Then Samuel took a stone and stood up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying "This far has the Lord helped us."
-- 1 Samuel 7:12
Charles Spurgeon's older version of this verse said "Till now," instead of "This far."
He writes these thoughts:
The phrase "till now" is like a hand pointing in the direction of the past.
Twenty years or seventy, and still "till now the Lord has 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, "till now the Lord has helped us."
We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from end to end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches of leaves.
In the same way look down on the long aisles of your years at its green branches of mercy overhead and strong pillars of loving-kindness and faithfulness that support your joys. Are there no birds singing in those branches? Surely there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received "till now."
But the word also points forward. For when a man reaches a certain point and writes, "till now," he is not yet at the end; he still has a distance to go.
More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then he faces sickness, old age, disease, death.
Is it over then? No!
Then there is awakening in Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the company of saints, the glory of God, the fullness of eternity, the infinity of bliss.
Be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise your banner --
He who hath helped thee hitherto
Will help thee all thy journey through
When read in light of heaven, how glorious and marvelous a prospect will the "till now" provide for your grateful eye!
No comments:
Post a Comment