THE WAY OF THE LORD

THE WAY OF THE LORD

The Lord’s dealings are very wonderful. If we liked to learn the ways and wisdom of God, it need not be a sorrowful path to us. It must be a trying one because our nature is opposed to God’s way. “Take my yoke ^[p. 476] upon you, and learn of me; ... for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11: 29, 30). But you cannot think so or find it so until you put it on, and it is here that all the restiveness of our will is brought out. An untamed ox cannot bear the yoke to be put upon him; yet when it is on he finds it is not the terrible thing he thought it was, nor is the burden the grievous thing his ignorant insubjection led him to suppose it was.

If you surrender your place of authority you must suffer for relinquishing a position which God put you in. Adam yielded to his wife, and though he was not in the transgression, yet everything in the creation declares (briars and thorns were to arise, declaring) that he had forfeited his place of lordship, and only as he exacted and regained supremacy would the earth be tolerable to him. God’s rules for every relative position are not only the holiest, but they are also the only ways which ensure happiness and order in the long run. We prepare many a sorrow for ourselves by our remissness in maintaining the power as well as the name of our position. No one could enjoy natural interests more than I do, but I feel I am called to another course, and the word, “Follow thou me”, forbids me to drink much of the fruit of the vine. I feel I am daily cut off more from natural joys, but I am happy in doing the Lord’s will, and I rejoice in the prosperity of those naturally dear to me. I find the nearer one keeps to the Lord, and the more out of the world one can be, the happier one is! Peace be with you always and by all means!