"Let us then approach the throne of grace with
confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our
time of need." Hebrews 4:16
"Call upon me in the day of trouble—I will deliver
you, and you shall glorify me."—Psalm 50:15
Here is a gracious promise for the season of conflict and
trial—a promise, oh! how often realized by the children of God. In their
journey heavenward, they are told to expect trouble, vicissitude, and
sorrow. "In the world," said the Savior to His disciples, "you shall have
tribulation." Troubles are the family badge—the family pledge—the family
privilege. Troubles are in God's catalogue of mercies. He does not disguise
from them, that he will send affliction—that He will subject His own people
to chastisement. He knows them too well—He loves them too well—to allow the
unbroken sunshine—the calm, unruffled sea.
The path which the Savior trod, is the path along which
every disciple must journey heavenward. As, in "bringing many sons unto
glory," the Captain of salvation "was made perfect through sufferings," so
"we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom." Such, indeed,
is the experience of every genuine disciple. Not far has he journeyed in the
way of life, when he finds that the road to Canaan is through an enemy's
country—that a wilderness intervenes, in which there is many a brier, and
many a thorn; and that toil, and care, and trouble attend his onward
progress. But the more his afflictions abound, the more his consolations
also abound; for that Mighty One who has led him forth to the struggle, will
also conduct him to the triumph. Whatever be the danger he has to face;
whatever the difficulty he has to surmount—whatever the affliction he has to
bear, the promise is, "Call upon me in the day of trouble—I will deliver
you, and you shall glorify me."
Christian! it is wise—it is well to reflect often on the
"day of trouble," that we may learn the lessons God designs to teach us—that
we may be led by our felt necessity to the throne of grace—that we may "call
upon Him" who has promised to deliver us—and that, by our patience,
our submission, our gratitude, we may "glorify" His holy name.
Trial and trouble are permitted, that they may bring the
Christian to solemn thought. When the sun of prosperity continues
long to shine—when plans are prospering, and hopes are being realized, and
no cloud of sorrow gathers over his pathway—the child of God is prone to
forget his true mission upon earth, and to entwine his affections around the
things of time and sense. Daily, hourly contact with the world—if there be
nothing to interrupt the current of what is called "good fortune"—nothing to
check the ardor of pursuit after earthly riches, will, most surely, have a
baneful influence on the inner life of the believer, and render him less
earnest in seeking after the true and abiding riches of the kingdom of
heaven.
But, God will not allow His children to continue
wandering astray, wasting their energies, and squandering their best
affections on the things that perish. His restraining hand will be
outstretched, to rescue them from temptation, and to draw them back from the
verge of the precipice. He will permit trouble to come upon them—trial after
trial—until they are brought again to feel—that "life is earnest," and
should be devoted to the glory of God—that religion must not be made
secondary to business and pleasure—that the things which are eternal are
infinitely more precious than the things which are temporal—that communion
and contact with the world can only be safe and right, so long as there is
carried into it, supreme love to God, a higher place for
heavenly than for earthly things in the heart, a more earnest desire
to live for Christ and in Christ, than for the world
and the things of the world.
The Savior has Himself declared, where alone the
Christian can be safe—"Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit except it abides in the vine, no more can you, except you abide in
me." If such truths as these, are brought into the heart, when the hour of
trouble and calamity has been made to touch and open it—when the voice of
God is heard, (as it was not amid the din and turmoil of the world),
who shall say that the appointment is severe, when it is declared, "we must
through much tribulation enter into the kingdom?"
Again, man was never destined by his Maker to slumber on
the couch of repose, and to bask in the sunny season. He was appointed to
labor and to action, to struggle with the tempest, to weather the winter of
affliction. Had we no trials, what need for the exercise of patience and
resignation? Had we no afflictions to encounter, and no troubles to fear,
what occasion would there be for that strength of mind which enables us to
brave the perils of life—to bid defiance to the evil day, and to repose firm
and unshaken on the arm of the Almighty?
It is when trouble and distress come upon us, that we
flee to the Rock for shelter; and, realizing our own insecurity and
weakness, place our trust and confidence in the Lord. It is amid sorrow and
trial, that trust in God is chiefly exercised. It is a grace which
has its home amid the tempest, and derives, from amid the driving rain and
beating winds, the very nutriment of its life. It grows on the clefts of the
broken heart, and, from the depths of human agony, flows the voice of its
consolation. Its office is to light the darkness, and fix the eye—otherwise
distracted and bewildered—in singleness of hope, upon the light of a
Savior's love, as it shines, like a pillar of fire, upon ransomed Israel;
or, like the beacon-light, which points the sailor to the desired haven.
What is the benefit of the smile upon the lips, and the
light in the heart—when all is fair and smooth? Does not even the man of the
world smile with smiling life? The triumph of the child of God is—to smile
when the world frowns, and keep the light in the heart undimmed by the
sorrows which surround the outward path—to say with the afflicted patriarch,
"Though He slays me, yet will I trust in Him."
Christian, if trouble has come upon you, put your
trust in God, seek to glorify Him even "in the fires." Be assured, that
He has seen it to be needful for your well-being, to lead you for a
while in the path of tribulation. Oh! question not, for a moment, His love
and faithfulness toward you. Only place your confidence in Him, and he will
not allow the trouble—be it what it may—to go beyond what you are able to
endure. God is now trying your faith—your love—your dependence upon
Himself—seeing whether you can trust Him beyond the range of your
partial vision; and, when His purpose is accomplished, He will remove
trouble, gladden your heart, and cause you to sing of His faithfulness and
truth.
Yet, further, trouble is permitted, in order to
lead the Christian, not only to trust in the Lord, but to call upon Him
for deliverance. Alas! how many repair to other sources, in the vain
hope to obtain relief? How many attempt to escape from trouble, by some
futile expedient of their own? And how many stand at a distance from God,
refusing to hearken to His voice, and therefore deriving no real spiritual
benefit from their affliction? Others there are, who do not recognize His
hand in their day of tribulation. They dwell solely upon the trouble—the
sorrow—the disappointment, and never raise their thoughts beyond it. They
view it in all its distressing bearings—ponder upon every secondary cause
which led to it—dwell upon all its sorrowful effects—and think how greatly
such an event, if it had occurred, would have mitigated it—how surely such a
line of conduct would have prevented it—how much less they would have
suffered, if there had been but one little circumstance in their calamity,
different from what it was. No wonder that, in so doing they miss the
blessing, which they might otherwise have reaped.
Christian, be it yours to recognize and to acknowledge,
in your every trouble, a Father's hand, and to hear in it, a Father's voice.
That loss of worldly substance—it was from Him. That withering
disappointment, the wreck of a fond hope—it was from Him. That
protracted sickness, that wasting disease—it was from Him." But all
was intended for your good—to bring you to realize your own helplessness and
His strength—to lead you to the throne of grace—to revive within you the
spirit of earnest and importunate supplication—and to draw forth from the
depths of your troubled heart, like fervent utterances to those of the
psalmist, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble." "Be not far
from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help." "Hide not Your
face from me, for I am in trouble; hear me speedily." "Quicken me, O Lord,
for Your name's sake—for Your righteousness' sake bring my soul out of
trouble."
Oh! if, with a contrite and broken heart, you bend before
the throne, in "your day of trouble," and thus call upon the Lord, He
will assuredly "deliver you, and you will glorify Him." Never can you pray
in vain, if you will but persevere in praying. Be not discouraged by seeming
delay; let the value of the blessing you seek, give fresh impulse to your
prayers—ask again and again, and, while you have the word of promise whereon
to build, cleave fast to this, although all appearances be against you.
Perhaps, the very reason why the Lord withholds an
answer, may be, that you may learn to persevere in asking—that "patience may
have her perfect work"—that you may be kept looking up to Him—"waiting upon
the Lord who hides His face"—"sitting daily at the posts of His doors." For,
thus it often is, that the believer, as he renews again and again his
supplication, and clings by faith to the Savior, saying with the patriarch,
"I will not let You go until You bless me" not only gains his suit, but,
through Divine grace, even as he hangs upon his Redeemer—grows like unto
Him!
The work of the Holy Spirit goes on within the soul—the
believer advances, step by step, in his heavenward journey—each progressive
movement, it may be, small and almost imperceptible to himself, as he is
taking it; yet, one by one, leading him up to unknown heights—bringing him
ever nearer and nearer to the golden gate. And, the more close and frequent
his communion at the throne of grace, the more is his soul filled with the
"peace which passes all understanding." Conscious of a presence which the
world knows not of—alone with his loving and tender Redeemer—he has a "joy
with which a stranger cannot intermeddle"—to Him he unbosoms all his griefs,
and cares, and troubles, and from Him he at length receives, more than an
answer to his prayers—relief from present troubles, and the blessed, abiding
assurance of a Savior's unchanging and eternal love.
Praying one, faint not, neither be disheartened. With the
Divine promise to rest upon—the certainty that your petition will
be granted, you may well be encouraged. If there be delay, it is because
this delay is, in the judgment of Infinite Mercy and Goodness, better for
you than an immediate answer. "The righteous cry, and the Lord hears, and
delivers them out of all their troubles." "Call upon me in the day of
trouble—I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." What more can you
desire? It is like promising the fearful traveler, that the stormy day which
is overtaking him, shall not—cannot injure him. Its storms may buffet, but
they shall do him no real harm. Or, it is like telling the tempest-driven
mariner—not that a calm is coming on, or that a haven is near—but that—let
the tempest rage as it will, not a plank of his vessel shall give way. There
shall be a strain on it, but it shall bear the strain—shall weather the
storm; and, when the storm ceases, be ready as ever to pursue its course.
"He shall call upon me," says the Lord, "and I will answer him. I will be
with him in trouble and will deliver him." "I will be first a
prayer-hearing, a prayer-answering God to him—then a present, and helping,
and comforting God, and at last a delivering God." "The salvation of the
righteous is of the Lord; he is their strength in the time of trouble."
Finally, since, if we are the children of God, we must
look to endure tribulation, before entering the land of light and life—we
should seek to be prepared for it. The current may now be flowing gently
with us; but, there is not one among the pilgrims Zionward—the fairest—the
youngest—the happiest and most hopeful, whose feet, sooner or later, will
not have to pass through the deep waters of trouble and sorrow. They await
us all; for, we are told, that of those who have entered heaven—of that
mighty palm-bearing multitude, who have "washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb," one universal characteristic is, that they
have come "out of great tribulation." Although so numerous that no man can
number them, so diverse that all nations, and kindreds, and people, and
tongues, have there their representatives, this multitude contains not an
individual who has not come "out of great tribulation." It is not, that,
here and there in that vast assemblage, there are SOME whose lot, on earth,
was full of misery and woe, who had to pass through days of trouble and
anguish—no, of that unnumbered number, this is universally, unexceptionably
true—all came "out of great tribulation."
Sorrow once had set its seal on every heart; trials and
afflictions and anxieties, pressed closely upon them—their earthly prospects
were darkened by disappointment or marred by adversity—bereavement, and
sickness, and poverty, and death following the track of sin, added to their
mournful experience—and, with many of God's best beloved, one tear was
scarcely dried, when another was ready to flow. Their days of mourning are,
indeed, ended—but they came "out of great tribulation."
Christian! it will be so with you; but do not shrink.
Pray that you may be prepared for trouble, when it comes. While, indeed, God
is pleased to keep it from your door, it is not for you to seek it, but,
rather, to take thankfully the blessings so graciously bestowed. But, should
He see proper to give you "the bread of adversity and the water of
affliction"—should the clouds begin to gather round you, and your day of
prosperity be turned into a "day of trouble," (and oh! it does not take long
to darken the brightest sky, when God has once commanded the clouds from
above—there is no need of years—moments suffice—to blight the sweetest
flowers and nip the choicest buds) but, should this be the will of God, come
to the throne of grace, and pray that He would enable you to bow with
submission, and that, in His own good time, He would be pleased to "deliver"
you.
Let the language of your soul be, "Father, I know that
this affliction comes to me from Your hand, and, that You love me. Not
willingly, would You grieve even me, Your most wayward child. You know, that
I need it. You know, that if Your chastening hand were not often upon me, I
would be continually 'going astray' like a broken bow. I submit before Your
justice; I acknowledge Your mercy; I bless You for Your promises of help and
comfort, and my earnest prayer is, that my present trouble, may work that
holy and sanctifying effect, which You have designed, and without which, I
cannot be rendered fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in
light."
Oh! let such a petition ascend before God, in the name of
Jesus, and you will assuredly be comforted. Those gracious words will be
addressed to you, which the Savior once uttered upon earth, "Let not your
heart be troubled. In the world you shall have tribulation—but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world;" and you will learn, more and more, that
these "light afflictions which are but for a moment," are intended "to work
out for you a far more exceeding—even an eternal weight of glory."
Remember, this world is your nursery, your school—but
yonder is your true and eternal home. Yet a little while, and you will leave
behind you, sin and sorrow, trial and trouble—yet a little while, and the
sackcloth attire will be removed, and you will be clothed in white robes.
You will lay down the pilgrim's staff, to sound the notes of praise, upon
your golden harp. You will emerge, from the valley of tears and the scene of
suffering, to stand at the gate of the celestial city, and, there, present
your credentials for admittance. Once lodged within that heavenly home, all
will be peace. No tempest will beat upon you there, no storms disturb you
there. The tear will be forever dried—the throbbing heart be hushed, and you
will take your place—triumphant on the summit of Mount Zion, there to
partake of the joys which are at God's right hand, and of those pleasures
which are forevermore!
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, our refuge and
defense, the strength of our heart and the rock of our salvation, enable us
in every day of trouble, yes, at all times, to put our trust in You. Teach
us with full assurance to look up to You, as our reconciled God and Father
in Christ Jesus, who are willing for His sake to supply our utmost need;
and, graciously remember Your word unto Your servants, on which you have
caused us to hope, that You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed upon You.
We confess, O God, that hitherto we have been prone to
trust in the creature more than in the Creator. We have leaned upon broken
reeds, and hewed out empty cisterns. We have turned for support and help to
an arm of flesh. And, instead of acknowledging You in all our ways, we have
often walked in the light of our own eyes, and after the imagination of our
own hearts.
Pardon, O God, for the sake of Your beloved Son, whatever
lack of confidence we have shown towards You; and lead us henceforth by the
teaching of Your Holy Spirit to trust in You with all our hearts. Increase
our faith in the promises of Your Word. Dispose us cheerfully to cast upon
You all our cares and troubles, humbly to commit to You all our interests,
and earnestly to seek the aid of Your strength and the guidance of Your
wisdom in all our undertakings.
"Oh, keep us from all murmuring, or unbelieving
misgivings, under the stroke of Your chastening hand. Let there be no hard
interpretation of Your dealings. May we see Your chastisements, tempered
with gracious love, all to be needful discipline. Give us an unwavering
trust and confidence in Your faithfulness, and help us to feel assured that
nothing befalls us but by Your direction; nothing is appointed, but what is
for our good. May we delight often to anticipate that happy time, when we
shall suffer no more and sin no more, when we shall trace with joyous
hearts, the long line of unbroken love and, unchanging faithfulness, and,
when in Your light we shall see light."