We have a beautiful illustration of the words “All things work together for good to them that love God” in the old story told of a pious Jew, whose name was Rabbi Akibo. He had been persecuted by enemies of his religion and driven away from home. He was obliged to travel from place to place, so as to keep out of their way. On his journeys he used to carry with him a lamp, which he could light at night to read the Bible, which he delighted to study. In order to waken early in the morning he also carried a chicken cock, for it would crow to waken him. His conveyance was a donkey.
One day Rabbi Akibo had been travelling all day and felt pretty tired. Towards sunset he drove up to a nice-looking village hoping to find some inn, or friendly house, where he could spend the night. To his dismay none of the villagers would give him lodging and there was no inn there. There was no alternative but to drive on until he could find somewhere in the first woods he would reach to rest for the night. Finding a sheltered place under a thick tree he sat down upon the grass and said to himself “It’s very hard not to have a house to shelter one from the cold night air, but God is good; it is all for the best.”
He lit his lamp and thought he could have a pleasant time studying his Bible. Before he read many verses a storm arose. The wind blew out his lamp and the rain prevented him lighting it again. Poor Rabbi Akibo thought “What a pity, I can’t enjoy a while reading the Bible, but God is good, and it is all for the best.”
Then he covered himself up and lay down to sleep. On a branch beside him perched his chicken cock. The Rabbi’s eyes weren’t closed very long, when a wolf came by and pounced on the chicken cock and made a meal of it. This was a sore loss for the Rabbi, for he depended on the cock to waken him to study his Bible in the morning. Again he remembered, God is good and said to himself it was all for the best.
In a short time he was alarmed by the roar of a lion, which soon sprang on his trusty donkey and devoured it. This was a heavy blow to the weary traveller who thought of his lamp gone, his bird gone and his donkey too, and wondered what would he do. Again he said to himself “God is good; it’s all for the best.”
That was an almost sleepless troublesome night for the poor Rabbi Akibo. Early in the morning he rose and returned to the village to see if he could buy a horse or donkey to carry him and his belongings on his journey. One can imagine his surprise on entering the village when he could not find one person alive. It seems that during the night a band of robbers entered the village, murdered the inhabitants and robbed their houses of valuable things found there.
On recovering from the shock of the scene the pious Rabbi realised the wonderful care God had taken of him. He thanked God and acknowledged how blind we mortals are, when we look upon those things as evil which are meant for our good. If those hard-hearted people had not driven him away from their village he would have perished with them. If the storm had not put out his lamp, its light would have drawn the robbers to his resting-place, and he would be killed. If the wild beasts had not devoured his two companions, the chicken cock and the donkey, the crowing of the cock and the braying of the donkey might have told the robbers of his presence and they might have murdered him.
No doubt but Rabbi Akibo would praise the Lord for His tender care over him that morning with a grateful heart and would say “Thou art good, and all that happens is for the best.”
When Christian readers are faced with sad and trying circumstances let them seek grace to say like pious Rabbi Akibo “God is good, and all that happens is for the best, and take courage.”