July 18
WILDERNESS COMMUNION
"I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak
comfortably unto her." Hosea 2:14
The goodness of God sees us allured by sin, and it resolves to try
upon us the more powerful allurements of love. Do we not remember when
the Lover of our souls first cast a spell upon us and charmed us away
from the fascinations of the world? He will do this again and again
whenever He sees us likely to be ensnared by evil.
He promises to draw us apart, for there He can best deal with us,
and this separated place is not to be a Paradise, but a wilderness,
since in such a place there will be nothing to take off our attention
from our God. In the deserts of affliction the presence of the Lord
becomes everything to us, and we prize His company beyond any value
which we set upon it when we sat under our own vine and fig-tree in
the society of our fellows. Solitude and affliction bring more to
themselves and to their heavenly Father than any other means.
When thus allured and secluded the Lord has choice things to say to
us for our comfort. He "speaks to our heart," as the original has it.
Oh, that at this we may have this promise explained in our experience!
Allured by love, separated by trial, and comforted by the Spirit of
truth, may we know the Lord and sing for joy!