The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-03-09
THE HAND
OF GOD
By REV. STEPHEN PAULSON

them that seek MIN for gOOd.-EZra B:22
These words were spoken by Ezra
the king ArtaXerxes Of Babylon. Ezra
was sent back to Jerusalem with great
stores Of gold and silver for the tenn
pie. The king offered him a military
guard for the journey, but Ezra de-
clares 1t unnecessary, for he says,
The hand Of God is upon all them for
good, that seek him"
Ezra here announces n fact which
often passes out of our reckoning.
There was time when fatalism was
the general creed and II stlll fingers
In many minds. It is dreary faith 10
live by and not true to facts. There is
a more beautiful creed and more com
forting, and that is the personal provi-
dence Of loving father-the hand Of
God upon all them for good that seek
him.
First let us recognize that divine
government in our lives is a fact. No
one can live and defy Gods laws with
impunity. Many men seem to think
that no notice is taken Of their ac-
tions, and they go on in their evil
ways and apparently prosper Occa-
sionally one may escape from the jus.
tice Of human law, but there is no es-
cape from divine law.
The hand OF God Is a disturbing ele-
ment. You may be perfectly satisfied
with yourself, but God Is not satisfied
with you. Only TO one did he say,
This is my beloved son in whom / am
well pleased" There are so many
things in our lives that God is not
pleased with II his hand is upon us for
good. So God never allows US to re
main in peace. You would not expect
Gods government in our lives 10 be
one Of indifference and tranquility.
Do you think, for instance, that God
is satisfied with social and moral and
political conditions as they are? no,
he is not. And therefore God Is CON
tinually stirring up good men and in
fluences to battle against evil and op.
preston and to spread the principles
Of his kingdom, and there are those
who resent this divine interference
and make his servants bear the brunt
Of their displeasure.
The gospel OF Jesus Christ is a dis
turbing element wherever II comes,
for it cannot exist side by side with
evil and oppression. without striving
to oppose and overcome them. That
was what Jesus had reference to
when he said, II am not come to
send peace upon the earth, but a
sword"
China lived in self-satisfied igno-
rance and darkness. Progress was an
unknown word and not desired. The
same customs and practices and the
same primitive methods had obtained
Tor 1000 years. Then came the man
with the gospel and 1t proved a dis
element. Missionaries have
been accused by short
sighted persons Of causing disturbance
and dissension. The charge is true
In so far as they are true to the gos-
pei they preach. II is the eternal
and inevitable conflict between Hight
md darkness, between truth and
between good and evil. be-
.ween Christ and Satan.
The hand Of God in human lives Is
/ progressive element God disturbs
our lives to move them on to some
hing better. With him there is never
II God asks me to
strike my tent today to move yonder,
{ is because yonder there is a higher
a more glorious outlook.
Progress is not necessarily pleas
mt, Notice how Moses speaks of the
departure from Horeb, where many Of |
sraelItes were most willing to re-
main: And when we departed from .
Ioreb we went through all the great /
nd terrible wilderness which yo saw |
~ the way OF the mountain of the /.
Ammorites" It was progress, but II |
vas not pleasant 1t was through the /
,reat and terrible wilderness, II was /
Iificult progress, but the goal was .
lanaan, the land Of promise.
There is a beautiful Illustration Of .
ne hand of God in human lives. in
se thirty.second chapter Of Deuter.
nomy: "As an eagle stirreth up her .
,est, fluttereth over her young, taketh
hem, beareth them on her pinions; so
he Lord did lead him"
The picture is full Of poetry, full
: life and truth and beauty. Think
yer It. The nest is upon a rocky
eight. The mother eagle comes and
sNes the eaglets and filings them out
Z the nest. They scream with fright
nd begin to fall to the ground. But
aving stirred up her nest, the eagle
spreadeth abroad her wings" She
woops beneath them, "beareth them
n her pinions." She drops them
gain and again they struggle, but
lis time not so helplessly They be-
in to understand what she means
he Is teaching them to fly.
Perhaps circumstances have flung
ou out until you felt lost in an ele-
rent that was new and strange to
ou Look unto God, who Is the help
I all who seek him. He spreads out
10 wings of his omnipotence to pro-
,ct you. He is teaching you to use
le gifts which he has bestowed upon
on. There is a purpose in the great
ings Of the eagle. It is flight. There
a purpose in your life, o child OF
cd. 1t is flight Godward, sunward,
eavenward.