12. God Knows Best
God Knows Best
WITHERED HAND.—A young man of fine talents was smitten by paralysis, and became a helpless cripple who would have starved if left to himself. As a friend was pitying his condition, he slowly raised his withered hand and said, “God makes no mistakes.”
GIVE ME BACK MY HUSBAND.—A young man stood by his bride at the altar. A future of happiness seemed in store for them. But a fatal worm was preparing to smite the gourd. Little by little the serpent of drink was wrapping its poisonous coils around the young husband. Plainly the faithful, trusting wife was forced to confess to her own heart, at least, that he was spending more evenings away from home than was right. Time went on, and the idol of her heart went from an occasional glass to the drunkard’s stupor. One time, in great despair, she went to the place where liquid damnation was dealt out to him, and with a broken voice cried to the bartender, “Give me back my husband.” “There is your husband,” said the man. “What?” that my husband! What have you done to him? What have you poured into his veins that has turned his heart? Give me back my husband who stood with me at the altar.”
STIRRING UP NEST.—There is a scripture in Deuteronomy which says: “As an eagle stirreth up her nest... So the Lord alone did lead him.” The illustration is taken from the habits of the eagle, which, when her young ones are well fledged, and yet would prefer to linger in the downy nest, the mother disturbs the nest, so that the young may leave it and learn to fly. The very nest, which the devoted mother had made for her little ones, she will now pick and shatter, exiting her brood to leave and learn to fly. If they do not leave, she will break and scatter the twigs until the nest is utterly broken up and the little ones are forced to fly or fall. But do they fall to destruction? No, the mother flutters over them, spreads abroad her wings and bears them up on her body.
CURED AT LAST.—A once devoted Christian lost his spirituality through the usual influence of worldly prosperity. The Lord would not let him run to utter ruin. He took his wife from him by death, then a son, but still the man made no amendments. Then another misfortune blighted his plans but did not cure his worldliness. Next a loathsome and incurable disease fastened upon him, and while imprisoned by it, his house took fire. As he was carried from the burning building he exclaimed, “Blessed be God, I am cured at last,” and soon after died in the faith.
AGRIPPINA’S PRAYER.—Agrippina prayed that she might live to see her infant son, Nero, become an Emperor. Her desire was gratified. The innocent little infant became the great, but cruel Emperor Nero, who thirsted for the destruction of human life, and who could order the burning of cities merely to gratify his diabolical pleasure in looking at the flames, was perhaps never equaled by any other cruel, Godless ruler. But this was not all. Nero, from his throne, plotted his mother’s death and condemned her to die. But now mark the frame of mind, and the words of this mother, whose highest ambition for her infant son had been that she might live to see him an Emperor: when the men who had been sent to dispatch her appeared, she said to them, and history gives these as her last words: “Strike! level your rage against the womb which gave birth to such a monster.” History gives Nero’s own dying words as, “It is now too late.”