THE PALM TREE WILL GROW IN THE DESERT
It is such a hardy, thrifty tree, that if it has any chance at all, it
will thrive where other trees will fail. Even in the hot sands of the
Sahara, its green foliage is seen, and it grows in spite of discouraging
environments.
The Holy Spirit made no mistake when He declared that a certain class
should flourish like the palm tree. Where will it flourish? Any place in
a proper climate where it has half a chance. By the rivers of water, on
the rugged mountain side, by the rocky hedges, in the desert sands where
scorching sun and swirling simoon have beat upon it, there it grows. It
is a _flourishing_ tree.
In the realm of gospel grace, God has made provision for saints to
flourish under circumstances that are a wonder to the world.
The outward condition of some of God's people is indeed deplorable. They
are surrounded with deepest poverty, in the poorest of health, with a
number of small children depending upon them, and in addition to all,
they are away from former home and friends. Some women are actually
undergoing all this, and to make the desert worse, they have a
profligate, abusive husband further to burden their life. And yet, "the
God of all grace" has come into these lives who have abandoned
themselves to the Holy Ghost, and proved to them that they are of God's
own hand planting, and through His sustaining grace they have flourished
in their experiences, even in such desert places. I have no doubt if the
reader will cast about in his mind he can recall those of like
experience.
"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the
desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom
abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. * * * And the ransomed of
the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy
upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and
sighing shall flee away" (Isa. 35:1, 2, 10).
There is nothing else in the world that will cause deep, settled
satisfaction in the human heart when the surroundings are of the desert
nature. The people of the world draw their pleasure and satisfaction
from the things of the world, but these are not calculated to satisfy
the longings of the heart. No matter how much one may have in the way of
worldly riches, worldly honors, worldly pleasures, there is always a
void in the soul, a something that is not satisfied. The human heart is
so big, that if the whole world were poured into it, it would not fill
one crack or crevice.
When God made the animal creation, He designed that all their pleasure
should be obtained from their surroundings--from the things in this
world, whether it be the fish in the stream, the bird in the air, or
the wild animal that roams over mountain and glen. But when He made man
He put into him desires, hopes, and ambitions that reach out and above
this mundane sphere. He never intended that man should draw his
satisfaction and enjoyment just from this world. Outside of grace, no
one is satisfied, because he is out of his natural, normal, creative
element. The little bird, or fish, or other animal is satisfied because
it is in its creative sphere. Man, living in sin and away from God and
holiness, is dissatisfied, because he is out of his proper element. What
is man's creative sphere? "Created in righteousness and true holiness."
That is the way God created man, and until man gets back to God, in
communion with Him and heaven, he never will have a satisfying portion.
"For he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with
goodness" (Psa. 107:9). Without any of this world's goods in the way of
riches, honors or pleasures, one abandoned to the Holy Ghost will have a
deep sense of soul-satisfaction, and will rejoice in the midst of
dismal, desert surroundings.
When Madame Guyon was in the Bastille, a prisoner of the Lord, she
declared the Lord made the old stones of the murky wall to shine like
rubies.
One of the happiest men it was ever my lot to meet, was one who had
nothing of this world to cause his happiness. He was an inmate of the
poorhouse at Placerville, Cal. He occupied a small, dingy bedroom all
alone, and lay on a cot, afflicted in body, and never expected to leave
it till Jesus said, "Come up higher." While engaged in evangelistic
services in that city, we visited him more than once. It was a
benediction to enter his presence and behold his smiling face and hear
his praises to God. It seemed he was living four-fifths in heaven. He
was certainly flourishing like the palm tree in that desert. We had a
feeling of sorrow for the dear brother in his affliction, and lent him a
book on divine healing, hoping that he might get the inspiration of
faith, and trust the Lord to heal him. After we thought he had time to
read the little book, we called on him again and asked him what he
thought of it, and his answer was about as follows: "I have been
thinking that it would be best to let good enough alone. I am getting
along so well here and am so blessed, I do not know how it might turn
out if I should get well."
Another man, one of the most contented and happy that I ever saw, was a
born cripple. He had one arm and a part of another; was so crooked in
his lower limbs that it was with great difficulty that he could propel
himself with the use of canes. This brother from poverty's dale would
hobble out on Fourth street in San Francisco, with his little carpet-bag
stool, and basket of trinkets for sale, and sit there reading his
Testament, and shine for God. One day this brother handed a man a five
dollar gold piece, desiring him to go and get it changed. The dishonest
man never returned, but the dear brother never murmured, only said that
he could not afford to lose it. Just about that time a stranger came by
and purchased some little article and handed him a five-dollar gold
piece and would not accept any change. "In some way or other, God will
provide."
Every night found this happy, sanctified cripple at the gospel mission
with shining face and victorious testimony. He usually closed his
testimony with these words: "This has been a little the best day I ever
had in all my life." Brother Cooley is now rejoicing where the streets
are made of gold.
Why will souls not learn to seek their pleasure from the right source?
With the failure of multiplied millions who have gone on before and
those who are now trying to fill their cup with earth's deceiving joys,
shall I be such an egotistical fool as to think I can succeed in
something when all before me tried and failed? The way of true success
is laid down in the Word; "This book of the law shall not depart out of
thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then
thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success" (Josh. 1:8).