“Shall Not God Avenge His Own?”
107
undertook the case of every soul. “He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely
give us all things?”
Romans 8:32
. Will He not fulfill the gracious word
given for our encouragement and strength?
Christ desires nothing so much as to redeem His heritage from
the dominion of Satan. But before we are delivered from Satan’s
power without, we must be delivered from his power within. The Lord
[175]
permits trials in order that we may be cleansed from earthliness, from
selfishness, from harsh, unchristlike traits of character. He suffers the
deep waters of affliction to go over our souls in order that we may know
Him and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, in order that we may have
deep heart longings to be cleansed from defilement, and may come
forth from the trial purer, holier, happier. Often we enter the furnace of
trial with our souls darkened with selfishness; but if patient under the
crucial test, we shall come forth reflecting the divine character. When
His purpose in the affliction is accomplished, “He shall bring forth thy
righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.”
Psalm
37:6
.
There is no danger that the Lord will neglect the prayers of His
people. The danger is that in temptation and trial they will become
discouraged, and fail to persevere in prayer.
The Saviour manifested divine compassion toward the Syropheni-
cian woman. His heart was touched as He saw her grief. He longed
to give her an immediate assurance that her prayer was heard; but He
desired to teach His disciples a lesson, and for a time He seemed to
neglect the cry of her tortured heart. When her faith had been made
manifest, He spoke to her words of commendation and sent her away
with the precious boon she had asked. The disciples never forgot this
lesson, and it is placed on record to show the result of persevering
prayer.
It was Christ Himself who put into that mother’s heart the per-
sistence which would not be repulsed. It was Christ who gave the
pleading widow courage and determination before the judge. It was
Christ who, centuries before, in the mysterious conflict by the Jabbok,
had inspired Jacob with the same persevering faith. And the confidence
which He Himself had implanted, He did not fail to reward.
[176]