Faith When All Seems Contrary by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
“Let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece” (Judges 6:39).
There are degrees to faith. At one stage of Christian experience we cannot believe unless we have some sign or some great manifestation of feeling. We feel our fleece, like Gideon, and if it is wet we are willing to trust God. This may be true faith, but it is imperfect. It always looks for feeling or some token besides the Word of God. It marks quite an advance in faith when we trust God without feelings. It is blessed to believe without having any emotion.
There is a third stage of faith which even transcends that of Gideon and his fleece. The first phase of faith believes when there are favorable emotions, the second believes when there is the absence of feeling, but this third form of faith believes God and His Word when circumstances, emotions, appearances, people, and human reason all urge to the contrary. Paul exercised this faith in Acts 27:20, 25, “And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.” Notwithstanding all this Paul said, “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”
May God give us faith to fully trust His Word though everything else witness the other way. –C. H. P.
When is the time to trust?
Is it when all is calm,
When waves the victor’s palm,
And life is one glad psalm
Of joy and praise?
Nay! but the time to trust
Is when the waves beat high,
When storm clouds fill the sky,
And prayer is one long cry,
O help and save!
When is the time to trust?
Is it when friends are true?
Is it when comforts woo,
And in all we say and do
We meet but praise?
Nay! but the time to trust
Is when we stand alone,
And summer birds have flown,
And every prop is gone,
All else but God.
What is the time to trust?
Is it some future day,
When you have tried your way,
And learned to trust and pray
By bitter woe?
Nay! but the time to trust
Is in this moment’s need,
Poor, broken, bruised reed!
Poor, troubled soul, make speed
To trust thy God.
What is the time to trust?
Is it when hopes beat high,
When sunshine gilds the sky,
And joy and ecstasy
Fill all the heart?
Nay! but the time to trust
Is when our joy is fled,
When sorrow bows the head,
And all is cold and dead,
All else but God.
–Selected
Streams in the Desert: 1925 Original 366 Daily Devotional Readings
Sallie,
Thank you for taking the time to include this portion from Streams in the Desert. I am in the midst of a battle in my personal life; at this point, I am mentally exhausted from praying all day long and running back to the Scriptures repeatedly. This devotional and poem were a blessing to me tonight.
When sorrow bows the head,
And all is cold and dead,
All else but God.
All else but God.
I don’t comment on your blog very often, but I’ve been a reader for a long time–since before you were pregnant with Caroline. I keep coming back to your blog; it is peaceful and refreshing and encouraging and challenging. Thank you.
Karen E.
{{{{{{Karen E.}}}}}}
Thank you for taking the time to let me know this ministered to you. It truly blesses me when people let me know that something specifically met a need for them.
I do remember your commenting in the past and it is nice to know you are still visiting after all these years. It is hard to believe it has been four and a half years I’ve been doing this now!
I pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen you today and give you new joy and peace in the midst of your trials.
Thank you, Sallie! You’ve been a blessing to me many times; this time I just wanted to let you know.