THE PALM TREE FINDS THE WATER
This marvelous production of nature is not hindered by the scorching sun
of the desert, nor is it dependent upon the copious showers of rain. If
the rain comes, all well and good; but if it fails, the palm flourishes
right on anyway. But it will get to water. If it does not come down from
above, then it sends down its roots till they drink at the subterranean
stream below. Water it must have and water it will find.
Now, if God has a people that flourish this way, it signifies that they
will get where there is the water of life. If the "showers of blessing"
are falling in the revival meeting, or campmeeting, or at the regular
preaching service, they are sure to be present if possible and "take of
the water of life freely." Perchance they are out on some spiritual
desert far from any means of grace where the gospel sound is never
heard; there they are not dependent upon the revival rains, but they
send down the roots of faith till they strike the under-currents, and
then with joy they "draw water out of the wells of salvation."
How refreshing to meet with such independent specimens of God's
handiwork! If they get to the place of worship where God's people are
free, they are a whole campmeeting in themselves. Out of them are
flowing "rivers of living water," because of the Spirit's incoming. They
never dry up, nor freeze up, because they keep in touch with the living
stream from the heavenly fountain head, and bask in the spiritual
tropics where the Sun of righteousness has arisen upon them.
Oh, for more palm tree saints! May we all be so in touch with the
reservoir of the skies, that we may say, "All my springs are in thee."
Then, no matter whether our lot is with many pilgrims or none, we may
flourish on and shine and shout, and show to the world that we are in
touch with hidden springs. Amen!
It is certainly a puzzle to the world and worldly minded professors,
when one, who has no visible means of enjoyment, keeps up a happy,
cheerful experience, and though her lot or his lot is extremely dry, and
barren of what generally goes to make people happy, yet the hidden
stream is flowing, and that soul is drinking of the fountain that never
runs dry. The deep, underlying current has been found and is supplying a
peace which the world can not give, nor can it take away.
When the martyrs went to the stake, they had a triumphant tread and a
victorious faith and a well-spring of joy which were indeed an enigma to
the persecutors.
Who can understand Madame Guyon in her dismal prison cell singing her
sweet song, a hundred times happier than those outside, or realize the
triumphant joy of the Apostle Paul as he faces the axman's block, and
expresses a gladsome victory over it all, unless he is acquainted with
the deep undercurrent of full salvation life?
What would have become of the Apostle John on Patmos' lonely isle, shut
off from all associations with kindred spirits on earth, with no
prayermeeting nor fellowship such as he had been so accustomed to enjoy,
had he not known the way to the hidden springs which brought him in
contact with the Eternal? There was no place to banish this pilgrim
saint that would shut him off from the water of life. When human hands
banished him to an island in the sea, thinking they could cut off his
supply, he proved to the world that he could reach the hidden springs
and be in touch with the Infinite, in spite of his banishment. God's
holy ones are a conundrum to the world. "For we are made a spectacle
[theater in the margin] unto the world, and to angels, and to men," and
they do not understand the mystery of the hidden glory and springs of
life, the very angels desiring to look into some of these mysteries (1
Peter 1:12).
There are some people, when we have not seen them for a few months, we
hardly dare to ask them how they are prospering, for fear they will drop
their heads and say, "Well, not so well as I would like." They have not
been drinking at the fountain. They did not send down their roots and
find the under-currents of saving grace; and the result is, they have no
victorious testimony to the power of Jesus to save. On the other hand,
there are certain individuals, though we have not seen them for years,
we scarcely think of asking them how they are getting along, for we have
known of their overcoming life so long, that we naturally take it for
granted that it is still well with their souls. We do not expect
anything different from the past, except more of it. Many years ago we
received a postal card from a brother in a distant city relative to some
business. It being a business card, the most of it was printed matter,
even his name being printed. The card closed with these words: "Yours
saved, H. W. S.----." In thinking the matter over, we observed that in
all probability the brother had several hundreds of the cards printed,
and he knew very well that it would take some time, perhaps weeks or
months, before the last card would be sent out. The thought then was,
Brother S----, how did you know that when the last card would be sent
out, it would still be, "Yours, saved, H. W. S----?" How did you know
but it would be, "Yours, backslidden, H. W. S----?" The fact was, that
Brother S---- had made no calculation on backsliding, and he figured
that the last card would be just as true as the first. Eight or ten
years passed and we received a note from this same brother. Instead of
signing his name the way he did before, it was, "Yours saved to the
uttermost, hallelujah, H. W. S----." Now, after years had passed and
gone, he could still sign his name the same, only more of it.
In the economy of grace, God has made no provision for one to have less
grace than in the past. The best experience of one's life should be
up-to-date. It is a sad epoch in one's life when he can take a
retrospect and look down the lane of long ago and see a better
experience than now. That person has certainly headed toward Egypt that
sees the highest plane of his Christian experience, and then gets the
consent of his mind to live on a lower plane. "Therefore, leaving the
principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection."
When the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea they sang and shouted
and had a hallelujah time; but their slogan was, "On to Canaan." When
finally, the survivors and those who were born on the way crossed the
River Jordan, they built a monument, which signified that they had come
over there to stay.