“Stand Ye in the Way and See”
By W. H. B. Miller
It is the privilege of a few of God’s human creatures, those whose hearts have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, to see among the every-day things of life evidences of an eternity of wisdom, which, like the dominion of God itself, is boundless and infinite. But multitudes existing in unbelief see not God, but Chance; not divine wisdom, but evolution; not manifestations of love and care, but strange and inexplicable coincidences. It is God’s desire, especially at this time, to enlighten this darkness, to give sight to the blind, to give visions of wonderful creative power, and of most loving thought for the ever-changing needs and desires of His children. In some of our so-called “common” things, creations of God which are, perhaps, unattractive to natural eyes, and rarely noticed because of our familiarity with them, are hidden beautiful and rare revelations of the infinity of God’s thoughts and works. Indeed, so plentiful are these evidences, that, as we search, we soon become convinced that nothing created by God is commonplace, no matter how familiar its appearance may be to us. Christ, by His divine lessons, clothed the flower of the field and the modest sparrow with great majesty. In those great creative edicts, “Let there be,” which marked the beginning of our beautiful world, are completely comprehended the temporal and spiritual needs and desires of earth’s thousands of ages. Take a simple illustration. For thousands of years our sun has scattered its life-giving beams over the earth in obedience to the great word, “Let there be light;” and planets have rolled unerringly and unceasingly in their God-given course. The earth brought forth forest and stream, flower and seed. As ages rolled on, these were succeeded by other scenes. The great trees sunk to the earth, and were covered by the accumulation and growth of ages. New life appeared, which in time was also laid low, and other woodlands and rivers were born. But in God’s great economy there is no waste material or effort. So the sunshine of five thousand years ago, which developed the monster trees and thick undergrowths of the primeval forests, was not to be wasted. The dew which descended and watered the earth, and the fresh, pure air which was breathed in by the green leaves were filling to the full a divine storehouse for the glory of God and the use of man, in generations yet unborn, and unthought of save by the great Provider. And thus, as we now look upon our genial fires and our well-lit houses, we see the evidence of providences which have been performed in the darkness of the earth in response to the divine order “Let there be light.” Then in another and deeper sense, throughout the ages, darkness has covered the earth and gross darkness the people. That great word called into existence the marvelous plan of salvation, which penetrates the spiritual gloom and lights the earth with glory. How wonderful this miracle! Imagine if you can the deepest, darkest depths of degradation and sin; the corrupting, licentious, hideous strongholds of Satan, where nature groans for deliverance, and its harsh taskmaster taunts his victims and tears their lives with cruel hands. Into these depths God’s message is sent. “Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die!” Believe and live. “Let there be light!” And lo, the darkness scatters, hard hearts are broken, evil angels are driven back, hearts and hands are lifted to the Life-giver in contrition, God hears, forgives, and receives the penitent sinner, and there is light. Here we see a Christian in the darkness of sorrow. Grief, perhaps, for some loved one passed away; sorrow for some failure; tired out, worn out, and weary of life with its hardships and griefs. God’s eternal word enters the stricken heart. “Let there be light.” “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” In response to that voice how many a weary one can say: “I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad,
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad, and my darkness passed away, and there was light.” God has decreed that, in these last days, His light shall shine with great power, and that the glory of the Lord shall be revealed in all its splendor. But powers of darkness are arrayed against the divine work. The devil is determined to hide the glory of God. He knows that his time is short. His agents are active everywhere. They are making tremendous efforts to tear down the strongholds of God and misrepresent Him to mankind. He knows that if men can but see God, the battle is lost; for to see is to love and obey, and that is life eternal. God in His great wisdom has made preparation for this final crisis. He foresaw the great conflict between good and evil. On Creation’s7morn when He said, “Let there be light,” He looked forward into the unbelief and spiritual darkness of to-day. That great word has opened up the buried treasures of Egypt and Assyria to the astonished gaze of doubting millions. Out of the darkness of ancient tombs and pyramids He has revealed Himself. He has given wisdom to decipher the dead hieroglyphics of thousands of years ago which prove the truth of His great word. The dark strongholds of Satan, doubt, skepticism, and infidelity, are thus powerfully shaken, and there is light. And now the great modern printing-presses stand ready to prepare, in every language, messages of light and life, to be scattered over the earth as the leaves of autumn. And how wonderfully God has prepared the way! By power generated from our coal deposits have our machines been made, and by the same power they are operated, and when the living words are thus prepared, by this same wisdom of God they are carried by train and steamship to earth’s remotest corners. Accompanied by God’s Spirit and the prayers of His people, they shine on heathen blindness and despair, dissipate by their brilliance the gloomy superstitions of ages, luminate the hoary old temples of paganism, open wide their dark dungeons to the sunlight of God, and there is light. Thus, for instance, a lump of coal, common tho it may be, becomes an evidence not only of God’s love and care for His children and the power of His great word, but of an infinitude of thought and wisdom far beyond all mortal comprehension. God grant that we, by the operation of that same great word, may be channels through which light can shine, messengers of peace, heralds of glory, revealers of the infinite wisdom of the One who has called us out of darkness to “stand in the ways and see” His marvelous light.