Evening, January 22
Go To Morning Reading
“Doth Job fear God for nought?”
Job 1:9
This was the wicked question of Satan concerning that upright man
of old, but there are many in the present day concerning whom it might
be asked with justice, for they love God after a fashion because he
prospers them; but if things went ill with them, they would give up
all their boasted faith in God. If they can clearly see that since
the time of their supposed conversion the world has gone prosperously
with them, then they will love God in their poor carnal way; but if
they endure adversity, they rebel against the Lord. Their love is
the love of the table, not of the host; a love to the cupboard, not
to the master of the house. As for the true Christian, he expects
to have his reward in the next life, and to endure hardness in this.
The promise of the old covenant was prosperity, but the promise of
the new covenant is adversity. Remember Christ’s words—“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit”—What? “ He purgeth it, that it may bring forth fruit .” If you bring forth fruit, you will have to endure affliction. “Alas!” you say, “that is a terrible prospect.” But this affliction works out such precious results, that the Christian
who is the subject of it must learn to rejoice in tribulations, because
as his tribulations abound, so his consolations abound by Christ Jesus.
Rest assured, if you are a child of God, you will be no stranger to
the rod. Sooner or later every bar of gold must pass through the fire.
Fear not, but rather rejoice that such fruitful times are in store
for you, for in them you will be weaned from earth and made meet for
heaven; you will be delivered from clinging to the present, and made
to long for those eternal things which are so soon to be revealed
to you. When you feel that as regards the present you do serve God
for nought, you will then rejoice in the infinite reward of the future.