Judge Not According to the Appearance
By Elsie A. Brown
Mr. J. R. Miller, in his “Building of Character,” says: “Even the things that seem to be failures and defeats in our lives, through the love and grace of Christ—if only we are faithful—will prove in the end to be successes and victories.” Praise the Lord! Let the poor souls who, with human vision, see little else than failure in their experiences, take courage. “The Desire of Ages” tells us that “Christ was constantly confronted with apparent failure. He, the messenger of mercy to our world, seemed to do little of the work he longed to do in uplifting and saving. Satanic influences were constantly working to oppose his way, but he would not be discouraged.” What a mercy to us that he was not! When we “consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners,” we can but see that there was much less to encourage in his experience than in ours. What compensation did he seem to receive for having given up the glorious kingship of heaven, whose mighty, shining11throng adored his name and did his bidding? Even those who by natural ties would have been expected to esteem him and do him honor, misunderstood, despised, and “received him not.” And those whom his most earnest efforts seemed to gain, were but a tiny handful of what men would term, the refuse of the earth,—poor, unlearned men of no reputation whatever. Truly, “his mission seemed to call forth little response.” And we read further, that, at the last, even the Father, with whom the plan for the salvation of men had been laid, viewing him, burdened with the sins of the guilty world, seemed to turn away his face in disfavor. O where could he look for consolation? Surely, every refuge seemed to fail him! What wonder that the poor heart broke! We learn from “Testimonies,” Vol. II, page 209, that “he could not see through the portals of the tomb. Bright hope did not present to him his coming forth from the tomb a conqueror, and his Father’s acceptance of his sacrifice.” In view of these things, shall we who now for a little time must seek, amid the last-day perils of this wicked world, to gather out a remnant of such as shall be saved, loose heart and courage,—we who by faith can look beyond present weariness and disappointment, to the life which, freed from the power of sin, shall know the joy of being satisfied, and shall measure with the life of God? “Winter made ready for the spring
By months of struggle and suffering;
And the victory won from the mortal strife
Strengthens the fiber and pulse of life.
How if the earth in its chill despair
Felt that the fight was too hard to bear?
Where were the bloom and the vintage then?
Where were the harvest for hungering men?” O may the dear Lord in his mercy sustain us in our weakness until the battle shall have been fought and the victory won!