The Southern herald., 1918-03-08

voice, l should not
- have the slightest
idea who you were" A little later he
wrote me You left me a poem entitled
What Does II MeanY which has been
read to me time and again until ! have
absorbed the spirit Of 1t, II not all the
words, and to one who has been 30
extremely active as myself, and finally
has had The hindering wall placed be-
fore his meet, the sentiment expressed
in the poem has been most helpful, and
! want to thank you for leaving II with
me-"
In recent letter he says, "For more
than year have been totally blind.
! am not praying SO much for restora-
ton Of sight, which can never come be-
cause Of the withering Of the optic
nerve, but l am always praying with
Paul for grace and strength which
am thankful to say has been given me,
and for that sight which Elisha want
ed his servant to have, that he might
see the hosts the Lord had Rrruyed
on his side for his defense and saliva
ton"
Here Is a strong, active business
man, so blind that he has TO be led
about the streets, but whose spiritual
eyes have been so opened that he sees
far more In this world than he ever
saw before.
And what has caused this changer
Trouble. Nothing else probably, could
have arrested his attention so effectu-
ally and forced him to fix It on things
spiritual so long and earnestly that
now Jesus has become the sun and cen.
ter Of the universe, the solace and suf-
iiclency Of his own soul. Truly his
eight afIlictlon, which is but for n mo-
ment, is working out for him far
more exceeding and eternal weight Of
glory"
These incidents show what o large
and blessed ministry trouble has in
opening our eyes to the deeper things
Of life We see also why II is that
God who causeth all things to work to-
gether for good to those who love him.
mingles the bitter so plentlfulIy with
the sweet.
He knows that the natural heart Is
not inclined toward God, but nwny
from him. We are so busy digging In
the dirt for dollars that we will not
look up at the Sun Of Righteousness
until he puts us on our back, where
we can only look In one direction, and
that upward
And Just as the stnrs are invisible
by day, but shine out In all their
beauty when night comes on, so God
fills the Bible with special promises
bargaln-day attractions TO those In
trouble-"For in the time Of trouble he
shall hide me In his pavilion. Litter
ally, in a leafy bower, fragrant, shell
tered and cOzy) In the secret Of his
= tent shall he hide me; he shall set mC
upon a rock" (Ps. 27:5). So, too, II
Ps. 46:1 he says. God is our refuge
and strength, q very present help (thar
4 is an immediate, rght-away help II
/ trouble"
4 Psalm 107 tells the sad story Of fOu
3 different classes of people who wan
: dered about by themselves until the.
: we're hopeless. ''Then they cried unit
4 the Lord In their trouble, and he de
Hvered them out Of their dlstresses.
I No wonder he exclalms again an
again, "Oh, that men would praise tn
!. Lord for his goodness, and for his won
derful works to the children Of men.
In these sad, sad times when troubl
? Is more plentiful than ever before
), what comfort to realize that God
a able TO use every BIT Of II as Gnge
. board to point living and dying men I
the cross Of Christ. Let US keep tn
y. promises Of God In sight IN our homet
~ schools and places Of business, and ID
u us FIJI our correspondence and conve
a2 a9 sation with the words Of Jesus wis
q some Christian printer would get u
aE n window card containing In fne di
= nlay Gods challenge to people
- trouble; "Can upon me In the do
~ trouhe. I will deliver thee, ar
- tbou shalt glorisy me" (Ps. 5015).