upon us, or our nation, or our world, but ourselves. We have done it
THERE is not one evil under which we ever groaned which may not be traced to our forsaking the Lord. This is the one root of bitterness which has shot up into a tree of ten thousand branches. There may be other external causes of the evil, but this is the main one. This is the only one that God will recognise as a real cause. As to all the rest, He says, They could have had no power to harm one hair of your head had you not forsaken Me. In keeping close to Me, in leaning on my arm, in abiding under the shadow of my wings, you were absolutely and entirely safe. But in departing from Me you have exposed yourselves to every form of evil and danger.
These, then, are the lessons which our God would teach us:—
1. That we have none to blame for all the evils that have ever come upon us, or our nation, or our world, but ourselves. We have done it with our own hands.
2. That these evils have all flowed from our forsaking God. To be near Him is joy and life; to be far off is woe and death.
3. That the true cure for them is our returning to Him whom we have thus forsaken. No other cure will be effectual. They will not reach the real seat and cause of the disease.
Long-wandering sinner, wilt thou not return and be blessed? Why should you die in the far country when there is bread enough and to spare in your Father's house?
Man his own Destroyer
"Hast thou not procured this unto thyself?"—JER. 2:17.