Rejoicing in the Lord
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the Lord as lacking in compassion and pity. He misstates the truth in
regard to Him. He fills the imagination with false ideas concerning
God; and instead of dwelling upon the truth in regard to our heavenly
Father, we too often fix our minds upon the misrepresentations of Satan
and dishonor God by distrusting Him and murmuring against Him.
Satan ever seeks to make the religious life one of gloom. He desires it
to appear toilsome and difficult; and when the Christian presents in his
own life this view of religion, he is, through his unbelief, seconding
the falsehood of Satan.
Many, walking along the path of life, dwell upon their mistakes
and failures and disappointments, and their hearts are filled with grief
and discouragement. While I was in Europe, a sister who had been
doing this, and who was in deep distress, wrote to me, asking for
some word of encouragement. The night after I had read her letter I
dreamed that I was in a garden, and one who seemed to be the owner
of the garden was conducting me through its paths. I was gathering the
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flowers and enjoying their fragrance, when this sister, who had been
walking by my side, called my attention to some unsightly briers that
were impeding her way. There she was mourning and grieving. She
was not walking in the pathway, following the guide, but was walking
among the briers and thorns. “Oh,” she mourned, “is it not a pity that
this beautiful garden is spoiled with thorns?” Then the guide said, “Let
the thorns alone, for they will only wound you. Gather the roses, the
lilies, and the pinks.”
Have there not been some bright spots in your experience? Have
you not had some precious seasons when your heart throbbed with
joy in response to the Spirit of God? When you look back into the
chapters of your life experience do you not find some pleasant pages?
Are not God’s promises, like the fragrant flowers, growing beside your
path on every hand? Will you not let their beauty and sweetness fill
your heart with joy?
The briers and thorns will only wound and grieve you; and if
you gather only these things, and present them to others, are you
not, besides slighting the goodness of God yourself, preventing those
around you from walking in the path of life?
It is not wise to gather together all the unpleasant recollections of a
past life,—its iniquities and disappointments,—to talk over them and
mourn over them until we are overwhelmed with discouragement. A