We Are Like That Dove by Jared
Waterbury from Meditations and Prayers 1840 But the dove could find no resting
place to set its feet because there was water over all the
surface of the earth. So it returned to Noah in the
ark. He reached out his hand and took
the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. Genesis chapter 8 verse 9 This
passage has been beautifully applied to the condition of a
Christian, wandering over earth in search of rest, and, disappointed,
returning at length to his Saviour, glad to be received again into
His bosom, where alone there is peace. Surely he who has been
accustomed to drink at the pure fountain of spiritual joy can
never find rest for the soul in this polluted world. How true
is it that to one whose affections have been directed to things
above, earthly pleasures seem to have lost their usual relish. No prospect, however beautiful,
no pleasures, however tantalizing, can be enjoyed without the associated
presence and blessing of God. Yet, when God is recognized in
them, and the heart is properly affected towards Him, then do
even earthly scenes acquire an additional interest. But let
the Christian lose sight for a season of his heavenly inheritance,
and wander over earth's surface in search of worldly good, how
soon will he find an unsatisfying vacuity, where not even an olive-leaf
shall be found to greet his eye or to cheer his heart? The Christian
may so far backslide as to wish to explore anew the world which
he professes to have forsaken, and God may allow him to do so. But oh, how soon his wing will
tire, and his prospect become gloomy! glad will he be to return
and flutter around the ark longing to be taken in where he can once
more feel himself happy and at home and Jesus kindly extends
his hand to take us in even when we have sinfully wandered from
his loving arms Why is it, then, that we can be so often deceived? Have we not tried the world,
and have we not been disappointed in the pursuit? Never again,
then, let us leave the sacred ark, never again wander from
our Lord. Prayer Ever-blessed God, you
have taught us to find our supreme felicity in you, for you are
an all-sufficient portion. But, oh, how prone are we to
wander from you, to forsake you, the fountain of living waters,
and hew out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. But away from you, how can we
be happy? How soon does sadness invade
our hearts and sorrow sit upon our eyelids? The creature cannot
make us blessed. We have tried the creature and
found all on earth to be but vanity. Wonder where we will
from place to place, from pleasure to pleasure, all is unsatisfying
if you, O God, are absent. We are like that dove, when out
of the ark, which saw itself surrounded by one wide waste
of waters, how glad was she to get back within her sacred retreat! Just so, O Saviour, would we
gladly flee into your loving arms! We will search no longer
for happiness here below. Henceforth, let us repose on
your kind bosom. Let us feel a holy indifference
to the attractions of this deceitful world. May it be our privilege
to be taken at last into that secure ark, that glorious heaven
where no storms can come and no temptations lure our souls
away from you. Amen. you