THE PALM TREE WILL GROW IN THE DESERT

It is such a hardy, thrifty tree, that if it has any chance at all, it will thrive where other trees will fail. Even in the hot sands of the Sahara, its green foliage is seen, and it grows in spite of discouraging environments.

The Holy Spirit made no mistake when He declared that a certain class should flourish like the palm tree. Where will it flourish? Any place in a proper climate where it has half a chance. By the rivers of water, on the rugged mountain side, by the rocky hedges, in the desert sands where scorching sun and swirling simoon have beat upon it, there it grows. It is a flourishing tree.

In the realm of gospel grace, God has made provision for saints to flourish under circumstances that are a wonder to the world.

The outward condition of some of God's people is indeed deplorable. They are surrounded with deepest poverty, in the poorest of health, with a number of small children depending upon them, and in addition to all, they are away from former home and friends. Some women are actually undergoing all this, and to make the desert worse, they have a profligate, abusive husband further to burden their life. And yet, "the God of all grace" has come into these lives who have abandoned themselves to the Holy Ghost, and proved to them that they are of God's own hand planting, and through His sustaining grace they have flourished in their experiences, even in such desert places. I have no doubt if the reader will cast about in his mind he can recall those of like experience.

"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. * * * And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isa. 35:1, 2, 10).

There is nothing else in the world that will cause deep, settled satisfaction in the human heart when the surroundings are of the desert nature. The people of the world draw their pleasure and satisfaction from the things of the world, but these are not calculated to satisfy the longings of the heart. No matter how much one may have in the way of worldly riches, worldly honors, worldly pleasures, there is always a void in the soul, a something that is not satisfied. The human heart is so big, that if the whole world were poured into it, it would not fill one crack or crevice.

When God made the animal creation, He designed that all their pleasure should be obtained from their surroundings—from the things in this world, whether it be the fish in the stream, the bird in the air, or the wild animal that roams over mountain and glen. But when He made man He put into him desires, hopes, and ambitions that reach out and above this mundane sphere. He never intended that man should draw his satisfaction and enjoyment just from this world. Outside of grace, no one is satisfied, because he is out of his natural, normal, creative element. The little bird, or fish, or other animal is satisfied because it is in its creative sphere. Man, living in sin and away from God and holiness, is dissatisfied, because he is out of his proper element. What is man's creative sphere? "Created in righteousness and true holiness." That is the way God created man, and until man gets back to God, in communion with Him and heaven, he never will have a satisfying portion. "For he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness" (Psa. 107:9). Without any of this world's goods in the way of riches, honors or pleasures, one abandoned to the Holy Ghost will have a deep sense of soul-satisfaction, and will rejoice in the midst of dismal, desert surroundings.

When Madame Guyon was in the Bastille, a prisoner of the Lord, she declared the Lord made the old stones of the murky wall to shine like rubies.

One of the happiest men it was ever my lot to meet, was one who had nothing of this world to cause his happiness. He was an inmate of the poorhouse at Placerville, Cal. He occupied a small, dingy bedroom all alone, and lay on a cot, afflicted in body, and never expected to leave it till Jesus said, "Come up higher." While engaged in evangelistic services in that city, we visited him more than once. It was a benediction to enter his presence and behold his smiling face and hear his praises to God. It seemed he was living four-fifths in heaven. He was certainly flourishing like the palm tree in that desert. We had a feeling of sorrow for the dear brother in his affliction, and lent him a book on divine healing, hoping that he might get the inspiration of faith, and trust the Lord to heal him. After we thought he had time to read the little book, we called on him again and asked him what he thought of it, and his answer was about as follows: "I have been thinking that it would be best to let good enough alone. I am getting along so well here and am so blessed, I do not know how it might turn out if I should get well."

Another man, one of the most contented and happy that I ever saw, was a born cripple. He had one arm and a part of another; was so crooked in his lower limbs that it was with great difficulty that he could propel himself with the use of canes. This brother from poverty's dale would hobble out on Fourth street in San Francisco, with his little carpet-bag stool, and basket of trinkets for sale, and sit there reading his Testament, and shine for God. One day this brother handed a man a five dollar gold piece, desiring him to go and get it changed. The dishonest man never returned, but the dear brother never murmured, only said that he could not afford to lose it. Just about that time a stranger came by and purchased some little article and handed him a five-dollar gold piece and would not accept any change. "In some way or other, God will provide."

Every night found this happy, sanctified cripple at the gospel mission with shining face and victorious testimony. He usually closed his testimony with these words: "This has been a little the best day I ever had in all my life." Brother Cooley is now rejoicing where the streets are made of gold.

Why will souls not learn to seek their pleasure from the right source? With the failure of multiplied millions who have gone on before and those who are now trying to fill their cup with earth's deceiving joys, shall I be such an egotistical fool as to think I can succeed in something when all before me tried and failed? The way of true success is laid down in the Word; "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Josh. 1:8).