“Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD;….“–Psalms 25:15

The Lord directs us to look to Him for all that we need — and look away from all that we fear and all that troubles us. Looking to man dishonors the Lord — and ends in disappointment. Looking to ourselves fills us with gloom, sadness, doubts, and fears. It was wise, therefore, of the Psalmist to keep his eyes fixed steadily and habitually on the Lord.

Beloved! In all your sufferings, let your eyes be ever on the Lord. Look to Him . . .
for ease in pain,
for strength in weakness,
for comfort in sorrow,
and for relief in distress.

Keep your eye fixed on Him as your Father and your God — who has pledged to you in His Word to do you good.

Looking to the Lord will relieve you, as it is written of some of old: “They looked unto Him — and were lightened.” Psalm 34:5. They expected relief and deliverance from the Lord, and they looked to Him for it. He was as good as His word, and they were filled with joy and peace.

Friends may fail you, relatives may neglect or be unkind to you, and those you love most may be unable to help you — but look to the Lord! He will never fail you or neglect you. He will prove Himself both able and willing to help you.

Let nothing divert your attention, then, from the Lord — but carry everything to Him, and exercise implicit confidence in Him.

Cast on Him every care,
commit to Him every work, and
lay before Him every difficulty.
You will prove that He is not only able — but is also willing to do for you infinitely more than we might ask or think! (Ephesians 3:20.)

Whenever Satan tempts you, or guilty fears torment you — turn your eyes to Calvary and see Jesus, your Savior — suffering, bleeding, and dying for you — and so you will enjoy peace.

Lord, help me to look to You for all my direction in life, so that I might not be led astray by my deceitful heart. Let me praise You and bring glory to Your Name every moment of my life.–James Smith

“But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.” Psalm 141:8

To enjoy peace in this troubled world we must learn to endure by patiently submitting ourselves to what God causes or allows— regardless of how painful it might be. Living in a fallen world, life will never be perfect. But as difficult as it might be we only make matters worse if we resent and resist it.

J. R. Miller wrote:”- – – if there are unavoidable ills or burdens, which we cannot by any energy of our own remove or lighten—they must be submitted to without murmuring. We have a saying that, “What cannot be cured—must be endured.” But the very phrasing tells of an unyielding heart! There is submission to the inevitable—but no reconciliation to it!
True contentment does not chafe under disappointments and losses—but accepts them, becomes reconciled to them, and at once looks about to find something good in them. This is the secret of happy living! And when we come to think of it—how senseless it is to struggle against the inevitable! Discontent helps nothing. It never removes a hardship, or makes a burden any lighter, or brings back a vanished pleasure. One never feels better, for complaining. It only makes him wretched!

A starling in a cage struggles against its fate, flies against the wire walls, and beats upon them in efforts to be free—until its wings are all bruised and bleeding! A canary is shut in another cage, accepts the restraint, perches itself upon its bar and sings. Surely, the canary is wiser than the starling!

Of this text, James Smith wrote: “Nothing ever happens to us by ‘chance’.

Our little trials,
our great troubles,
our heavy crosses,
our painful losses —
are all a part of God’s plan!

Nor did He plan afflictions for us merely haphazardly — He planned them because He saw that we needed them. He intended to make them rich blessings to us.

Every cross is a mercy,
every loss is a gain,
every trouble is a blessing,
and every trial is a seed of joy!

We shall be better in the future — for what we suffer now. If we sow in tears — we shall reap in joy. A wet spring will introduce a glorious harvest. Many of our present tears will crystallize into pearls — and will be an ornament to us in glory!

And not only so, but the same love that planned our trials — also provides strength to bear them. Our choicest comforts will flow from them. Time reveals what God planned in eternity — and eternity will reveal what God had in view in all the trials of time!

Let us, then, bear our afflictions with patience and seek grace to honor God in all that we suffer, as well as by all that we do. If we keep our eye fixed on glorifying God — He will order and arrange everything that happens to us so that it shall work for our good. Nothing shall by any means hurt us. The darkest clouds shall bring showers of blessings; and our sharpest pains shall only introduce us to the sweetest joys!

Gracious Lord, help me not only to submit to Your appointments, but to be pleased with them — so pleased that if the turning of a straw would alter them — I would not turn it! Oh, give me grace — to rejoice in my afflictions!”

Paul, a man who had suffered his share of suffering, wrote–“That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.”–1Thess. 3:3

I have passed through many sad and sore afflictions, and in those afflictions I have been left at times, without any cheering light, comforting hope, or soul elevating consolation. I have cried — but could obtain no answer. I have sought the Lord — but could not find him. I have given way to doubt and despondency — until I have sunk deep in sadness and in gloom. I have been tempted to think that my case was hopeless, and my experience contrary to that of the Lord’s family. I have fretted, complained, and repined; and have been ready to give up all for lost!

But there was one blessed “Nevertheless,” that like a star in the midst of midnight darkness, gave me a little light, and cheered me with a little hope. In Psalm 106 I read of the conduct, or rather misconduct of Israel of old, how they provoked the Lord, and brought down his sore judgments upon them. But in verses 44, 45, it is written “Nevertheless he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented!” What a blessed “Nevertheless,” is this! After so much sin, so many provocations, and such severe chastisement, “Nevertheless!” After all, notwithstanding all, in spite of all, “Nevertheless he took note of their distress when he heard their cry!” As if it touched his paternal heart, stirred up the depths of his compassion, and aroused his tenderest pity! O infinitely gracious God! Again I bless your adorable name, for your long-suffering and tender mercy — toward such poor, weak, wicked, wayward worms of the earth!–James Smith

“My times are in thy hand…..“- Psalms 31:15

We often think we could do better–if we were directing the affairs of our own lives.
We think we could get more happiness and greater good out of life–if things were in our hands.
We would at once eliminate all that is painful and unpleasant in our lot.
We would have only prosperities, with no adversities; only joys, with no sorrows.
We would exclude all pain and trouble from our life.
Our days would all be sunny, with blue skies–and no clouds or storms.
Our paths would all be soft and easy, and strewn with flowers–without thorns or any rough places.
Would we not be happier–if we could direct our own affairs, and leave out the painful, the bitter, the adverse, and the sorrowful?

So most of us would probably say at first, before we have thought of the question deeply and looked on to the end. But really the greatest misfortune that could come to us in this world–would be to have the direction of the affairs, and the shaping of the experiences of our lives, put into our own hands!

We have no wisdom to know what is best for ourselves. Today is not all of life–there is a long future, perhaps many years in this world, and then immortality hereafter. What would give us greatest pleasure today–might work us harm in days to come. Present gratification might cost us untold loss and hurt in the future.

We want pleasure, plenty, and prosperity–but perhaps we need pain, self-denial, and the giving up of things that we greatly prize.

We shrink from suffering, from sacrifice, from struggle–but perhaps these are the very experiences which will do the most good for us, which will best mature our Christian graces, which will fit us for the largest service to God and man.

We should always remember that the object of living in this present world, is not merely . . .
to have unlimited pleasure and comfort,
to get along with the least trouble,
to gather the most we can of the world’s treasures,
to win the brightest fame.
We are here to grow into the beauty of Christ, and to do the portion of God’s will that belongs to us!

There is something wonderfully inspiring in the thought, that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives, for each life. We do not come drifting into this world–and do not drift through it like waves on the ocean. We are sent from God, each one of us with a divine plan for his life–something God wants us to do, some place He wants us to fill. All through our lives, we are in the hands of God, who chooses our place and orders our circumstances, and makes all things work together for our good–and His glory.

It is the highest honor that could be conferred upon us, to occupy such a place in the thought of God. We cannot doubt that His way for us is better than ours–since He is infinitely wiser than we are, and loves us so. It may be painful and hard–but in the pain and the hardness, there is blessing.

Of course we may not know all the reasons there are in the divine mind, for the pains and sufferings that come into our lives, or what God’s design for us in these trials is. Yet without discovering any reasons at all, however, we may still trust God, who loves us with an infinite love—and whose wisdom also is infinite!

When we get to heaven, we shall know that God has made no mistake in anything He has done for us, however He may have broken into our plans–and spoiled our pleasant dreams! It should be reason for measureless gratitude, that our lives are not in our own poor foolish hands–but in the hands of our infinitely wise and loving Father!–J R Miller