Miniature Providences

What man, upon seeing the suffering of another, would not wish to ease them, to lift their burden and help them through the trial through which they are passing? But do we always know what would be the right thing to do and say? Does our help at times seem to only make things worse? Does not the Word of God state that this unique work is exclusive to the Lord? (Hebrews 2:17-18) Even Peter, when he rebuked the Lord for saying he was going to be killed, was rebuked by Jesus. Why? Please read the following story and maybe you will understand a little better.

 

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Romans 8:18

I kept for nearly a year the flask-shaped cocoon of an emperor moth. It is very peculiar in its construction. A narrow opening is left in the neck of the flask, through which the perfect insect forces its way, so that a forsaken cocoon is as entire as one still tenanted, no rupture of the interlacing fibers having taken place. The great disproportion between the means of egress and the size of the imprisoned insect makes one wonder how the exit is ever accomplished at all–and it never is without great labor and difficulty. It is supposed that the pressure to which the moth’s body is subjected in passing through such a narrow opening is a provision of nature for forcing the juices into the vessels of the wings, these being less developed at the period of emerging from the chrysalis than they are in other insects.

I happened to witness the first efforts of my prisoned moth to escape from its long confinement. During a whole forenoon, from time to time, I watched it patiently striving and struggling to get out. It never seemed able to get beyond a certain point, and at last my patience was exhausted. Very probably the confining fibers were drier and less elastic than if the cocoon had been left all winter on its native heather, as nature meant it to be. At all events I thought I was wiser and more compassionate than its Maker, and I resolved to give it a helping hand. With the point of my scissors I snipped the confining threads to make the exit just a very little easier, and lo! immediately, and with perfect ease, out crawled my moth dragging a huge swollen body and little shriveled wings. In vain I watched to see that marvelous process of expansion in which these silently and swiftly develop before one’s eyes; and as I traced the exquisite spots and markings of diverse colors which were all there in miniature, I longed to see these assume their due proportions and the creature to appear in all its perfect beauty, as it is, in truth, one of the loveliest of its kind. But I looked in vain. My false tenderness had proved its ruin. It never was anything but a stunted abortion, crawling painfully through that brief life which it should have spent flying through the air on rainbow wings. I have thought of it often, often, when watching with pitiful eyes those who were struggling with sorrow, suffering, and distress; and I would fain cut short the discipline and give deliverance. Short-sighted man! How know I that one of these pangs or groans could be spared? The farsighted, perfect love that seeks the perfection of its object does not weakly shrink from present, transient suffering. Our Father’s love is too true to be weak. Because He loves His children, He chastises (trains through trials) them that they may be partakers of His holiness. With this glorious end in view, He spares not their crying. Made perfect through sufferings, as the Elder Brother was, the sons of God are trained up to obedience and brought to glory through much tribulation. (From "Streams In The Desert")

No one wants to suffer anymore. You who are reading may agree, "Who would?" But there are sufferings that a person must go through to soften the heart to the things that God has prepared for them. When we deny the Holy Spirit the chance to do in our hearts what is necessary for us to come to know Christ, we hinder His work and doom our own soul. To avoid suffering and get the encouragement that we seem to need, instead of looking to the one Comforter Who knows and understands our suffering, we look to others. We seek those who would sympathize with us in our pain and sorrow, those who will tell us how brave we are and how spiritual. This kind of help only leaves us with a spiritual haughtiness that only makes it harder for the Lord to reach us again. So instead of helping someone who is going through this plowing of the heart, we lift the plow and the field of their heart is left fallow and hard. So what should we say or do for someone who is going through a hard time? The less you say is best, but to point them to the source of their help would be better than patting them on the back for the good job they are doing in enduring this terrible trial.

I have seen this happen. The encouragement given during a terrible trial only made the one going through it more obstinately sure of their own goodness, while the truth is their worldliness and self-righteousness is more deeply embedded than before. God’s blessed plow that was sent to break up the hard surface of their heart was only allowed to scratch the surface. Now the heart is scarred, but harder still. The ones who sought to help only caused the one in the trial to look to them instead of finding their true help in the Comforter of Souls.

Beware what encouragement you give to those who are going through a "hard time". Point them to the One Who is their ONLY help. Building them up in themselves will only cause spiritual hardness. Do not try to lift their load lest you be accused before God of being their miniature providence.

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Straight Paths Bible Church