(James Smith, "The Believer's Companion in Seasons of Affliction and Trouble" 1842)
"Call upon Me in the day of trouble! I will deliver you--and you shall glorify Me!" Psalm 50:15
Believer, in this portion of the divine Word, you will discover:
1. your present portion--trouble;
2. your constant privilege--prayer;
3. your future prospect--deliverance.
1. Your present portion is TROUBLE. You must expect trouble, and will certainly be deceived if you expect to escape it. Sin is the parent of trouble--and our sin-cursed earth its fruitful soil. Trouble springs up all around us, and appears in an almost infinite variety of forms.
Every connection we form,
every character we bear,
every office we fill, and
every relation we sustain--
is a fruitful source of trouble!
We shall have . . .
trouble in mind,
trouble in circumstances,
trouble in body;
trouble from almost every quarter!
This poor world is not our rest--for it is polluted!
This poor world is not our home--for we are poor pilgrims!
This poor world is not our country--for we are strangers and aliens!
Every day has its peculiar troubles. Often when we look for a certain comfort--we only find peculiar distress and vexation! Everything declares, "Happiness is not in me!" You may look on the right hand--but you will find no permanent peace; and on the left hand--disappointment awaits you. Only in Jesus is . . .
solid peace,
holy satisfaction, and
permanent comfort to be found.
If we could rightly interpret the various voices around us, we would find them all saying, "Go to Jesus! Abide in Jesus! Derive all from Jesus--or be wretched, miserable, and disappointed!"
In youth, manhood, and old age--trouble and tribulation is the Christian's lot. Our God feeds us with the heritage of Jacob our father; but if we carefully read his history, we shall find that some very bitter herbs grew on it:
Joseph is lost,
Rachel dies,
Simeon is imprisoned,
Benjamin must go,
Simeon and Levi slay the Shechemites--
and all these things appear against him!
Just so with us, troubles and trials follow each other, at times, almost like Job's messengers, treading on each other's heels, and we are almost overwhelmed! But,
2. Your constant privilege is PRAYER (coming tomorrow!)
3. Your future prospect is DELIVERANCE
No comments:
Post a Comment