Every situation has both a bright and a dark side. Rachel was overwhelmed by the sorrow of childbirth and death. But Jacob, even while weeping for the mother's loss, could see the mercy in the child's birth. How blessed we are if, while our flesh mourns over trials, our faith triumphs in divine faithfulness!
Remember Samson's lion that yielded honey? Your adversities will yield the same sweetness—if you consider them rightly. The stormy sea feeds multitudes with its fish. The wild wood blooms with beautiful flowers. The stormy wind sweeps away pestilence, and the biting frost loosens the soil. Dark clouds distill bright drops, and black earth grows gay flowers. A vein of good runs through every mine of evil.
But oh, sad hearts have peculiar skill in discovering the most disadvantageous point of view! If there were only one slough in the world, they would soon be up to their necks in it. If there were only one lion in the desert, they would hear it roar. All of us have a tinge of this wretched folly. We are apt, like Jacob, to cry "All these things are against me!"
But faith walks differently. Faith casts all care upon the Lord, then anticipates good results from the worst calamities. Like Gideon's men, she doesn't fret over the broken pitcher—she rejoices that the lamp blazes forth the more! Out of the rough oyster-shell of difficulty, she extracts the rare pearl of honor. From the deep ocean-caves of distress, she uplifts the priceless coral of experience.
When her flood of prosperity ebbs, faith finds treasures hidden in the sands. When her sun of delight goes down, she turns her telescope of hope to the starry promises of heaven. And when death itself appears? Faith points to the light of resurrection beyond the grave—thus making our dying Ben-oni to be our living Benjamin!
Closing Prayer
That trial crushing you right now? God is already at work extracting pearls from it. Name your sorrow today, but let faith rename it as strength.