• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

A Quiet Simple Life

Sallie Schaaf Borrink

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Subscribe
  • Categories
    • Christian Faith
    • Comfort Food Recipes
    • Gracious Christian Parenting
      • Gifted/2e Parenting For Christians
    • Homemaking
      • Free Homemaking Printables
      • The Prudent & Prepared Homemaker
    • Homeschooling
      • Relaxed Homeschooling
      • Homeschooling a Creative Child
      • Homeschool Mom Encouragement
      • Homeschool Planning
      • Gifted/2e Homeschooling
    • The Library
    • Our Cozy Family Life
    • Simple Living
    • Unit Studies & Resources
      • Unit Studies
      • Unit Study Printables & Worksheets
      • Unit Study Books
      • Unit Study Activities
  • Tags
  • The Shop
    • Explore The Shop By Category
      • All Products For Women
      • All Products For Children
      • Clip Art & Digital Papers
      • A Quiet Simple Life Series
      • Poetry
      • Editable Homeschool Planners
      • A Full Year Shopping Pass
    • Cart
    • Digital Products Terms of Use
    • Your Account Details
      • View Your Orders
      • Go To Your Downloads
      • My Account
    • Lost Password Help
  • Donate
  • Go To: SRA
You are here: Home / Bible Readings & Christian Devotionals / Streams in the Desert / The Providence of Loss – Streams in the Desert

Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure statement.

The Providence of Loss – Streams in the Desert

November 17, 2019 by Sallie Borrink
1 Comment
1         
1
Share

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

“It came to pass . . . that the brook dried up” (1 Kings 17:7).

The education of our faith is incomplete if we have not learned that there is a providence of loss, a ministry of failing and of fading things, a gift of emptiness. The material insecurities of life make for its spiritual establishment. The dwindling stream by which Elijah sat and mused is a true picture of the life of each of us. “It came to pass . . . that the brook dried up”– that is the history of our yesterday, and a prophecy of our morrows.

In some way or other we will have to learn the difference between trusting in the gift and trusting in the Giver. The gift may be good for a while, but the Giver is the Eternal Love.

Cherith was a difficult problem to Elijah until he got to Zarephath, and then it was all as clear as daylight. God’s hard words are never His last words. The woe and the waste and the tears of life belong to the interlude and not to the finale.

Had Elijah been led straight to Zarephath he would have missed something that helped to make him a wiser prophet and a better man. He lived by faith at Cherith. And whensoever in your life and mine some spring of earthly and outward resource has dried up, it has been that we might learn that our hope and help are in God who made Heaven and earth. –F. B. Meyer

Perchance thou, too, hast camped by such sweet waters,
And quenched with joy thy weary, parched soul’s thirst;
To find, as time goes on, thy streamlet alters
From what it was at first.

Hearts that have cheered, or soothed, or blest, or strengthened;

Loves that have lavished so unstintedly;
Joys, treasured joys–have passed, as time hath lengthened,
Into obscurity.

If thus, ah soul, the brook thy heart hath cherished
Doth fail thee now–no more thy thirst assuage–
If its once glad refreshing streams have perished,
Let HIM thy heart engage.

He will not fail, nor mock, nor disappoint thee;
His consolations change not with the years;
With oil of joy He surely will anoint thee,
And wipe away thy tears.

–J. D. Smith

From Streams in the Desert


1         
1
Share
Category: Streams in the DesertTag: Trusting God

Related Helpful Content For You

Christ Our Consolation – Streams in the Desert

Living By Faith – Streams in the Desert

Delayed Blessings – Streams in the Desert

Expectant Waiting – Streams in the Desert

Previous Post:Soulless Bureaucrats Make Owning An Online Business A Nightmare
Next Post:In Our Cozy Home This Week No. 3 – Kitchen Goals, Paperwork

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen E.

    October 9, 2009 at 10:29 pm

    I experienced a very difficult and unexpected loss in March of this year. Although I still do not fully understand all of God’s purposes, I see that God has used that loss to teach me many things I did not understand before. Thank you for sharing this!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

Thank you for your comment. I read and appreciate each one even if I am unable to respond.

Sidebar

I’m Sallie, Christian wife, mother, homeschooler, and homebody. Do you desire to create a quiet simple life for your family? If so, I invite you to explore my helpful content about the faith-filled and home-centered life. Please start here. Welcome! ♥ 

Categories

Find It Here

My Other Website: Sallie’s Rebuilding America

Popular Right Now

  • Classical Conversations Negatives And Why We Didn't JoinClassical Conversations Negatives And Why We Didn’t Join
  • Home Office Ergonomics - The One Choice That Will Save or Cost You Thousands of DollarsHome Office Ergonomics – The One Choice That Will Save or Cost You Thousands of Dollars
  • Occupational Therapy For Dysgraphia Or Writing ProblemsOccupational Therapy For Dysgraphia Or Writing Problems
  • Margin, Rhythm, and Decision MakingMargin, Rhythm, and Decision Making
  • The Ultimate List of AIP Comfort Food RecipesThe Ultimate List of AIP Comfort Food Recipes
  • Understanding Eosinophilic Esophagitis and ResourcesUnderstanding Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Resources
  • The Cozy Life In America (and Why I Prefer It To the Danish Hygge)The Cozy Life In America (and Why I Prefer It To the Danish Hygge)
  • Eyewitness To History - Firsthand Accounts Of Historical EventsEyewitness To History – Firsthand Accounts Of Historical Events
  • Free Printable Prayer Journal PagesFree Printable Prayer Journal Pages
  • My Beautiful and Peaceful Christmas Music Station On PandoraMy Beautiful and Peaceful Christmas Music Station On Pandora
  • Banana Grape-Nuts BreadBanana Grape-Nuts Bread
  • Red Bliss Potato SaladRed Bliss Potato Salad
Receive new post notifications from A Quiet Simple Life

Powered by follow.it

Popular Today In The Shop

  • Rocks & Minerals Copywork – Print & CursiveRocks & Minerals Copywork – Print & Cursive
  • True or False? Activity - ApplesTrue or False? Activity – Apples
  • True or False? Activity - U.S. PresidentsTrue or False? Activity – U.S. Presidents
  • Pilgrims Sentence Scramble Printable ActivityPilgrims Sentence Scramble Printable Activity
  • Making Tally Marks Activity - ApplesMaking Tally Marks Activity – Apples
  • Cursive Handwriting Practice - 100 Sight WordsCursive Handwriting Practice – 100 Sight Words
  • Shapes and Colors Bingo Printable Game 3x3Shapes and Colors Bingo Printable Game 3×3
  • Thanksgiving Fun Facts CardsThanksgiving Fun Facts Cards
  • 21 Days of Scripture for Simple Living21 Days of Scripture for Simple Living
  • Scrambled Sentences Worksheet - GardenScrambled Sentences Worksheet – Garden

Join The Conversation

  • Birdie on Margin, Rhythm, and Decision Making
  • Peggy on Margin, Rhythm, and Decision Making
  • Alison Ward on Margin, Rhythm, and Decision Making
  • Patti Gardner on Margin, Rhythm, and Decision Making
  • Mrs. White on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Pam on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Cheryl on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Lauren on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Amanda on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Marilyn on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Sue Elvis on Happy Birthday To Me!
  • Peggy on Late Winter Days at Home

Blogging Is Better With Blinkies!

My Blogroll

  • Adventures In Keeping House
  • The Blessed Hearth
  • The Bluebirds Are Nesting On The Farm
  • By Sun and Candlelight 
  • Coffee Tea Books and Me
  • Creekside Cottage
  • Elefantz
  • Exquisitely Unremarkable
  • Generations Before Us
  • Heavenstretch
  • Homemakers Thoughts
  • Hope and Thrift 
  • A Housewife Writes
  • Jane Austen's World
  • The Legacy of Home
  • Like Mother, Like Daughter
  • Love My Life
  • Mama's Learning Corner
  • Mountain Housewife
  • The 1940s Experiment
  • North Ridge Farm
  • Rural Revolution
  • Something From Almost Nothing
  • Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth
  • Stories of an Unschooling Family
  • Sugar Pie Cottage
  • Thinking About Home
  • Thrive On One Income
  • Upon Hope
  • Vox Popoli
  • A Working Pantry 

Lifetime Visits

17,545,762

Archives

Contact Me • Privacy Policy • Disclaimers & Affiliates

Copyright © 2023 · A Quiet Simple Life · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme

Scroll Up