The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-03-16

4 nave the S4lg1IE&E
Idea who yen were" A little later he
wrote me, ~Tou left NE a poem entitled
What Does Ii MeanY which has been
read 10 me time and again until have
absorbed tie spirit Of II, Il not all the
words, and 10 one who has been 50
extremely active as myself. and finally
has had The hindsring wall placed be-
fore his meet, The sentiment expressed
in the poem has been most helpful, and
want 70 thank you for leaving st with
ne"
In recent letter he says. SFor more
than year hare been totally blind.
| an not praying 50 much for restora-
ton Of sight which can never come be-
cause Of the whitening Of the optic
nerve but / am always praying with
Paul for grace and strength, which
4 an thankful to say has been given me.
and for that sight which Elisha want
I ed his servant to have, that be might
see the hosts the Lord had arrayed
/ On his side for his defense and saliva
ton"
Here is strong, active business
man. 50 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
say before.
And what has caused this changed
Trouble. Nothing else, probably. could
have arrested his attention so efectu-
ally and forced him to fix # on things
spiritual so long and earnestly that
EoT Jesus has become the sun and CEN
Ter Ct the universe, the soIace and suf-
acie1cy Of his own soul Truly his
II mt .atsic5ioq. which s hut fora mo-
Ha at is working out for him z far
more exceeding and eternal weight OF
z.ory."
These incidents show what large
and blessed ministry trouble has in
opening our eyes to the deeper things
Of life. We see also why 1t il that
God who causeth all things to work to-
gether for good to those who lore him.
nningles the bitter SO plentifuIly with
the sweet
He knows that the natural heart is
not inclined toward God, but away
from him. We are so busy digging In
the dirt for dollars that we win not
look up at the Sun Of Righteousness
until he puts US on our back, where
we can only TOOK In one direction. and
that upward.
And Just as the stars are invisible
by day, but shine out in all their
beauty when night comes on. so God
fills the Bible with special promises,
bargain-day attractions to those In
trouble-"For in the time of trouble he
shall hide me in his pavilion. Utter
ally. in a leafy bower, fragrant, shell
tered and cOzy) In the secret Of his
tent shall he hide me; he shall set me
upon rock" FPS. 7:5). So, too. In
Ps. 46:1 he says. "God is our refuge
and strength, very present help (that
is an immediate, right-away help) In
( trouble"
Psalm 107 tells the sad story of four
different classes of people who wan
dered about by themselves until thes
were hopeless. 'sThen they cried unto
the Lord in their trouble, and he de-
liyered them out OF their distresses.n
No wonder he exclaims again and
again, "Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness, and for his won
derful works to the children of men,"
In these sad, sad times when trouble
Is more plentiful than ever before.
what a comfort to realize that God Is
able to use every bit of II as a finger
board to point living and dying men to
the cross Of Christ. Let us keen the
promises Of God in sight in our homes.
schools and places of business. and LET
Us fill our correspondence and CONVEX
sation with the words Of Jesus. / wish
some Christian printer would get IN
window card containing in fine dis.
play Gods challenge to people In
trouble: "Call upon me In the day
Of trouble; l will deliver thee, and
thou shalt glorify me" FPS. 50:15l.