It never ceases to amaze me how precious truths can become dearer still when interpreted through the poet’s pen. Here is a wonderful bit of verse from John Greenleaf Whittier as he masterfully speaks of God’s comfort in our sorrows and losses.

To weary hearts, to mourning homes,God’s meekest Angel gently comes;No power has he to banish pain,Or give us back our lost again;And yet in tenderest love, our dearAnd Heavenly Father sends him here.
There’s quiet in that Angel’s glance,There’s rest in his still countenance!He mocks no grief with idle cheer,Nor wounds with words the mourner’s ear;But ills and woes he may not cureHe kindly trains us to endure.
Angel of Patience! sent to calmOur feverish brows with cooling palm;To lay the storms of hope and fear,And reconcile life’s smile and tear;The throbs of wounded pride to still,And make our own our Father’s will.
O thou who mournest on thy way,With longings for the close of day;He walks with thee, that Angel kind,And gently whispers, “Be resignedBear up, bear on, the end shall tellThe dear Lord ordereth all things well!”

For many years there was a little potted plant on our kitchen window sill, though I’ve long since forgotten the variety. Year after year that plant would put out a shoot and from the shoot would emerge a single flower. And I observed that no matter how I turned the pot, the flower would respond. If I turned the pot so the flower was facing the room, within a day or two it would have turned to face the light. And if I rotated it again, the flower would respond in the same way, turning itself toward the light streaming in from the window. I could not fool it. I could not discourage it or persuade it to give up.
You cannot read about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ without noticing his love for the natural world. Many of his most vivid illustrations are drawn from nature—the birds, the plants, the trees, the winds. You often observe him making use of the natural elements that were right before him to help his listeners understand his teaching—the fig tree that failed to bear fruit, the fields that were white for harvest, the birds that were unconcerned about their next meal.
And in that vein, I learned a lesson from that little flower—the lesson of the potted plant. No matter how I turned the plant, it dutifully responded by realigning itself to face the light. No matter how many times I turned it and no matter how completely I turned it, it responded in the same way.
From the plant, I learned that life’s circumstances often turn us into times of darkness, times when we are overcome by pain, sorrow, or other trials. For a time the world around us may look dark and foreboding, like the Valley of the Shadow of Death is closing in around us and threatening to swallow us up. Yet our duty in such times is to look for the light and to turn toward it.
God never leaves us without some truth to believe in, some promise to cling to, some hope to long for, some light to turn toward.Share
And there always will be a source of light, for our God never deserts or abandons us. He never leaves us without some truth to believe in, some promise to cling to, some hope to long for, some light to turn toward. For God does not just have light or display light—he is light.
I’m certain that if I had taken my little potted plant to a dimly lit room in a hospital, it would still have turned toward whatever light came from the window, no matter how dim the source. I’m certain that if I took it to a prison cell with nothing but a single little window high above, it would lift its face toward that one shaft of light. It could not be stopped. It could not be discouraged. It could not be dissuaded.
And neither should we ever be dissuaded from turning toward the Lord in every circumstance. Our eyes may be weary and full of tears, the light may seem distant and dim, but the Lord is present, close to the broken-hearted and eager to save those who are crushed in spirit. It falls to us to simply turn and to look toward the light that streams from his presence and illumines us with his grace.

I was so sorry to hear of the sudden death of Rev. Harry Reeder on Thursday. (See also this news story) Also in the realm of sad news, Tim Keller’s family just shared the news that he has been discharged from the hospital to receive hospice care at home. I’m sure we will all be in prayer for both families and churches.

Today you’ll find a good discount at Westminster Books on a resource meant as a systematic theology for beginners.
I’m So Glad It’s You
This is such an encouraging article for those who are suffering.
Don’t Give Up Too Quickly
Erik Raymond reminds us that we cannot give up too quickly when we pray.
Get Acquainted with a Forgotten Treasure
Although William Burkitt is not well-known in our day, he was known and acclaimed in days past as an especially brilliant expositor and commentator. His Expository Notes, with Practical Observations, on the New Testament is being reprinted and Derek Thomas says, “Generations to come will now profit from his exceptionally good comments.” (Sponsored)
Did Hannah Manipulate God?
“‘God, if You get me out of this alive, I swear I’ll turn my life around. No more drinking. No more women. I’ll fly straight from now on, I promise.’ Meanwhile, bombs and grenades explode all around this terrified soldier, terrified for his life. You’re probably familiar with this movie trope in which the desperate protagonist tries to cut a deal with God in return for sparing his life. But it doesn’t happen just on the big screen…”
Is the NIV Missing Verses? (Video)
I enjoy Mark Ward’s growing collection of videos that take on common issues related to KJV-onlyism (which is not to be confused with a simple honor, respect, or preference for the KJV).
Abortion to Prevent Premature Death
Should it be morally permissible to abort your child if that child will die shortly after birth? That’s the question at the heart of this article.
Flashback: In the Name of Jesus
…when we obey him by uttering the precious phrase “In Jesus’ name,” far be it from us to do so lightly, to do so tritely, to do so without due honor, due worship, due reverence.

Often our friends…can sympathize with us when we are in trouble, but they have no power to deliver us from it. But Christ is almighty. He is never in the position of wishing He could help but not having the power to do so. —J.C. Ryle