_GOD IS WIDE-AWAKE_
"_Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said,
I see a rod of an almond tree._"
--JEREMIAH i. 7-19.
And through the almond tree the Lord gave the trembling young prophet the
strength of assurance. The almond tree is the first to awake from its
wintry sleep. When all other trees are held in frozen slumber the almond
blossoms are looking out on the barren world. And God is like that, awake
and vigilant. Nobody anticipates Him. Wherever Jeremiah was sent on his
prophetic mission the Lord would be there before him. Before the prophet's
enemies could get to work the Lord was on the field. In the wintriest
circumstances of a prophet's life God is wide awake: "He that keepeth
Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."
And still the almond tree has its heartening significance for thee and me.
Our God is wide-awake. He looks out upon our wintry circumstances, and
nothing is hid from His sight. There is no unrecognized and uncounted
factor which may steal in furtively and take Him by surprise. Everything
is open. He is wide-awake on the far-off field where the isolated
missionary is ploughing his lonely furrow. He is wide-awake on the field
of common labour where some young disciple finds it hard to keep clean
hands while he earns his daily bread.