All the whys and wherefores

(Susannah Spurgeon, "A Basket of Summer Fruit")

"The Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing
 unto you, because the Lord your God loved you."
     Deuteronomy 23:5

Here, my soul, in this most sweet assurance, you will 
find your Lord's one reason for all His dealings with 
you—whether tender or severe. 

In this earthly pilgrimage, you do meet with so many 
experiences and providences that are inexplicable and 
mysterious, that you are apt to say, "Why this trial, 
Lord?" "Why this affliction?" "Why this disappointment 
of all my hopes and plans?"

Blessed be the Name of the Lord for such a full and 
amazing answer as is this precious verse—to all the 
questions with which a doubting heart or a feeble faith 
can vex me! It must needs be that my finite mind fails 
to understand the ways of God; but if I can believe 
that He loves me—this is faith's sufficiency.

My heart, until you have learned the lesson of perfect 
trust—doubts and misgivings are sure to arise, and cloud 
your fairest prospects. The darkness looks impenetrable 
when you do try to peer into it—the rough places seem 
impassable when your weary feet stumble over the big 
stones in the pathway—the mountains of difficulty appear 
inaccessible when the mists of unbelief veil their true 
proportions. Truly, the Lord is a God who hides Himself; 
and, oftentimes, His purposes are carried out on our 
behalf under cover of the thick clouds, in which He 
enwraps Himself.

But what a bright star amidst the darkness, what a
lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path—are 
the blessed words of this Divinely-illuminated text, 
"Because the Lord your God loved you!" This verse . . .
  completely solves all doubts, 
  wipes away all tears, 
  is a remedy for every fear, and
  a refuge from every distress! 
No sweeter assurance could fill my trembling heart 
with joy, no softer resting-place could be found for 
a weary, heavy-laden sinner!

To know, of a surety, that all God's dealings with 
me are those of a loving Father towards a dear and 
well-beloved child; to be absolutely certain that 
every sorrow conceals a blessing, because He has 
appointed it; to look upon pain, and trial, and bitter 
experiences as the outcome of a love which is so 
infinite that I cannot fathom it—this is to live in 
"the secret place of the Most High," this is to 
"abide under the shadow of the Almighty!"

If we would but meet every affliction, be it small 
or great, with a brave confidence in our Father's 
mighty love to us, and an unquenchable faith in 
His power—our trials would either vanish altogether, 
or be transformed into triumphs which would bring 
honor to our King!

"My heart melts within me, Lord, when, by Your Holy 
Spirit's aid, I can get even a glimpse of that wonderful 
love which You have for me—so undeserving and so vile!
It does seem "too good to be true," sometimes, that I, 
notwithstanding all my faults and failings, and despite 
all my hardness of heart and guilty indifference, should 
be the recipient of such free, unmerited favor! Lord, 
open my understanding as well as my heart—that my 
love may sun itself in Yours, and have a blessed 
realization of what Your grace really means to my 
poor soul!"

Now, my soul, from this time forth, decide to answer 
all the whys and wherefores which perplex your 
life, by the simple response, "Because the Lord loved
me!" Can you imagine a condition more blissful—than 
that of being so sheltered and surrounded by God's 
wondrous love?

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