Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-11-01
Thousands Trust God for the Distant
Future, but Not mt All for
Present Difficulties.


There are thousands of Christians
who trust God absolutely and quietly
for the eternal life, who hardly trust
Him at all for tomorrow. They have
given over worrying about the great
decision and expect to be accepted by
the company of Heaven, but they are
wasting strength God gave for service
in worrying about bread and clothes
and shelter for themselves or those
they love. OF all the promises of
Christ the one which is most frequent
ly forgotten is that which Christ most
frequently insisted on: 'Seek We first
the kingdom Of God and His righteous
ness, and all these things shall be add
ed unto you"
your Heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need for these things"
Is He helpless, then, or can He only
begin to provide when we have passed
the confines of this present life? Are
His hands tied for tomorrow, that
they may be loosed in some far distant
hour of Heavenly care? 1t is blind and
stupid unbelief or childish perversion
of our faith which thus falsely esti-
mates the love and care of God. Worry
is unbelief, or, at the best, g warped
and unaccomplishing belief. 1t takes
for granted either Gods carelessness
or powerlessness for earthly days, and
q careless or a powerless God is not the
Heavenly Father whom our Saviour
taught US to obey.
Life is for work; and work depends
upon efficiency; and efficiency is de-
stroyed by worry. There is nothing
more distracting, nothing more disin-
tegrating. 1t writes its tale of inward
weakness on the face. It trembles in
the quaver of the voice. It transforms
a brave disciple, armed by faith and
love against the trials of the world,
into servant of the times, trembler
at the threats of fortune.
Kill-joy worry robs the world Of its
needed witness of good cheer. To win
men to our hope, we must make that
hope attractive. And we must make it
attractive In spite of real trouble.
which no man can escape. 1t is easier
to endure real than imaginary and
| borrowed troubles. 1T is the forebod-
ing that bows down our hearts in weak
despair. Suffering weakens less than
worry.
There is contrast even in our Lords
experience. He lived the perfect life
of faith and was never guilty of the
sin OF worry. Yet He who bowed in
anguish with the foretaste of death in
Gethsemane, and longed in vain for
human sympathy, stood upright be-
fore priests and rulers, and bore in ST.
lence the anguish Of the cross. Sor.
row and cheer, trial and peace, are
combinations which the church has
often shown the world, and they have
| proved its best attraction. But when
did the companionship of worry ever
| win arsoul to Christ?
Life Is not easy for most of us. We
have battles to fight and troubles TO
endure-and the hardest of all we
must carry in our little Gethsemanes,
as our Master did, alone. God will not
| give us more than we can bear. he will
sustain us in every trouble and pro-
vide for every need. But where Is 1t
| promised that there shall be help in
borrowed trouble? The canker OF
worry can only be cured by the SIM
| plicity of faith. Let God be real-a
very present help IN trouble-and the
sunshine will break through. We shall
be strong to meet our trial when IL
comes. We shall work to-day, trust
ing quietly for tomorrow, casting all
our anxious care on God-for He car
eth for us.-Boston, CoDgregationahst,
Il