God’s Wise and Gracious Dealings
If we have especially trusted God in any matter, He will “after these things” (Gen. 22)1 prove our faith: and though He may seem not to regard us, and that for a long time; yet, in the end, He will show that His way of performing His promise is worthy of Him - good for us.
God’s discipline of His children always bears the mark of long-suffering.
When the Lord is about to give great blessings, He commonly begins with great trials. He writes death upon the purposed mercy, that when life springs out of death, we may know from whom that life proceeds - even Jesus, the “I am that I am.”
Our peculiar corruptions are often brought out by the peculiarities of others.
If God in His kindness make manifest to ourselves the evil that is in us, it is in order that we may be driven to Christ, and that we may know the subduing power of His blood.
The Lord has bound up the rod of correction in our bundle of blessings.
We have not wisdom to judge of God’s ways, unless we have patience to wait their issue.
God is wont to frustrate our devices in order to execute His own purposes, and thereby to do us good to the utmost.
Elisha was singularly honoured after going down to the grave: a dead body touching the prophet’s bones came to life again. Elijah was honoured by translation: like Enoch, he did not see death. God will, in manifold wisdom, honour each and every one of them that honour Him.
When God is about to do the very best for us, His discipline is often such that at first our flesh rebels: but let us leave God to bless us in His own way; only let our hearts be set upon Himself, and on pleasing Him. He will be ever true to Himself.