Morning Friends. Due to illness, I'm laying low today, but after reading this morning's devotional, I had to share with you. It's so rich...I just had to "spread the wealth around." Better than germs... “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou will glorify me”—Psalm 50:15.
How varied are our days of trouble! Sickness, with its hours of restlessness and languor. Bereavement, with its rifled treasures and aching hearts. Loss of substance; the curtailment or forfeiture of worldly possessions; riches taking to themselves wings and fleeing away; or, severer than all, the wounds from friends; abused confidence; withered affections; hopes scattered like the leaves of autumn!
But “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Tried one! He leaves not your defenseless head unsheltered in the storm. “Call upon Me!” He invites you into the pavilion of His presence! Better the bitter Marah waters with His healing, than the purest fountain of the world and no God! Better the hottest furnace flames with one there “like the Son of God,” than that the dross should be suffered to accumulate, and the soul left to cleave to the dust! He, “the purifier of silver,” is seated by these flames tempering their fury: Yes, He gives the special promise, “I will deliver you.” It may not be the deliverance we expect; the deliverance we have prayed for, the deliverance we could have wished. But shall not the most severe trial be well worth enduring, if this be the result of His chastening love; “You will glorify Me.” “Glorify Him.” How? By a simple unreasoning faith; by meek, lowly, unmurmuring acquiescence in His dealing; these dealings endearing the Savior and His grace more than ever to our hearts.
The Day of trouble led His saints in all ages to glorify Him. David never could have written his touching Psalms, nor Paul his precious epistles, had not God cast them both into the crucible. To be teachers of the Church of the future, they had to graduate in the school of affliction. If He is appointing similar circumstance, let it be our endeavor to glorify Him by active obedience, as well as passive resignation; not abandoning ourselves to selfish, moody, sentimental grief; but rather going forth on our great mission; our work and warfare; with a vaster estimate of the value of time, and the grandeur of existence.
