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When the Mists Have Cleared Away

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 22, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 31.

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“When the Mists Have Cleared Away”

By C. B. STEPHENSON

C. B. STEPHENSON
The great apostle to the Gentiles, writing under the inspiration of the Spirit of the One who knows man and who reads the future, gave utterance to the joy of the time when, unfettered by the limitations of mortal vision, we shall see face to face. In the present life we cannot fully understand everything, for “now we see through a glass, darkly.”
Life has many dark chapters, and leaves one at its close without an explanation of many and often the most trying experiences. To illustrate, the mother, after a few brief months of most tender affection for her child, sees it sicken, and notwithstanding all that can be done to relieve it of the deadly malady, it is taken away by the cruel hand of death, and is laid to rest in a little grave. What mortal can give an explanation why it should not have lived? Again, the young bride, just entering upon the most happy career with the man of her life choice, suddenly faces the grave reality that her husband has contracted a deadly disease, and must soon succumb to the inevitable. In a short time he is summoned by death, and is followed to the grave by loved ones, and laid to rest. Who can explain it?Others live on and enjoy the associations of a normal life.
In order to understand such experiences, we must take a broad view, including the whole span of life, present and future. It requires both to make life complete. Life begins in this world, but is not perfected until “this mortal shall have put on immortality” beyond the grave. Without, therefore, an understanding of the present and future, at least to some extent, these strange experiences are indeed most perplexing; but when we turn our eyes to the future state, then by faith in the many promises in God’s Word we can understand.
In the construction of many machines—the automobile, for instance, or the sewing machine—the different parts are manufactured in separate departments, but when the time comes to complete the machine, the various parts are collected into one central place, where, under skilled hands, in a few hours every piece is put in its place, and the completed machine is ready for service. So it is in the final make-up of our life. Every experience which God permits us to have is needed to prepare us for a place in the kingdom of God. Our characters are perfected here through many trials, which we do not now understand, but which will be explained to us when we shall no longer see through a glass darkly, but shall see face to face, when the mists have cleared away in the perfect day.
The mother who could not understand why her darling child was taken from her in its infancy, will then receive it back at the hand of an angel. She may see that had her child lived the usual life on earth, it would have drifted into sin and been lost, and as part reward for her faithfulness to God, he, in mercy, reserved the little one for her happiness throughout eternity. Then she will understand, and will praise the Lord for his loving-kindness in thus dealing with her. So “all things work together for good to them that love God.” We may not understand now, but, if faithful, we shall understand when the waybill of life is handed to us by him who doeth all things well. We shall be satisfied then.
The young bride continues life’s way with God, and finishes her course, as did the apostle, with the assurance that a crown of life awaits her at the appearing of Christ. In the great, glorified host of the saved, the angel, who assists in gathering God’s elect from the four winds, from one end of the earth to the other, in the resurrection morning presents to her her loving companion clothed in garments of white. No trace of sickness or sin is left upon his glorified body. Perhaps if her husband had lived longer on the earth, he would have been overcome by sin, and neither of them have been saved. So in mercy he was taken for safe keeping. Though the experience was sad, it was God’s means of saving them.
The Lord has in view at all times our best interest, and will work all things together for good to those that love him. We can safely trust all to him, and patiently wait his own good time to make the dark things plain. We should trust him by faith, in our sorrows as well as in our joys. “We shall know each other better when the mists have cleared away.”