BEAUTIFUL INCIDENT by Dr. F. W. Krumacher

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 14, 1869

BEAUTIFUL INCIDENT.

By Dr. F. W. Krumacher

Let the world imagine to itself a magnificent Deity, whose government is only general. We adhere to the Lord God of Elijah, and rejoice in his providential superintendence of the smallest affairs.

And this God is still living, a living Saviour, who is always to be found of them that seek him, and is nigh unto them that call upon him. Mighty hosts are encamped about his servants, and when he saith, “Come,” they come, or, “Go,” they go. And there has been no end to his wonderful providences, even to the present day. Who else was it but the Lord God of Elijah, who but a short time since, in our very midst, so kindly delivered a poor man out of his distress—not, indeed, by a raven, but by a poor little fugitive singing bird? You are well acquainted with the circumstances. The poor man was sitting at his front door, early in the morning; his eyes red with weeping, and his heart crying to Heaven, for he was expecting an officer, that very day, to come and sell his property for a small debt, which he could not pay. Whilst sitting thus, with a heavy heart, a little bird flew through the street, fluttering up and down, as if in distress, until, at length quick as an arrow, it flew over the good man’s head into his cottage, and perched itself upon an empty cupboard. The good man, little imagining who had sent him the bird, closed the door, caught the bird, and put it in a cage, where it immediately began to sing very sweetly, and it seemed to him as if it were singing a favorite hymn; viz., “Fear thou not when darkness reigns,” and as he listened to it, he found himself much soothed and comforted by his melody.

Suddenly, a knock is heard at the door. “Ah! it is the officer,” thought the poor man, and arose to open the door with fear and trembling. But no, it was the servant of a respectable lady. He said that the neighbors had seen a bird fly into his house, and he wished to know if he had caught it. “Ah, yes,” answered the poor man, “and there it is.”

After a few minutes, the servant returned to the poor man and said: “You have done my mistress a great service, for she sets a high value upon this bird. She is much obliged to you, and requests you to accept this trifle with her thanks. The poor man received it thankfully, and it proved to be neither more nor less than the very sum for which he was sued.

Soon after the officer came, and the poor man handed him the money, saying, “Here is your money, God has sent it; now leave me in peace.”—Dr. F. W. Krumacher.