God's Harbor Welcomes the Storm-Driven Soul

Lord, in trouble have they visited Thee.—God a harbour of refuge. It is a blessed loss that makes us find our Elohim! What we gain is infinitely more than what we have lost. What a mercy that God is willing to hear us in the time of trouble, that all our putting-off and rejection of Him do not make Him put us off!

Consider a man who wished to hire a conveyance to reach a certain town. He asked the price at the first place, thought it too dear, and went round to other merchants, hoping for better terms. When he found none, he returned to the first—only to be turned away. The man said: "You have been round to everybody else, and now you come back to me because you cannot get what you want elsewhere. I will have nothing to do with you." That is man's way of dealing with his fellow-man; but it is not the Lord's method of dealing with us.

When you and I have gone round to everybody else, the Lord still welcomes us when we come back to Him. Harbours of refuge exist precisely for ships in distress—vessels that would not have put in except for storm and danger. Such is the mercy of Adonai Elohim in Jesus Christ. If you are forced to accept it, you are still welcome to it. If you are driven to it by stress of weather, you may come in, for the harbour was made for just such as you are.