0540. 529. Look at Things in the Right Light

529. Look at Things in the Right Light

“The winter of our discontent” is caused by the discontent of our wintry hearts. A well-known writer makes one of his characters reply to an observation associating winter with death: “Winter does not belong to death, although the outside of it looks like death. Beneath the snow the grass is growing. Below the frosts the roots are warm and alive. Winter is only a spring too weak and feeble for us to see that it is living. The cold does for all things what the gardener sometimes has to do for valuable trees. He must half-kill them before they will bear any fruit. Winter is in truth the small beginnings of spring.”

It is well we should not judge of things as they seem to be, but look at them from the Divine standpoint.

1. A Lazarus with a sore-covered body is nearer Heaven than a richly fed Dives—Luk_16:19-24.

2. A seeming self-boasting Apostle knows more of the grace of God than a crowd of captious critics—2 Corinthians 11 and 2 Corinthians 12.

3. An unpretentious Barnabas is more devoted than a self-consecrated Ananias—Act_4:36 to Act_5:3.

4. A praying Daniel is more effective in his work than the Medo-Persian law makers—Dan_6:1-24.

5. Paul, the chained prisoner, is more royal than the monarch before whom he was charged—Act_26:28-29, R.V.

6. Elijah, the humble Tishbite, has more power in affairs than the proud and wicked Ahab—1Ki_17:1.

7. The little maid of Israel was a greater blessing to Naaman than all the fellow-officers with which he was associated—2Ki_5:1-3.

By: DR. F. E. MARSH