Section 4
out of common persons or ordinary things to purge us. Sometimes the Lord comes to interfere with our lives by turning things upside down. He comes to cast out the sheep, oxen, and doves and to overthrow the tables in order to bring confu sion into the whole situation. For example, last year you might have gained a lot of money in business, but this year you may lose everything—this is a scourge that the Lord may use to purge you. With every seeking Christian someone or something is always being used by the Lord to purge him.
Generally speaking, a wife who is a seeking child of God always longs for her husband to be spiritual and to love the Lord, but it sometimes turns out to be just the opposite. A husband who loves the Lord always looks to the Lord that his wife may be spiritual and love the Lord, but it is sometimes contrary to his desire. Also, parents who sincerely seek after the Lord and pray daily for their children sometimes suffer to see their children going astray. The scourge you experience is made by the Lord. If your husband or wife is quite spiritual, the Lord may have no scourge to purge you. If your sons are like Peter and John and your daughter is like Mary, there may be no rushes available for the Lord to make a scourge. If your parents are like Abraham and Sarah,