Weary mariner on life's tempestuous ocean
"My child, don't ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when He corrects you. For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights." Proverbs 3:11-12
To the children of God, afflictions are sent in mercy.
They are directed by love.
They are designed . . .
to unite us more closely to the Savior,
to mortify indwelling sin,
to purify our hearts,
to wean us from earth,
to elevate our affections to that blessed world where there shall be no more pain.Every breeze of earthly sorrow is only wafting us to those high and heavenly abodes, where temporal ills are forever unknown.
"The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9
Oh, then, when ready to sink under the accumulated ills of life, let us come to the Savior in the time of trouble.
Our help is from Him.
He is our defense.
He will not allow our foot to be moved.
He will keep our souls in safety.
His eye will ever watch over us.
He will preserve us from all evil.
"For You are my hiding place;
You protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory."
Psalm 32:7Weary mariner on life's tempestuous ocean, when afflictions cloud your sky, and billows roar around you — cling to the Savior in grateful, confiding love.
Amid all your difficulties and dangers, He will whisper consolation to you, and support your fainting soul with the richest consolation and the choicest promises. You will then be enabled to bear the trials of life with composure, knowing that, like the Captain of our salvation, you must also be made perfect through suffering; and that these light and momentary afflictions are working for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!
You will then experience the sweetness of the divine promises, and in the midst of outward trouble, enjoy inward peace.
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life!" Psalm 138:7