“And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”—Isa 42:16
God leads often to good ends–through ways which to us seem dark. He can make crooked things, straight for us. Perhaps we shall find at the last, that many of the best things of our life, are things over which we grieve now as blunders. We do the best we can, and yet we fail, or seem to fail; but in God’s eyes, the effort tells of love and of desire to please him, and thus wins from him warmer commendation than does many a piece of elaborate work, wrought in most intricate way.
God can use our poorest efforts ofttimes to greater purpose, than our finest and most polished endeavors, because they are less spoiled by human pride. Self-consciousness always mars human work. The things we do which satisfy us–are not likely to satisfy our Master. Many times the piece of work which we think very fine, which pleases us well, turns put to be of little use. God cannot use it because we have left no place in it for him. Then, ofttimes something which we think of no account–God uses to accomplish great results. The less of SELF there is in our service–the more is the service worth. There is room then in it for more of God, and it is the divine in what we do–that alone gives it efficiency and value.–J. R. Miller
