Great Trust in God

Great Trust in God

JUST as in a golden chain link hangs from link, so from knowledge of Divine Providence springs Trust in God; and from this there very naturally arises conformity of the human will with the Divine. Show me a man who in all things recognizes the Providence of God, and trusts in Him, and I will also show you one who most absolutely yields himself to the Divine Will. In this way God instructs us,-----"That He might make known unto us the mystery of His Will, according to His Good-pleasure which He hath purposed in Him." (Eph. I. 9); "That we may be filled with the knowledge of His Will in all Wisdom and spiritual understanding." (Col. I. 9) We may see this very clearly in the case of Noe. 

1. Noe at first needed to be instructed concerning the infinite Providence of God, and therefore He explained to him most circumstantially for what purpose the ark was to be made, as well as its length, and breadth, and height; in what way living creatures of every kind were to be collected together in it, how the proper food for each was to be procured; and how he was at last to enter the ark when it was completed, together with seven human beings, his nearest relations, since God had determined to drown all that lived in the waters of the flood. From this Noe learnt the marvelous Providence of God, and on the knowledge of this Providence he reposed such entire Trust as to be fully persuaded that he and his would be preserved amidst the destruction of the world. And when this Trust had been conceived it was very easy for him to cause his own will to rest on the Divine Will, and to do everything according to its rule. Thus, therefore, he earned-----the distinguished praise,-----"And Noe did all things which God commanded him." (Gen. VI. 22) And here it is very worthy to be noted that when Noe and those who belonged to him had entered the ark, "the Lord shut him in" (Chap. VII. 16); and thus He may be said to have taken away with Him the key for opening the ark. But you may perhaps inquire, would it not have been better to have delivered that key to Noe, so that, when the waters of the deluge abated, he himself might open the door and go out? For this reason God willed to entrust this key to no one, but to keep it for Himself, that those who were enclosed in the ark might be let out by the same Hand by which they had been let in, and might not place their Trust in any other than the Author of their liberty and salvation. 

And in the same way Joseph, the governor of Egypt, needed to be instructed by such marvelous changes of fortune, in order that he might recognize the Providence of God; and when he had learnt how ever-watchful Divine Providence was, he then needed to be inspired with Trust. On this account God permitted that the butler of Pharao should for two whole years forget the interpreter of his dream, though so earnestly asked to remember him (Gen. XL. 23, and XLI. 1), in order that Joseph might learn not to rely on the favour of men, but on that of God alone, to Whom alone he ought to refer the recovery of his liberty. S. Chrysostom (Hom. LXIII. in Gen.) admirably remarks upon this,-----"Consider how that after the butler was restored to favour two years passed away. Joseph must wait for a fitting time, in order that he may be brought out with more distinguished honour. For if the chief butler had remembered him before the dreams of Pharao, and had obtained his liberation through his influence, Joseph's virtue would not perhaps have been so conspicuous to others. But now the Almighty and wise God knowing, like a skillful workman, how long the gold ought to be kept in the fire, and then withdrawn from it, permitted the chief butler to forget Joseph for the space of two years, in order that both the time for Pharao's dream might come, and that through the very force of necessity that just man should become known through the whole of Pharao's kingdom." And hence the devotion of Joseph to the Divine Will was so great that all the ills which befell him he ascribed to this alone. 

Hence arose that noble speech of his to his brethren, when unfolding the mystery of the Divine Will he said,-----"You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that He might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people." (Gen. L. 20) If Joseph had not so thoroughly learnt the mystery of the Divine Will, he would have ordered his brethren to be slain, and would not have loaded them with so many acts of kindness. And the same zeal for the Divine Will which was manifested by Noe and Joseph may be seen also in all men of saintly life. Concerning each one of them it may be affirmed, they "gave their own selves first to the Lord, then to us by the Will of God." (2 Cor. VIII. 5)

By Father Jeremias Drexelius,from HELIOTROPIUM 
Photo Credit Ahmad Nizam Awang