Discovering the Word of Life
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes.” — Psa.m cxix. 71.
In a letter to the Spectator a correspondent says: ‘‘ If a modern man would know how much the Psalms can help, let him turn to them in the trenches. More than any other portions of the Holy Scriptures did they give me my messsage. I recall expressly the 28rd, the 68rd, the 91st, and the 121st.”’ In this welcome testimony he is only proclaiming one of the great findings of spiritual experience. The Word of God waits upon life, and it unlocks new treasure at the magic touch of appropriate circumstance. Some happening in our life proves to be the key to a closed casket, and when we bring the happening and the Word together the casket is opened, and the spiritual treasure is disclosed.
It is by no means needful that the key should be a heavy iron key, the symbol of some black experience. It can be a golden key, such as is used on some gay and festive day when we open a church or some home of cheery entertainment. Some brilliant happening in our life can discover wealth in Bible fields which we have never seen before. A triumph can open out a Doxology. A joy can be like the first sunny ray that struck the statue of Memnon and elicited a musical response. I can well believe that, when the travelling minstrel of old Judea reached the guest-house where he would spend the night, “‘the statutes which were his songs in the house of his pilgrimage ’’ would reveal themselves in new and unsuspected glory. ‘“‘Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings!”
But the surprise is more surprising when some harsh happening smites the rock and the sweet, refreshing water gushes forth. It has happened ten thousand thousand times that a dark experience has discovered divine promises which we had never seen or scarcely noticed in the brighter days. We did not know the light was in the compartment until we entered the tunnel. Some little Psalm begins to shine! Some word of the Master begins to blaze like phosphorus in the dark waters! Some word of an Apostle rises upon our darkening twilight like the evening star! And we begin to learn God’s statutes in our afflictions,
It is a wise practice, if I may so put it, to expect these surprises of revelation. ‘The Lord hath yet more light and truth to break forth from His holy Word.” Let us be on the look-out for it. Let us expect that each novel experience, whether it be grave or gay, is appointed to be a minister of revelation, and let us turn to the Word and watch for the unveiling. Let us regard our circumstances as the servants of our souls. An old word, read in novel circumstances, will reveal unexpected treasure.
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