Trust in the Lord
“A poor negro woman, after the death of her husband, had no means of support for herself and two little children, except the labor of her own hands; yet she found means out of her deep poverty to give something for the promotion of the cause of her Redeemer, and would never fail to pay, on the very day it became due, her regular subscription to the church of which she was a member. In a hard Winter she had found great difficulty in supplying the pressing needs of her little family; yet the few pence for religious purposes had been regularly put by.
“As one season for the contribution came round, she had only a little corn, a single salt herring, and a five-cent piece remaining of her little store. Yet she did not waver; she ground the corn, prepared her children’s supper, and then, with a light heart and cheerful countenance, set out to meeting, where she gave joyfully the five cents, the last she had in the world,
Returning from the church, she passed the house of a lady to whom, a long time before, she had sold a piece of pork, so long indeed that she had entirely forgotten the circumstance. But, seeing her this morning, the lady called her in, apologized for having been so tardy in the settlement, and then inquired how much it was. Old Sukey did not know, and the lady, determined to be on the safe side, gave her two dollars, besides directing her housekeeper to put up a basket of flour, sugar, coffee, and other luxuries for her use. Poor Sukey returned home with a joyful heart, saying, as she displayed her treasures, “See, my children, the Lord is a good paymaster, giving us ’ a hundred-fold even in this present life, and in the world to come life everlasting.’”
Exactly Eighty Dollars. —” They are Safe
that Trust in Thee.”
A clergyman somewhat advanced in years recently related to a correspondent of The Messenger an incident in his own life, which well illustrates the provident care of our heavenly Father over his children.
“His first church was at V, and, though he labored
diligently, working with his own hands for his support, he became eighty dollars in debt. It was a grievous burden, and all his efforts to remove it proved unavailing. One day, when he felt especially cast down, he retired to pray over the matter, and on his knees he besought the Lord to aid, as he despaired of help from any other- source. He felt strengthened and hopeful when he left his closet, and entered his church on Sabbath morning with a lighter heart than usual. As he passed the door a young lady met him, and placed in his hz,ndi fifty dollarsy saying that twenty was to go for the Sabbath-school library, and the remaining thirty Wy for himself. He was so surprised that he scarcely trusted his senses, and asked her not less than three times, that he might not be mistaken. As he preached that day, God seemed a very present help.’ At the close of the service, a young man, noted for his free-hearted, impulsive character, stepped up and requested that he would perform a marriage ceremony for him the next week. He did so, and received for his services a bill, which he placed in his pocket, and, on looking at it afterwards, found it fifty dollars, thus making up exactly the eighty he had prayed the Lord to send him.”
We too often forget that God is as willing to listen to our temporal wants as to our spiritual, and that “no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”