Christian Faith

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us" (I Sam. 7:12).The word "hitherto" seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. Twenty years or seventy, and yet "hitherto hath the Lord helped us!" Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health; at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea; in honor, in dishonor, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation--"hitherto hath the Lord helped!"We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from one end of the long vista, a sort … [Read more...] about Hitherto – Streams in the Desert

"In waiting, I waited, for the Lord" (Ps. 40:1, margin).Waiting is much more difficult than walking. Waiting requires patience, and patience is a rare virtue. It is fine to know that God builds hedges around His people--when the hedge is looked at from the viewpoint of protection. But when the hedge is kept around one until it grows so high that he cannot see over the top, and wonders whether he is ever to get out of the little sphere of influence and service in which he is pent up, it is hard for him sometimes to understand why he may not … [Read more...] about Ordering the Stops – Streams in the Desert

"And every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." John 15:2A child of God was dazed by the variety of afflictions which seemed to make her their target. Walking past a vineyard in the rich autumnal glow she noticed the untrimmed appearance and the luxuriant wealth of leaves on the vines, that the ground was given over to a tangle of weeds and grass, and that the whole place looked utterly uncared for; and as she pondered, the Heavenly Gardener whispered so precious a message that she would fain pass … [Read more...] about Pruned to Yield Fruit – Streams in the Desert

"We know not what we should pray for as we ought" (Rom. 8:26).Much that perplexes us in our Christian experience is but the answer to our prayers. We pray for patience, and our Father sends those who tax us to the utmost; for "tribulation worketh patience."We pray for submission, and God sends sufferings; for "we learn obedience by the things we suffer."We pray for unselfishness, and God gives us opportunities to sacrifice ourselves by thinking on the things of others, and by laying down our lives for the brethren.We pray for … [Read more...] about We Know Not What We Should Pray For (Rom. 8:26) – Streams in the Desert

"He answered her not a word" (Matt. 15:23)"He will be silent in his love" (Zeph. 3:17)It may be a child of God is reading these words who has had some great crushing sorrow, some bitter disappointment, some heart-breaking blow from a totally unexpected quarter. You are longing for your Master's voice bidding you "Be of good cheer," but only silence and a sense of mystery and misery meet you--"He answered her not a word."God's tender heart must often ache listening to all the sad, complaining cries which arise from our weak, … [Read more...] about Trust Amid the Silence – Streams in the Desert

"Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see" (2 Kings 6:17).This is the prayer we need to pray for ourselves and for one another, "Lord, open our eyes that we may see"; for the world all around us, as well as around the prophet, is full of God's horses and chariots, waiting to carry us to places of glorious victory. And when our eyes are thus opened, we shall see in all events of life, whether great or small, whether joyful or sad, a "chariot" for our souls.Everything that comes to us becomes a chariot … [Read more...] about Open Our Eyes, That We May See – Streams in the Desert

Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? (John 11:40).Mary and Martha could not understand what their Lord was doing. Both of them said to Him, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." Back of it all, we seem to read their thought: "Lord, we do not understand why you have stayed away so long. We do not understand how you could let death come to the man whom you loved. We do not understand how you could let sorrow and suffering ravage our lives when your presence might have … [Read more...] about Belief, Not Understanding – Streams in the Desert