the consolations of God from
the Night Watchers by John McDuff. Comfort, comfort my people says
your God. Isaiah chapter 40 verse 1. God's people are prone to be
discouraged because of the difficulty of the way. In the bitterness
of their spirits, they are often apt to say with desponding Zion,
the Lord has forsaken me, or with the faithless prophet, it
is better for me to die than to live. But the Christian has
his consolations too and they are strong consolations. The
still small voice mingles with the hurricane and the storm.
The bush burns with fire but the great God is in the bush
and therefore it is indestructible. The Lord lives and blessed be
my rock and may the God of my salvation be exalted. Earthly
consolations may help to dry one tear, but another tear is
ready to flow. God dries all tears. There is
no need in the aching voids of the heart that he cannot supply. Is it mercy to pardon? I can
look up to the throne of the Most High and see holiness and
righteousness, justice and truth all bending in exulting harmony
over my ruined soul exclaiming, This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptance that Jesus Christ came into the world
to save sinners. Is it grace to help? I can look
up to that same throne and behold, seated thereon, a great high
priest, no, a mighty prince, having power with God and prevailing
prayer without ceasing, ascending from his lips on behalf of his
people. When Satan seeks to sift them,
his upholding power protects them in heaven. When temptation
assails them in their earthly conflicts, the true Moses on
the mount, with hands that never grow heavy, makes them more than
conquerors. When trial threatens to prostrate
them, He identifies himself with the sufferers. He points to his
own sorrows to show them how light the heaviest of earth's
sorrows are. Even over the gloomy portals
of the grave he can write. Blessed are the dead. He alone
felt death's substance. His people only see the shadow.
He makes it a valley of Acre, through which the two spies,
Faith and Hope, fetch back Eshkol. pledges of the true land of promise.
Reader, are you now weary or desponding? Is some cross heavy
on you? Some trial oppressing you? Some
thorn in the flesh sorely lacerating you? Be still. He will make his
grace sufficient. If he has allured you into the
wilderness, it is that he may speak comfortably unto you. He
has an antidote for every bosom, a balm for every wound, a comfort
for every pang, a solace for every tear. When anxiety was
great within me, your consolations brought joy to my soul. Tis my
happiness below not to live without the cross, Out the Saviour's
power to know, Sanctifying every loss. Trials must and will befall,
But with humble faith to see, Love inscribed upon them all,
This unhappiness so me. Trials make the promise sweet.
Trials give new life to prayer. Trials bring me to His feet,
lay me low, and keep me there. I will lie down and sleep in
peace. For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm
4 verse 8