CHANGEABLE experiences

“He led them by a straight way.” Psalm 107:7

CHANGEABLE experiences often lead an anxious believer to ask, “Why is this happening to me?” I looked for light, but lo, darkness came; for peace, but behold, trouble. I said in my heart, my mountain stands firm, I shall never be moved. Lord, You do hide your face, and I am troubled. It was only yesterday that I could read my name clearly; today my evidences are made dim, and my hopes are clouded. Yesterday I could climb to Pisgah̓s top, and look over the landscape, and rejoice with confidence in my future inheritance; today, my spirit has no hopes, but many fears; no joys, but much distress. Is this part of God̓s plan with me? Can this be the way in which God would bring me to heaven? Yes, it is even so. The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the fainting of your hope, all these things are but parts of God̓s method of making you ripe for the great inheritance upon which you shall soon enter. These trials are for the testing and strengthening of your faith — they are waves that wash you further upon the rock — they are winds which waft your ship the more swiftly towards the desired haven. According to David̓s words, so it might be said of you, “He guided them to their desired haven.” By honor and dishonor, by evil report and by good report, by plenty and by poverty, by joy and by distress, by persecution and by peace, by all these things is the life of your souls maintained, and by each of these are you helped on your way. Oh, do not think, believer, that your sorrows are out of God̓s plan; they are necessary parts of it. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom.” Learn, then, even to “consider it pure joy . . . whenever you face trials of many kinds.”

“O let my trembling soul be still,
And wait Thy wise, Thy holy will!
I cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see,
Yet all is well since ruled by Thee.”

From: Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, May 22 morning devotion.