River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-06-10

@ light, heat and
often very fertile
soil. Water is the one need. And fire.
few feet beneath the surface, rivers
that flow through their hidden chan
nels. The thirsty traveller has only to
dig deep enough and he will find the
cool, refreshing stream.
Christians come to desert valleys of
Baca in their experiences and there is
a process by which the wells may be
made and their thirsty, dropping spirits
refreshed. The secret is in the words,
Blessed is the man whose strength
is in thee, in whose heart are the high
ways" No human strength can dig
such well. 1t is our reliance upon
the strength of God that makes we'll
in the desert, and if in our hearts are
the highways of love, peace and joy
the well will never go dry.
Sin wastes and withers every flower
and shrub. After the murder of Abel
the ground refused to bring forth it's
fruits for Cain, and up to that time he
was a prosperous farmer. Sin made
earth desert for him. A prosperous
merchant FORCES the name of his rich
neighbor to just one check; his repu-,
tation for honesty is lost and his bust
ness goes to pieces. Sin has made a
desert for him. The home which is
a desert by sin. A life as fair as the
flowers of spring can be turned into
desert full of loathsome reptiles.
Drink, lust, lying, any sort of sin, can
turn any life-garden of purity and
beauty into desert of vileness and
moral ugliness.
But we'll can be made even in the
desert caused by sin. eff we confess
our sins he is faithful and just to for
give us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness." Confession
digs the well of forgiveness and
cleansing, which fills our souls with
the refreshing waters of peace and
joy. 'He that believeth on the son
hath everlasting life" Faith in Christ
digs in our hearts the we'll which
springs up into eternal life. Behold
the Lamb of God who taketh away the
sin of the world" A vision of Christ
as sin bearer digs in our hearts the
we'll of consciousness that the sin
question has been settled, our guilt is
removed and there is, therefore, now
no condemnation to them who are in
Christ Jesus"
A friend of mine, prosperous in his
profession, discovered that he had q
bad case of tuberculosis, and, leaving
his beautiful home, went to Arizona
to seek health, while his business fell
to pieces. Life, at first, seemed des-
ert waste; but when I saw him few
weeks ago he was drinking of tie wa
tiers in the wells of resignation and
patience, which God on whose strength
he leaned had made in this desert ex-
perience, and in his heart were the
highways of faith, hope and joy. There
lived in New York city young WON
an who had given herself to Christ,
and was anxious to be useful. But
disease paralyzed her body, so that she
could not rise from her bed, though
she could use her hands in writing.
For more than 40 years she lived in
little brick cottage without leaving
her room single time. The city of
New York built it's high houses around
this little cottage with its helpless in
valid, and the friends who would see
her must pass through the side door
of a saloon. 1t was like going through
hell to reach heaven. That room
of invalidism was a holy of holes, a
miniature paradise. One could cas-
lily imagine the rustic of angels wings
as he listened to the mellow, sweet
voice from the pillow telling of Gods
abiding presence with her, and when
she prayed it was like friend talking
with friend, so real that when you
opened your eyes and looked dp you
almost expected to see God with whom
she spoke. The rich and learned came
to that little room for comfort and
strength, while the poor of the neigh
borhood knew who was their best
friend, and every Christmas the tur-
key came as the gift of the Christ
child through her. Men and woman
who believed in the power of God
to heal urged her to seek healing
of him, but she refused, saying that
it was clearly revealed to her that
her mission was to witness the fact
that one can be sick and at the same
time happy and useful. God was her
stI ength ard in her heart were the
highways of contentment and joy. The
faith and love of Bella Cooke made
wells in the desert of invalidism from
which her own soul drank, while she
passed its waters on to thousands of
others.
God never fails to hear the prayer
of him whose strength he is and in
whose heart are his highways. The
seeming evils from beneath combine
with the good from above to bless
him. Get right with God" through
Jesus Christ, keep right through con-
slant fellowship with him and every
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