The Grace of God secretly melts down the ice, breaks to pieces the rock and dissolves the adamant. The man's obstinacy is broken, his rebellious spirit is melted and yet the man remains entire and cries with all his heart, "I will," though a little before he had been stubborn and resolute! The "shall" of Grace is mightier than the "I will" of pride! I pray that the Lord would pour upon that heart the Spirit of grace and of supplications, and that she would look upon Him whom we have pierced, and mourn for Him, and in that tender hour, the heart of stone becomes a heart of flesh. Holy tenderness arises out of a Divine operation; call upon the Lord to do that which no man can do for himself.
As for your own keeping through this season, God is your shelter. He was eminently the shelter of His people when they were under bondage and the yoke was heavy. There often comes to men a time when they begin to feel the oppression, and His elect people, moved by a higher power, are led to cry unto their God. It is one of the first signs of a chosen soul that it seems to know, as if by heavenly instinct, where its true refuge is. God is your abode, your support, and underneath are the everlasting arms. The Government of God is not to be feared but trusted; He can accomplish His own purposes in all respects without violating the nature of any creature. Fling yourself upon the Divine strength and lay hold upon it, and rejoice that if God has said, "I will strengthen them in the Lord," then assuredly you will be strengthened.
A high character might be produced, I suppose, by continued prosperity, but it has very seldom been the case. Adversity, however it may appear to be our foe, is our true friend and, after a little acquaintance with it, we receive it as a precious thing, the prophecy of a coming joy. The Lord's servants, the best of them, are ripened and mellowed by suffering. There are very few of the godly who will fully ripen without affliction. Yet in all this, do not sin; let it be said of you in the end, "In all this he did not sin with his lips." The trimmer may dodge through the world without much censure, but the out-and-out man of God, because he is not of the world, the world will hate him, yet his refuge is in the Lord.
Pray that God would give you the look of faith, that beholding a pierced Savior you might find strength and recovery every day. For soul-saving faith rests upon Christ in all His Characters, works, and offices, Christ incarnate, crucified, and risen. That faith is the gift of God, and with the heart man believes unto righteousness. Look to Him, then, for your wisdom and confidence. The Lord is the God of my mercy; He will go before me. Even when watchers surround the house, faith calmly prays and rests, feeling sure that God has all things in derision and can as readily break the line of adversaries as a man drives off prowling dogs. He will prevent you, He will go before you with His favor.
And when the right door opens, remember this high command: Freely you have received, freely give. They who serve a generous God must themselves be generous. May the Lord cause His will to be done, and may He so arrange your path that in the end you shall say, "He loaded me with benefits; I went out with abundance from the threshing floor and the winepress." The Lord open the right doors at the right time, and get to Himself great glory through this season, for His name's sake.