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I. UNCERTAINTIES. God often allows us no more than a "perhaps"; and for a time does not give us the slightest indication in any direction of what good turn our trial is to take. And it is wonderful of what use this "perhaps," with its uncertainty, is to the believer. While he is saying "perhaps this," or "perhaps that," his mind wanders away far afield, seeing how a blessing may come from this unlikely quarter or from that, and how his trouble may link in with one thing and another, until he gets up from his thoughts full of wonder at what God's resources are, and full of happiness at the thought that he is within such reach of blessing, and that it can travel to him by such hundreds of hitherto unknown ways. The very uncertainty which is so harassing to the natural man is educational to the believer; he is taught to look out for God in all possible directions; the very uncertainty prevents his trying to fix God to this mode of action, or to that. The "perhaps" of the believer never dies; when it sees one door plainly closed, it immediately opens another; that is its very nature.

II. SEPARATIONS.

1. Separations are to be traced farther back than what we call the accidental circumstances which apparently have caused them. It is soul teaching, and soul strengthening, when we discern that things are "of the Lord."

2. We have God deep in the background of trial for good, if we by our waywardness hinder Him not. The loss for a season to Philemon of the services of Onesimus was great; but it was to be met by a greater gain. The bringing of good out of evil is the prerogative of God. He permits the evil, to produce the good.

3. Here there seems to meet us, also, a working of what might almost be said to be a law of God's dealing with us in our present fallen state, viz., that loss must precede gain; that seed corn must die, before harvest corn can be reaped.

III. RESTORATIONS. If we could but introduce those words "forever" in their deep meaning into our trials — into the decision as to the course of action we would pursue — into the results which naturally belong to them, how differently would things be often done from the way in which they are now. Let us apply the "forever" to earth's great things to make them small, and to Christ's small things to make them great. The tears which at the most we can shed are but few — the watercourse of a cheek is short; but who can tell the depth of the pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal; or, whither flows that stream, concerning which all that we are told is this — "that it proceedeth out of the throne of the Lamb." It is through temporary losses that we, if we yield ourselves to their teaching and power, pass to eternal gains.

(P. B. Power, M. A.)

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KJV: For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;

WEB: For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while, that you would have him forever,