| The Ministry of Comfort |
Chapter 9 |
Page 2 |
But the comfort which means most to the heart that is bruised or broken is that which comes in the personal revealing of God and in the experiences of communion with Him. One of the common failures of Christian faith is in being satisfied with God’s gifts and not then going on to find God Himself. God is better than His best gifts. Always it is true that “the gift without the giver is bare.” Especially is this true of God and His gifts.
“O Lord, while show’ring on my path
Thy benedictions full and free,
Whate’er Thou givest, fail not Thou
To give of Thine own self to me.
For dear as all Thy blessings are,
Thyself is more than all besides.
This ‘Gift of gifts’ alone I crave,
Bestow it, Lord, whate’er betides.
Come then what may,
By night or day,
Through sunshine or through storm,
Safe in Thy care,
What need I fear?
Naught, naught can do me harm.”
We have illustrations of this in human friendships. One comes into our life that does many things for us. His words encourage, cheer, and strengthen us. His kindness adds to our pleasure. His helpfulness in many ways makes our burdens lighter. But we have never yet entered into close relations with Him. There has been no occasion in our life, no time of need, to draw Him near to us in those revealings in which the heart gives its best. We know Him only through what He has done for us in a general way. But at length there comes an experience of common kindness and helpfulness, the man gives us part of himself. We often hear it said of some friend: “I knew him for years, and he did a great deal for me; but I never learned what nobleness there was in his nature, what treasure of good there was in his friendship, until the time of my great need a few months since, when he came into my life with all his marvelous power of personal helpfulness.” No longer was it merely the things the man did that gave help, – it was now the man himself who poured out the wealth of his own life, and this was better than the best of all his gifts, and of his services.
Page 2