"The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me" (Job 3:25). So cried Job of old in the midst of sorrows which seemed overwhelming. And his utterances in the midst of his calamities have been echoed by many afflicted ones all down the centuries. But "the end of the Lord" at length was reached. The object He had in view was attained. Then Job was doubly blessed. It is for the comfort and encouragement of tried believers that his story is given to us, so as to assure our hearts that "the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy" (James 5:11).
Let us not forget that God ever has an END in view. That end is His glory and our good. It is "for our profit" on the one hand, and "that we may be partakers of His holiness," on the other. And if He chastens us- and He chastens all-it is because He loves. In His love He will bring "the end" about, and when we see what His object has been we shall but praise Him for all the way He has brought us. Love, His perfect love, has' ordered, does order, and will order every detail for our richest blessing.
"His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower."
The old story of the farmer who built a new barn is worth repeating. At one end of the building he had a weathervane placed, and under it, the words, "GOD IS LOVE." Some of his neighbors asked the old Christian, "Do you mean that the love of God is as changeable as the wind?" "Indeed, I do not," was his reply. "What I mean is this, 'GOD IS LOVE,' whichever way the wind blows."
Yes! whether the wind blows from the cold North, or blows from the sunny South, from the East, or from the West, all is, and all must be, well for the one who is cared for by Him who "spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all." The cross of Calvary shows the greatness of God's love. To it we should look ever, and not to our circumstances. These are at times inexplicable to us, but the day will dawn soon when we shall "know as we are known" and see the why and the wherefore of that which we cannot understand at present. The words of our Lord, "That which I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter," may gladden our hearts, and so in confidence in God we may say, "Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out" (Song 4:16). We have not wisdom to determine what will be the best way to promote the issuance of the aromatic odor from our lives; but our God knows, and we may leave ourselves in His hands, and fully trusting in Him, believe and cry, "God is love."
This thought has been expressed beautifully in a hymn, too little known,
"We cannot always trace the way,
Where Thou, our gracious Lord, dost move;
But we can always surely say-
That 'God is Love.'
When clouds hang o'er our darkened path,
We'll check our dread, each doubt reprove;
For here each soul sweet comfort hath-
That 'God is Love.'
Yes! Thou art Love, a truth like this
Can every gloomy thought remove,
And turn our tears and woes to bliss-
For 'God is Love.' "
Many of the occurrences in our pathway may seem contrary to this truth. Painful events in our lives may argue on the opposite side. The details of our Father's dealings with us may be distressing for the time. But each and all will be made somehow to "work together for good to them that love God." A well-known preacher was seeking to encourage his hearers with regard to this glorious truth. He held in his hands, before the audience, the reverse side of a perforated cardboard text which had been worked skillfully and beautifully in varied colored silks. Being the back of the text, however, it could not be read. The many silks were crisscrossed as though spiders dipped in differing inks had crawled over the card. There appeared to be no scheme or reason whatever in the work. When, however, the right side was presented before them they could see what had been wrought. "GOD IS LOVE" was plainly to be descried. I need hardly apply the moral.
Ah, is it not so with us all? We look at the wrong side of the details of our lives. The stitches cannot be understood. By and by we shall see the right side of everything, and say, "As for God, His way" was "perfect." Then shall we praise Him for all that is past, and say, "He hath done all things well." Short-sighted, as we are, we know not the end from the beginning, but our God is acquainted with all, and works for us, and with us, and in us, for our ultimate benefit. In this confidence we may sing;
"Let good or ill betide,
All must be good for me,
Secure of having Thee in all,
Of having all in Thee.
In Thee I place my trust,
On Thee I calmly rest;
I know Thee good, I know Thee just,
And count Thy choice the best."
Inglis Fleming