place; there is nothing to favour its growth, the air is foul, the light
is dim, everything is against it, yet there it stands, a marvel of
beauty! And we look at it and say, 'Wonderful!'

Surely we have even now seen the white azalea in the garret. For where
should we expect to find a man of God? Dwelling in the holy temple in
Jerusalem, surrounded by everything to remind him of God breathing in
the very atmosphere of religion, with godly people all around him, with
everything to help him to be holy and pure, no one would be astonished
to find a man of God in such a place as that.

But here is Nehemiah the Rab-shakeh, living in a heathen palace, in the
midst of a wicked court, surrounded by drunkenness, sensuality, and all
that is vile and impure, breathing in the very atmosphere of sin, yet we
find him a plant of the Lord, pure as the azalea, a man of faith, a man
of prayer, a holy man of God. With everything against him, with nothing
to favour his growth in holiness, he is a flourishing plant in the
garden of the Lord. So it ever is. The plants of God's grace often
thrive in very unlikely places. There was a holy Joseph in the court of
Pharaoh, a faithful Obadiah in the house of wicked Jezebel, a righteous
Daniel in Babylon, and saints even in Caesar's household.

Are we ever tempted to say, I cannot serve the Master faithfully? If I
were in another position, if my home life were favourable to my becoming
decided for Christ, if I had different companions, different occupation,
different surroundings, then indeed I would grow in grace, and bring
forth the fruit of a holy life. But as I am, and where I am, it is a
simple impossibility; I can never, under existing circumstances, live
near to God, or be what I often long to be, a true Christian.