"Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said"--
"Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these
things."--Matt. vi. 22.
The Comforting Assurance.
Though spoken originally by Jesus regarding temporal things, this may be
taken as a motto for the child of God amid all the changing vicissitudes
of his changing history. How it should lull all misgivings; silence all
murmurings; lead to lowly, unquestioning submissiveness--"My Heavenly
Father knoweth that I have need of all these things."
Where can a child be safer or better than in a father's hand? Where can
the believer be better than in the hands of his God? We are poor judges
of what is best. We are under safe guidance with infallible wisdom. If
we are tempted in a moment of rash presumption to say, "All these things
are against me," let this "word" rebuke the hasty and unworthy surmise.
Unerring wisdom and Fatherly love have pronounced _all_ to be "needful."
My soul, is there aught that is disturbing thy peace? Are providences
dark, or crosses heavy? Are spiritual props removed, creature comforts
curtailed, gourds smitten and withered like grass?--write on each,
"_Your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things._" It was He
who increased thy burden. Why? "_It was needed._" It was He who smote
down thy clay idol. Why? "_It was needed._" It was supplanting Himself:
He had to remove it! It was He who crossed thy worldly schemes, marred
thy cherished hopes. Why? "_It was needed._" There was a lurking thorn
in the coveted path. There was some higher spiritual blessing in
reversion. "He '_prevented_' thee with the blessings of His goodness."
Seek to cherish a spirit of more childlike confidence in thy Heavenly
Father's will. Thou art not left unbefriended and alone to buffet the
storms of the wilderness. Thy Marahs as well as thy Elims are appointed
by Him. A gracious pillar-cloud is before thee. Follow it through
sunshine and storm. He may "lead thee about," but He will not lead thee
wrong. Unutterable tenderness is the characteristic of all His dealings.
"Blessed be His name," says a tried believer, "He maketh my feet like
hinds' feet" (_literally_, "equaleth" them), "he _equaleth_ them for
every precipice, every ascent, every leap."
And who is it that speaks this quieting word? It is He who Himself felt
the preciousness of the assurance during His own awful sufferings, that
all were _needed_, and all _appointed_; that from Bethlehem's cradle to
Calvary's Cross there was not the redundant thorn in the chaplet of
sorrow which He, the Man of Sorrows, bore. Every drop in His bitter cup
was mingled by His Father: "This cup which _Thou_ givest me to drink,
shall I not drink it!" Oh, if He could extract comfort in this hour of
inconceivable agony, in the thought that a Father's hand lighted the
fearful furnace-fires, what strong consolation is there in the same
truth to all His suffering people!
What! one superfluous drop! one redundant pang! one unneeded cross! Hush
the secret atheism! He gave His Son for thee! He calls Himself "thy
Father!" Whatever be the trial under which thou art now smarting, let
the word of a gracious Saviour be "like oil thrown on the fretful sea;"
let it dry every rebellious tear-drop. "He, thine unerring Parent,
knoweth that thou hast need of _this_ as well as _all_ these things."
"THY WORD IS VERY SURE, THEREFORE THY SERVANT LOVETH IT."