He must set our barley field on fire!

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(Charles Orr, "Incense from Golden Vials")

God designs every earthly loss--to prove a heavenly gain to you.

Trials are good, in that they drive us to the Lord in earnest prayer. It is trials, which cause us to cling to the promises. Trials serve a very important part in keeping the Christian heavenly and holy. Ofttimes, God would have us to see more of His love, tenderness, and beauty, and come nearer to Him. Sometimes, the only way whereby He can get us to do these things--is to let some trial come upon us!

When Absalom was conspiring to dethrone his father David, the ambitious son asked Joab, captain of the king's army, to come and confer. At first Joab refused--but Absalom devised a plan whereby he could get the old warrior to meet him. Joab's barley field being near Absalom's, the conspirator sent his servants to set fire to Joab's barley--and thus drew Joab out to him.

In like manner, the Lord must sometimes do something painful to us--in order to get us to come nearer to Him. He must set our barley field on fire, so to speak.

Our affections may be taking hold on some earthly idol--so that for our safety, God must set this idol on fire! The eye may become too attracted by something of the world. That object grows as a thick mist between us and God, so that we can no longer see Him. Seeing our danger, the Lord in His faithfulness to us--sets fire to that object, and by the light of that fire--we can see our way back to God!

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