«Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings» (Psalm 17:8).
IT IS BELIEVED THAT HIS LIBRARY had about thirty-two thousand books, in six languages, and that by the time of his death he had read almost all of them. It was also said that he was a friend of the poor; and that Queen Victoria hated him because he opposed the idea of her extending her empire by sacrificing human lives.
Who was this peculiar person? He was William E. Gladstone (1809—1898), prime minister of the United Kingdom during four different terms, and a member of Parliament for more than sixty years.
According to Frank W. Boreham, William was still very young when, as he walked the streets of London, he realized the terrible fate of those selling sexual favors in order to survive. He then resolved that he would not rest until he returned «joy to at least some of the women whose lives had been ruined by the selfishness of men. And he kept his promise. Years later, along with his wife, he founded a home where these women could learn a new trade and start a new life.
Where did William Gladstone get the inspiration to wage the battles of the weakest, and at the same time achieve so much in his life? Perhaps the answer is in a statement he wrote in his diary when he was just twenty-one years old: «In practice,» he declared, «the important thing is that Gods life can be the habit of my soul.»
What young Gladstone longed for was that Gods life would become the food of his heart. It is no surprise to learn, therefore, that when Lady Battersea, author of Reminiscences, asked Gladstone if she could capture in one of her books one of his favorite thoughts, he wrote, «Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings» (Psalm 17:8).
As Frank W. Boreham writes, for William Gladstone the sense of God’s presence was the refuge he could always go to in order to find safety. This is why, according to someone who visited him at home, on one of the walls hung a picture with the words: » ‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms’ » (Deuteronomy 33:27). When he saw that picture with the text from Deuteronomy, the account says that Gladstone would exclaim, «That is my greatest comfort!»
His greatest comfort, indeed, and also the secret of his greatness! What else could be said of those who yearn for Gods life to be the habit of their hearts, and who has found in the eternal arms their best refuge?
Keep me, O God, as the apple of Your eye; and when the storm blows, please «hide me under the shadow of Your wings.»
#AdultsDevotional
#RadioJovenAdventista
#MeditacionesDiarias
Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
