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Every pastor has observed the tremendous difference between Bible-taught Christians and others^ .when secrcw comes. Two women come to mind as an illustration: The first one was seen regularly attending the house of wor ship; the prayer closet had often found her on her knees before the open Bible. First, her husband, and then, her only son, were taken by death, but as the blows fell, her friends remarked that she manifested the sweetness of the presence of the Lord. She became one of the great est soul winners in her city. The other woman likewise lost her husband and only son, but she had never taken time to read the Scriptures, nor had she cared to support the church with her presence. The result was that she was deprived o f the cushioning effect a knowledge of the Word would have given,-and she could not be com forted. She became embittered against God, and utterly cold to every effort by Christian friends who sought to point out the way of escape. Not even the hope of seeing her loved ones again, if she should receive, the Saviour as they had done before they died, impressd her. The Higher Purpose The power of affliction to hurt the people of God is greatly lessened when we understand that suffering may be for the glory of God. Jesus said the man of John 9:3 was born blind “that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” It was a tragedy when that boy came into the home sightless, but God .intended it for good. The power of Christ was revealed in him; he received not only physical sight, but spiritual vision as well; he will live forever because of his experience with the Lord; multitudes have been saved since then, as the Gospel has been preached from the story of the miracle. When Lazarus died, Christ said, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there” (John 11:15). If this seems a. strange statement from the lips of the Lord Jesus, let us remember how God was glorified in that death, as was His Son. Mary and Martha had their brothers restored to them after four days, at the word of the Saviour. Many have believed on Him in the centuries which have followed because of this record. We may wait more than four days, or even less/if Christ should come, before we receive our loved ones back in resur rection power, but the promise is sure. They will rise again. We shall meet the Lord “ together with them” (1 Thess. 4:17). Again, suffering may be for our own •profit in the present time. After reading the story of the three young men in Daniel 3, we may inquire, “What was the pur pose of that fire which threatened to destroy them?” The answers are evident. They were given super natural power to endure the flame. The enemies of God were confounded when they passed through unharmed, their faith unshaken. The three entered into an experience of the presence of Christ with them during the trial, quite beyond anything they could have known other wise. The Lord intends every affliction to be the means of a fresh realization of His tender love, of His power to provide grace sufficient for the need, and of His purpose to grant the blessing of communion with Him self. While in the business world, the writer had a blow fall upon him which was thè direct result of his having received Christ as Saviour. Bewildered and heavy-heart ed, he went out and sat in a city park. Opening the New Testament, he prayed, “O Lord, comfort me from Thy Word.” After I read a while, 1 Peter 4:12 leaped up from the page. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings.” It seemed incredible, (Continued on Pape 374)
In this day, when psychiatrists discourse wisely of "escapism," a message from the Word of God, pointing out the t rue "way to escape" from the pressure and af flictions of this life, is most en couraging.
By S. Maxwell Coder
T HE PRESENT generation needs the comfort of the promise found in 1 Corinthians 10:13 as few pre vious generations have needed it. "There hath no God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Every phrase here Is exceedingly precious to the soul, but the most wonderful of all is the promise of a way to escape from the trials which are common to man. At least three elements in this are to be found in the Scriptures. One has to do with the understanding, one with prayer, and one with the Word of God. 'Asaph, the psalmist, gave the most remarkable ex pression to the first of these, in the seventy-third Psalm. After recording his observations about the prosperity of the wicked and the afflictions of the righteous, he wrote, “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then under stood I " (vs. 16, 17). The “Why” of Trouble Our burdens are easier to bear when we know why they come to us. Like Asaph, we have our under standing enlightened about this great problem of the ages, when we enter the sanctuary, which may be for us the church where God’s Word is expounded, or the quiet upper room at home where we wait upon Him, seeking light from the Scriptures.
temptation taken, you but such as is common to man; but
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