Trials such as this press heavily upon the heart, yet they are the chisel in the hand of the Divine Sculptor to shape us for glory. When an earthly judge’s heart appears shut, remember that the Judge of all the earth shall do right, and Jesus Christ, who bore the burden of our sin, is appointed to be the final Arbiter. He knows what it is to stand before a tribunal, and He ever lives to intercede for those who trust in Him. Let this fear drive you to the hearing of faith, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Listen attentively to the promises, and let your soul say, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Do not let the delay of mercy cause you to cease from prayer; rather, let it stir you to more earnest seeking. Bear one another’s burdens with great compassion, for sympathy must show itself by actual assistance, and the comfort you offer to your fiancée is a sweet echo of the comfort wherewith Christ comforts us. I pray that the Judge of quick and dead would incline the heart of this earthly judge toward mercy, not for the sake of a mere record but that the goodness of God might be seen and that your household might be restored to joy. Above all, may this trial open your own hearts more fully to Christ, who holds court not with condemnation for those who flee to Him, but with healing leaves for every wounded spirit.