A Cup of Bitters?
God's love sweetens trials, making them a cup of blessing, and increasing our graces to prepare us for heaven.
Anne Dutton preaches a message of encouragement to a sister in Christ, reminding her that trials are not strange but are part of God's preparation and exercise of love towards her. She emphasizes the need to willingly work and suffer for God, surrendering completely to His will out of gratitude for His boundless love. Dutton reassures that even in the midst of bitter experiences, God's love sweetens the cup of trials, turning curses into blessings that work for the believer's present and eternal good, testing and increasing their graces for Christ's glory.
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My Dear Sister in our precious Lord,
I sympathize with you in your trials. Do not think them strange. Your kind Father well prepared you for these exercises by that abundant love which He long manifested towards you. He let you rest long in His bosom; will you not be willing to work for Him now--yes, to suffer whatever He shall call you to? Oh, remember what obligation His boundless love lays you under to be entirely His! Remember but His love, in which He has given you Himself, and you will freely give up yourself to His whole will, and count nothing too much, either to do or suffer, that so you may glorify Him.
Has your kind Father given you a cup of bitters? Drink it freely! It is well sweetened with His love! The curse is taken out of it by Christ being made a curse for you; and lo! It is no other but a cup of blessing! Infinite love ordained it and infinite wisdom prepared it, and infinite power will work with and by it unto your present and eternal advantage. All your graces are to be tried, and by the trial of them to be increased here, and found unto praise and honor and glory at Christ's appearing.
You will not think any of the labors and sorrows of the wilderness too much when once you reach Canaan's land. You will bless God when you get to heaven for every step of the way He led you, and see it was all right. And will you not begin the work of heaven now, and go, not only patiently and cheerfully, but thankfully also, through all the trials of the wilderness into your everlasting rest?
Your tender, faithful Shepherd, who gave His life for you, will not allow you to lack any good thing. Into His arms I commit you; His grace be with your spirit.
Sermon Outline
- I. Trials are not strange
- A. God prepares us for trials through His love
- B. We should be willing to work and suffer for God
- II. God's love sweetens trials
- A. Christ took the curse for us
- B. Trials are a cup of blessing
- III. Trials increase our graces
- A. We are tried to be increased
- B. We will be found unto praise and honor at Christ's appearing
- IV. Heaven is worth the journey
- A. We will bless God for every step of the way
- B. We should begin the work of heaven now
Key Quotes
“Has your kind Father given you a cup of bitters? Drink it freely! It is well sweetened with His love!” — Anne Dutton
“You will not think any of the labors and sorrows of the wilderness too much when once you reach Canaan's land.” — Anne Dutton
“Into His arms I commit you; His grace be with your spirit.” — Anne Dutton
Application Points
- We should be willing to work and suffer for God, trusting in His love and provision.
- We should begin the work of heaven now, patiently and cheerfully going through trials into our everlasting rest.
- We can trust God in trials, knowing that our faithful Shepherd will not allow us to lack any good thing.