory. You shall see the picture when the artist has put the last touches to it--and when it appears no more marred and spoiled, as you thought it would be by so much trial--but perfect and beautiful, bearing the likeness of Christ in every feature.
Then you shall see all the dark providences of your life carried out to their final result. You shall see . . .
both the discipline--and its blessing;
both the affliction--and its rich fruits;
both the furnace-fires--and the brilliant gold!
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