The Goings Out and the Comings In

‘“‘ The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in.” — PsaALM cxxi. 8.

THE “going out” suggests the action of the early morning, when our strength has been renewed, and our purpose is refreshed, and enthusiasm has all the passion of an unspent fire. And the ‘‘ coming in”’ suggests the close of the day, when the strength is exhausted, and the vision is dulled, and the enthusiasm has lost its ardour, and the soul crawls home in disappointment. And God’s blessing is to be on morning and evening, and both seasons are to lie beneath His hallowing love and grace. The “going out ’’ may be the splendid venture of a young knight, newly baptised into the order of chivalry — keen, eager, glowing with holy passion, and riding abroad to redress human wrongs. And the ‘‘ coming in” may be the return of that same knight, wounded sore

in the conflict, with his antagonists the

apparent conquerors, and the clamant wrongs - still crying for redress. And God’s holy love

is to be on the morning and the evening,

and the knight is to be in the radiant circle

of grace along the entire road.

Or sometimes our “going out” is in timidity and shrinking. We do not march as to the sound of a trumpet; we walk in fear. “I was with you in much fearfulness.” Even Paul went forth in the consciousness of much weakness. We have to face untrodden roads. We are tasting novel experiences. We are confronted by new perils. Perhaps it is a boy going out to college. Or perhaps a graduate facing his new business career. Or perhaps a young student going to his first pulpit. Or perhaps a minister setting out on some difficult and unexampled task. Or perhaps. a missionary travelling to his first field. And these are the beginnings of new ventures, and we go forth in trembling to the unknown task. ‘‘ Thy goings out!’ And then the comings in! Perhaps these seasons are more perilous, when we return from our

shrinking venture with all our timidity gone! Nay, perhaps wearing garlands of honour, and carrying trophies of victory. The victorious coming in! And God’s preserving care is to be over both morning and evening, and we are to be kept from all evil.

All of which means that God’s blessing does not desert us upon the threshold and send us forth alone to our alluring or repellent tasks. Our Lord is with us at the beginning and at the ending, and also between the beginning and the ending, even all along the road. ‘‘ Having loved His own He loved them unto the end.”