Hope Thou in God

HOPE THOU IN GOD.

Our Heavenly Father has never promised to the best man or woman that their voyage of life shall be over smooth seas without a "capful" of head-winds. He so orders it that the precious things shall be costly things, and that the noblest life shall be one of conflicts, oppositions, trials, and often of severe discipline. Observe that there is a mighty difference between being dis-

tressed and being discouraged. The king of Israel had good reason to be distressed; for a band of marauding Amalekites had attacked and burned down his town of Ziklag, and had carried off his wife Abigail as a captive. He goes right to God and asks what he shall do, and the prompt answer is to "pursue them." Whereupon he musters his gallant six hundred, pushes after the enemy and routs them, and recovers his wife and all his plundered goods. Disaster did not discourage him; it drove him to God. Such experiences in the Psalmist's life taught him to ring out the words of good cheer, "Why art thou cast down, my soul? hope thou in God! Trust in the Lord and be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart."