April 22

He chooses wisely

“He shall choose our inheritance for us” (Psa. 47:4).
“It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good” (1 Sam. 3:18).

In the morning of life I chose for myself—I chose the beautiful and good things set before me, and now in the evening, when the shadows are closing round, He chooses for me. If I have worn a crown of roses, shall I not gladly change it for one of thorns, if it brings me nearer? When my earthly paradise faded, and its best human companionship was withdrawn, and I was left alone, then my Lord remembered my first request—for companionship with Him. And how could He choose better than He had chosen—to share His solitude, to know the sweet and awful companionship of suffering, of darkness, of the vision of the whole world’s sin, for which He was wounded to death, and of the slow hours counted in silent pain? I thank thee, O God!
—Josephine Butler.

Sometime, when all life’s lessons have been learned,
And sun and stars forevermore have set,
The things which our weak judgment here has spurned—
The things o’er which we grieved with lashes wet—
Will flash before us out of life’s dark night,
As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue;
And we shall see how all God’s plans were right,
And how what seemed unkind was love most true.

And we shall see, that while we weep and sigh,
God’s plans go on as best for you and me;
How, when we called, He heeded not our cry,
Because His wisdom to the end could see;
And e’en as prudent parents disallow
Too much of sweet to craving babyhood,
So God, perhaps, is keeping from us now
Life’s sweetest things, because it seemeth good. . .

If not today, be thou content, poor heart!
God’s plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold;
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart;
Time will reveal the calyxes of gold.
And if, through patient toil, we reach the land
Where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest,
When we shall clearly know and understand,
I think that we shall say that God knew best.
—Mrs. M. R. Smith.

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