Our heav enly Father never takes any earthly thing from His children, unless He means to give them something better instead. GEORGE MUELLER

An easy thing, O Power Divine, To thank Thee for these gifts of Thine! For summer ’s sunshine, winter ’s snow , For hearts that kindle, thoughts that glow; But when shall I attain to this: To thank Thee for the things I miss?

For all young fancy’ s early gleams, The dr eamed-of joys that still ar e dreams, Hope unfulfilled, and pleasur es known Through others’ fortunes, not my own, And blessings seen that ar e not given, And ne’er will be—this side of heaven.

Had I, too, shar ed the joys I see, Would ther e have been a heaven for me? Could I have felt Thy pr esence near Had I possessed what I held dear?

My deepest fortune, highest bliss, Have gr own, per chance, fr om things I miss.

Sometimes ther e comes an hour of calm; Grief turns to blessing, pain to balm; A Power that works above my will Still leads me onwar d, upwar d still; And then my heart attains to this: To thank Thee for the things I miss.

THOMAS WENTWOR TH HIGGINSON

Instead of the dry land, springs of water! Instead of heaviness, the garment of praise! Instead of the thorn, the fir tree! Instead of the brier, the myrtle tr ee! Instead of ashes, beauty! (Isaiah 41:18; 55:13; 61:3)

Oh, not for Thee my fading fires, The ashes of my heart.

May I tell you a tale of the African veld? It concerns the fire lily.

A grass fire in a hill country is one of the most wonderful sights in a wonderful land, surpassing in subtle attraction the grandeur of a veld fire on the plain with its roaring flames leaping skyward as they lick up the tall dry grass. Among the mountains where the grass is much shorter, you watch with tireless fascination the long running lines of light on the distant heights—something like the illumination of a town seen from far away. With morning the scene is changed. You lift your eyes to greet the mountains you love, and they answer you with blackened faces. A little longer and these same hills are clothed in springing green, and, from the ashes, one of the first of the flowers, rises the fire lily like a little scarlet flame.

“Beauty for ashes!” (KJV). Here are the very words of God incarnate in His works. The matchless message of Isaiah 61:3 comes with a deeper meaning as we consider the fire lily. Its story unfolds the Old Testament promise in the radiance of New Testament light, for it shows by what means God would make actual in our own experience the glorious possibility of resurrection life.

When we surrender our old nature to God that He may carry out the death sentence pronounced upon it, He accepts it in the only way He ever accepted a sacrifice, by turning it to ashes (Psalm 20:3). And where the fire has been, there springs from the ashes of the old life the fire lily of the beauty of Christ. As more ground is daily yielded, on the fire-swept hills of our inner life will be wrought the miracle of life out of death, and the bare slopes will burst with blossom. One unburnt hill will mean a jungle growth of grass and weeds; one valley spared will mean less Christfulness. This is the law of God—both natural and spiritual—no fire, no fire lily; no ashes, no beauty. This is the secret of the fire lily. This is the meaning of surrender.

P. E. SHARP

But there were only ashes when He came Saying, “My daughter, thou hast tried to serve In thine own way? but now, stretch forth thy hands That I may lead thee out of self’s dark cell And work My will through thee— When thou hast ceased to be.”

I said, “My youth is gone; my strength is gone; My life—it lies before Thee bare and sere. For very shame I cannot offer Thee These ashes that are left me, gray and drear. Yet, work Thy will in me And teach me not to be.”

Then through the ashes of that fading fire He breathed His breath; and when the ash had fled, Laid on some smoldering embers a live coal That was His life, His love, all flaming red. “Thy will be done to me, So shall I live in Thee.”

AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Before God gives a blessing He writes a sentence of death on the means leading up to it!

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken . . . but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, . . . for the Lord delighteth in thee. And as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

He hath sent me . . . to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord , my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness and in mercies.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died.—A wounded spirit who can bear?

Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?—The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek: he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.—Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Philip preached unto him Jesus.—He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power.—As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.—Trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord , that he might be glorified.—Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.

I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.—Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Fight the good fight of faith.—In nothing terrified by your adversaries.