Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-09-29

Is it not because in our God we all
long for; earnestly desire, the quail
ties of motherhood? And God puts
the stamp of truthfulness upon that
feeling by saying: CAS- one whom his
mother comforteth, so will / comfort
you"
Now, | would have you remember
and most carefully lay 10 heart, that
nothing that God says can be spoiled,
or hindered, or in any way changed,
because of the limitations OF His
knowledge In heaven above, in the
earth beneath, in the waters under the
earth, past, present and future, all
things lie open and clear to His all
seeing eye and to His understanding
mind. A promise may sometimes be
made by a man in good faith. The
desire to be true to the promise may
remain as strong as ever, and yet he
may stand as helpless as babe when
his help is needed He had not the
power of foresight and insight sui
hciently strong and deep to discern
how great the need would be. Amid
the roll of circumstances he stands
like a man upon tiny rock upon the
ocean shore, with the rising tide
threatening momentarily TO over
whelm Him. We say great deal about
God when we say that He and His
promises are nothing like that. Gods
spoken word is always effective. He
said: Let there be light and there
was light" 1t must be so. No change
can ever come about, no complica-
tons arise that can turn aside His
working power. His word is never
void. 81 have declared, and | have
saved, and have showed |
will work and who shall hinder it,"
are His words. His promise standeth
sure. He is eternally behind it. He
Himself - God - Almighty - All
Seeing - All-Knowing and All-Loving
too.
There are dark days and stormy in
every year. And darker days and
stormier still. And one dark day
when all the fury of nature seemed let
loose. And men talk of that day for
years. They tell of it to their chill
dren, and children's children Oh!
what havoc and desolation that day
wrought in the earth.
And in human experience there are
dark days, and days still darker, and
finally, one dark day when pain and
difficulty and sorrow and death have
rolled up into a mighty storm and
then burst And when we recovered
and looked around us, things had ut
terly changed. In the place OF JOY
was sorrow; instead of light there was
darkness; for familiar presence we
had emptiness; where life was, now
was death We tried to forecast the
years, TO find in loss a gain to match,
and then in the silence of great sor
row we heard a voice, like the wind
when it blows with unknown fresh
ness over land and sea, "As one whom
his mother comforteth, so will ! COM
fort you
The comfort OF God issues in
strength. 1t is not a vain expenditure.
1t is directed by wisdom. The end
aimed at is new life, strong in faith
in God, rising like the Phoenix out Of
the ashes of the dead 1t does not dis
place personal effort. 1t is God
standing by ones side in the hour OF
need. We know its workings because
we see its earthly counterpart. a
mother takes her son into some quiet
place, she admits the reality OF all that
troubles him, she does not seek to be-
little what he says, she bids him re-
member the possibilities before him,
the victories he may yet gain over self
and outward things. And moreover,
she loves him; she will pray for him.
Let him play the man. God knoweth,
God remembereth. Wonderful words.
He admits it all. He gently clears the
way The infinite pity matches itself
against the infinite pathos of human
life. The everlasting arms are in
deed beneath us We are strong. We
are more than conquerors through |
Him who loves us.