What grace it requires when we are misunderstood yet handle it correctly , or when we are judged unkindl y yet receive it in holy sweetness! Nothing tests our character as a Christian more than having something evil said about us. This kind of grinding test is what exposes whether we are solid gold or simply gold-plated meta l.

If we could only see the blessings that lie hidden in our trials, we would say like David, when Shimei cursed him, “Let him curse, for the LORD will return good to me instead of his cursing this day” (2 Samuel 16:1 1–12 NASB).

Some Christians are easily turned away from the greatness of their life’s calling by pursuing instead their own grievances and enemies. They ultimately turn their lives into one petty whirlwind of warfare . It reminds me of trying to deal with a hornet’ s nest. You may be able to disperse the hornets, but you will probably be terribly stung and receive nothing for your pain, for even their honey has no value.

May God grant us more of the Spirit of Christ, who, “when they hurled their insults at him, . . . did not retaliate. . . . Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3). A. B. S IMPSON

For you He walked along the path of woe, He was sharply struck with His head bent low . He knew the deepest sorr ow, pain, and grief, He knew long endurance with no r elief, He took all the bitter fr om death’ s deep cup, He kept no blood dr ops but gave them all up. Yes, for you, and for me, He won the fight To take us to glory and r ealms of light. L. S. P .

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him.

I came alone to my Calvary,

And the load I bore was too great for me;

The stones were sharp and pierced my feet,

And my temples throbbed with the withering heat.

But my heart was faint with the toil that day,

So I sat down to think of an easy way;

Loomed sharply before me that tortuous trail—

No use to try—I would only fail.

I turned back in sorrow, clothed with defeat,

For my load was too heavy; I would retreat

To easier highways, with scenery more fair—

Yet a moment I lingered watching there.

As I held my gaze on that flinty side,

A man came up to be crucified;

He toiled all the way of that painful road,

And the cross that he bore far surpassed my load:

His brow with thorns was pierced and torn;

His face had a look of pain and was worn;

He stopped for a moment and looked on me—

And I followed in rapture to Calvary!

“MY CALVARY” BY MATTHEW BILLER

Haunt the place called Calvary.

Often it is simply the answers to our prayers that cause many of the difficulties in the Christian life. We pray for patience, and our Father sends demanding people our way who test us to the limit, “because . . . suffering produces perseverance” (Romans 5:3).

We pray for a submissive spirit, and God sends suffering again, for we learn to be obedient in the same way Christ “learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

We pray to be unselfish, and God gives us opportunities to sacrifice by placing other people’s needs first and by laying down our lives for other believers. We pray for strength and humility, and “a messenger of Satan” (2 Corinthians 12:7) comes to torment us until we lie on the ground pleading for it to be withdrawn.

We pray to the Lord, as His apostles did, saying, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). Then our money seems to take wings and fly away; our children become critically ill; an employee becomes careless, slow, and wasteful; or some other new trial comes upon us, requiring more faith than we have ever before experienced.

We pray for a Christlike life that exhibits the humility of a lamb. Then we are asked to perform some lowly task, or we are unjustly accused and given no opportunity to explain, for “he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and . . . did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

We pray for gentleness and quickly face a storm of temptation to be harsh and irritable. We pray for quietness, and suddenly every nerve is stressed to its limit with tremendous tension so that we may learn that when He sends His peace, no one can disturb it.

We pray for love for others, and God sends unique suffering by sending people our way who are difficult to love and who say things that get on our nerves and tear at our hearts. He does this because “love is patient, love is kind. . . . It does not dishonor others . . . it is not easily angered. . . . It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4–5, 7–8).

Yes, we pray to be like Jesus, and God’s answer is: “I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10); “Will your courage endure or your hands be strong?” (Ezekiel 22:14); “Can you drink the cup?” (Matthew 20:22).

The way to peace and victory is to accept every circumstance and every trial as being straight from the hand of our loving Father; to live “with him in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 2:6), above the clouds, in the very presence of His throne; and to look down from glory on our circumstances as being lovingly and divinely appointed.

I prayed for strength, and then I lost awhile All sense of nearness, human and divine; The love I leaned on failed and pierced my heart, The hands I clung to loosed themselves from mine; But while I swayed, weak, trembling, and alone, The everlasting arms upheld my own.

I prayed for light; the sun went down in clouds, The moon was darkened by a misty doubt, The stars of heaven were dimmed by earthly fears, And all my little candle flames burned out; But while I sat in shadow, wrapped in night, The face of Christ made all the darkness bright.

I prayed for peace, and dreamed of restful ease, A slumber free from pain, a hushed repose; Above my head the skies were black with storm, And fiercer grew the onslaught of my foes; But while the battle raged, and wild winds blew, I heard His voice and perfect peace I knew.

I thank You, Lord, You were too wise to heed My feeble prayers, and answer as I sought, Since these rich gifts Your bounty has bestowed Have brought me more than all I asked or thought; Giver of good, so answer each request With Your own giving, better than my best. ANNIE JOHNSON FLINT

Christ was chosen out of the people, that He might know our wants and sympathize with us. I believe some of the rich have no notion whatever of what the distress of the poor is. They have no idea of what it is to labor for their daily bread. They have a very faint conception of what a rise in the price of bread means; they do not know anything about it. And when we put men in power who never were of the people, they do not understand the art of governing us. But our great and glorious Jesus Christ is one chosen out of the people, and therefore He knows our wants.

Jesus suffered temptation and pain before us; our sicknesses He bore; weariness —He has endured it, for weary He sat by the well; poverty —He knows it, for sometimes He had no bread to eat save that bread of which the world knows nothing; to be houseless —He knew that, too, for the foxes had holes and the birds of the air had nests, but He had nowhere to lay His head.

My fellow-Christian, there is no place where thou canst go, where Christ has not been before thee—sinful places alone excepted. He hath been before thee; He hath smoothed the way; He hath entered the grave, that He might make the tomb the royal bedchamber of the ransomed race, the closet where they lay aside the garments of labor to put on the vestments of eternal rest.

In all places whithersoever we go, the Angel of the covenant has been our forerunner. Each burden we have to carry has once been laid on the shoulders of Immanuel.

His way was much rougher and darker than mine; Did Christ my Lord suffer and shall I repine?

Dear fellow-traveler, take courage! Christ has consecrated the road.

CHARLES H. SPURGEON

And is Thy spotless life on earth to end Ere Thy young manhood has but scarce begun? Will not Thy Father heaven’s guardians send? Thou art His Son.

Is there no other way to save mankind Without Thine agony and utter loss? Is there no road which Heavenly Love may find Beside the Cross?

There is no path His weary feet may know But that which leads Him to the shameful tree; That Great Forgiving Love will even go To Calvary.

“NO OTHER ROAD” BY E. LILLIAN LOWTHER

It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God.—He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: . . . manifest in these last times for you who by him do believe in God . . . that your faith and hope might be in God.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter.—I lay down my life for the sheep. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.

The life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar, to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.—Without shedding of blood is no remission.

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

The meek . . . shall increase their joy in the Lord , and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, . . . is in the sight of God of great price.

Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.

Follow after meekness.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he openeth not his mouth.

Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled reviled not again, . . . but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.