And Thou Shalt Be Built Up…

There comes to mind a phrase remembered from a childhood game of forfeits: “Heavy, heavy hangs over thy poor head.” If we were to emphasize the negative side of the passing scenes, all of us could live fearful, trembling lives. Momentous forces and issues of ominous import do hang heavily over our heads—and rumors and reports of adverse events could well remind us of these words of the Master as recorded by Matthew:

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars… For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places… And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”¹¹⁴ So reads the scriptural record. But it also says that “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Difficult problems aren’t peculiar to our time. Men have lived through difficulties and discouragement in other days. And this is not a time for the trembling, timid living of life—but for pursuing it from day to day with work, faith, repentance, patience and prayerful purpose.

No matter what hangs over our heads, life goes on, and we go with it—and children must have their chance, their happiness, their education, their opportunities. Youth must have faith and work and purpose and preparation for the future for there will always be a future, and we can meet it knowing that men have met it before.

The Lord God is still alive, and, as we are willing to keep close to Him, will not leave us alone. Furthermore, there is the assurance of eternal continuance. The human spirit, the human soul, all and each of us as ourselves, will always survive. And while we cannot be indifferent to what hangs over our heads, yet peace and quiet and satisfying purpose can and do come even in unsettled scenes.

“Acquaint . . . thyself with him,” counsels an Old Testament text, “and be at peace: . . . make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, . . . and thou shalt be built up.”

And finally, above the clamor and confusion, come the questions and the answering assurance spoken by our Saviour: “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? …And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”