Tender Remonstrance by John McDuff
1864 How precious are your thoughts unto me, O God! Why do you say,
O Jacob, and complain, O Israel? My way is hidden from the Lord.
My cause is disregarded by my God. Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord
is the everlasting God, creator of the ends of the earth. He
will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one
can fathom. Isaiah 40, 27, 28. Here is a thought of desponding
man in contrast with a thought of God. No, not only so. It is an ungrateful thought of
God's own people. It is Jacob, Israel, who are
guilty of these unworthy complainings. They question the rectitude of
his dispensations. Surely, is the language of their
doubting hearts, he cannot be cognizant of our situation, our
trials, our temptations, our perplexities. Otherwise, he would
long before now have come to our relief. Surely the Lord does
not see my troubles and God refuses to hear my case." So thought Gideon, in his hour
of faithless despondency, when Israel had been ground down for
seven years by the oppression of the Midianites. If the Lord
is with us, why then is all this befallen us? So thought David
in the wilds of Gilead, when, as a broken-hearted exile, he
repeated through his anguished tears the challenge of his enemies,
who continually said unto him, Where is your God? So thought Asaph in his moments
of guilty unbelief, when he saw the wicked prospering and the
righteous suffering. Misjudging and misinterpreting
the divine procedure, his steps had well near slipped. He remembered
God and was troubled, and amid the misery of unbelieving thoughts
exclaimed, Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger
shut up His tender mercies? So thought Martha and Mary in
the extremity of their grief after they had sent prayer and
messenger in vain and were still left unsupported in their agony.
They had ever fondly trusted that mighty heart of divine tenderness. But how could they trust it now
in these mysterious moments of blank despair? If he had indeed
loved them and their lost one, Why could Jesus remain two days
still in the same place where he was? Could there be kindness? Could there be anything but forgetfulness
in this strange, prolonged absence? Surely was there hasty and unworthy
surmise. Our way is hidden from him. He
has passed over and overlooked our case and our cause. Now, O desponding ones, my thoughts
are not your thoughts. I am the Lord. I do not change. You have fainted and grown weary
of me, but I, the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of
the ends of the earth, have not fainted and never can faint or
grow weary of you. Go, Gideon, on your deliverance
mission. trusting in my sure word, and
out of weakness you shall be made strong, become valiant in
fight, and turn to flight the armies of your enemy. Go, fainting pilgrim of Gilead,
take down your harp from the willows, sing the Lord's song
even in that strange land. for he will soon turn your morning
into dancing. Take off your sackcloth and gird
you with gladness. Go, morning psalmist of the olden
temple. Call to remembrance your song
in the night. Commune with your own heart and
thus rebuke your peevish murmurings. This is my infirmity, but I will
remember the years of the right hand of the Most High God. Go, morning sisters of Bethany.
Go forth to meet the lingering steps of the brother born for
adversity. Dry these unkind, distressful
tears. There are wise, though yet undeveloped
reasons, which both you and the Church will yet learn to appreciate
for these two long days of unsupported sorrow. Imagine anything but
this. Your God has forsaken you, and
your Lord has forgotten you. Believer, trust the divine faithfulness
in the dark. Trust his loving heart where
sight and sense fail to trace his mysterious hand. Think especially
of the mighty God, yet brother man, who has left this last promised
legacy. Surely I am with you always. He ever lives and ever loves. He is the true Moses on the mount,
whose hands never grow heavy. O amid the fainting and failing
of what may be the dearest to you in earthly love, may this
be your sublime solace amid all trials and all changes. The Lord
is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He
will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one
can fathom. You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you. you