Now~what the Lord says here to Peter is very indicative and I think very helpful. Thou art a stumbling-block (an offence) unto Me. The Lord had fought out this battle, had taken His ground put both His feet down upon this way of the will of God for Him, namely, by the Cross to the Kingdom; and it was for Him no easy way.
It was not just
the being crucified and being killed, but being made sin
and all that is involved of ultimately suffering the
forsaking of God. It was no easy way, and He had to keep
Himself rigidly in that direction, and anything that came
along to influence Him otherwise only brought up the new
demand for resolution and persistence. Thus it offended
Him in the sense that it made it difficult for Him, it
made it hard for Him, it was not helping Him.
It may have
been intended to help, so far as Peter was concerned, not
knowing what he was saying, but behind it the Lord saw
that it only raised the old issue again, the old battle,
and therefore it offended His sense of the will of His
Father and stood across His path to make the way more
difficult.
I think that does say to
us that a position has to be taken inclusively and over
many things where the will of God is concerned. We have
to come very definitely and positively to such a
position, and then realize that from time to time there
will be, by one means or another, an effort of the enemy
to change our minds, to weaken us in that course, to make
other suggestions, to get us to reconsider it in the
light of various issues and interests.
We shall meet this
offending, this stumbling, this hindering thing and have
to be very ruthless with it. The way the Lord dealt with
Peter was, in a sense, ruthless. Really there was no
weakness in His attitude over that. Discerning its true
nature, He saw clearly that, if He yielded to this
suggestion, then He would go neither to Jerusalem nor to
the Cross.
It is a question of whether we have settled
that such and such is the way of the will of God, and
then, will this or that arising mean in the long run that
we never get there, never do that will? If so, it has to
be handled very ruthlessly and put out of the way and put
behind us. The Cross comes to us in many connections and
different terms.
Then, if we are really
going to come through to the place of spiritual power as
did Peter, that ground of the enemy must continually be
forsaken and refused. The enemy has to be robbed of that
which will destroy us and give him power to destroy us,
and we have to be very ruthless with anything that arises
to give him that position and defeat God's intention
where we are concerned.
This battle of heaven and hell,
God and Satan, goes on in our souls, but there is for us
this consolation, that we have a High Priest ever living
to make intercession. We have a great asset in the
continual intercession of the Lord Jesus for us. Let us
close on that note of encouragement and assurance.
Does God afflict His own children? Listen to the psalmist's answer: "For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place" (Psalm 66:10-12).
The psalmist is saying, "Lord, You put me in waters so high over my head that Ithought I would drown. You put me into the fire, to try me as silver is tried. You brought me into a net, laid affliction on me, caused men to trounce on me!"
Why did God allow such afflictions? It was because He was bringing His belovedchild into a "wealthy place." In the original Hebrew this phrase means "a place of abundant fruitfulness." God is saying, "I'm taking you through all these hard places to make you fruitful for My kingdom."
Yet not all afflictions are from the hand of God. Many troubles come from thedevil himself, straight from the pits of hell. "For he [God] doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men" (Lamentations 3:33). God says, "I get no joy out of afflicting My children. That is not My purpose in allowing troubles." No, the Lord allows our afflictions only for His eternal purposes, to bring us into a "wealthy place."
I cringe with amazement as I remember all the sorrows, trials, deep waters,flaming fires and powerful afflictions I have seen over the years. And usually when afflictions came, they came not just one at a time, but in bundles. Many times I thought, "There is no way I can make it through this."
Even the memories of afflictions are painful — memories of slander, chastenings of the Lord, ministry trials, personal buffetings, family problems, bodily pains and aches. Yet, as I recall those years of suffering, I can say with assurance, "God's Word is true. He brought me out of every affliction that came upon me and I praise Him!"
1Jn 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have
need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth
the love of God in him?
But whoso hath this world's good~The
possessions of this world, worldly substance, the temporal good things
of it; for there are some things in it, which are honestly, pleasantly,
and profitably good, when used lawfully, and not abused, otherwise they
are to the owner's hurt: or "the living of this world"; that which the
men of the world give up themselves to, are bent upon, and pursue after;
or on which men live, and by which life is maintained, and preserved,
and made comfortable in the present state of things; such as meat,
drink, apparel, money, houses, lands, & The Ethiopic version renders
it, "he that hath the government of this world"; as if it pointed at a
person that is in some high office of worldly honour and profit, and is
both great and rich; but the words are not to be restrained to such an
one only, but refer to any man that has any share of the outward
enjoyments of life; that has not only a competency for himself and
family, but something to spare, and especially that has an affluence of
worldly substance; but of him that has not, it is not required; for what
a man distributes ought to be his own, and not another's, and in
proportion to what he has, or according to his ability:
And
seeth his brother have need~meaning, not merely a brother in that strict
and natural relation, or bond of consanguinity; though such an one in
distress ought to be, in the first place, regarded, for no man should
hide himself from, overlook and neglect his own flesh and blood; but
any, and every man, "his neighbour", as the Ethiopic version reads, whom
he ought to love as himself; and especially a brother in a spiritual
relation, or one that is of the household of faith: if he has need; that
is, is naked and destitute of daily food, has not the common supplies
of life, and what nature requires; and also, whose circumstances are low
and mean, though not reduced to the utmost extremity; and if he sees
him in this distress with his own eyes, or if he knows it, hears of it,
and is made acquainted with it, otherwise he cannot be blameworthy for
not relieving him. And shutteth up his bowels of compassion
from him; hardens his heart, turns away his eyes, and shuts his hand;
has no tenderness in him for, nor sympathy with his distressed brother,
nor gives him any succour: and this shows, that when relief is given, it
should be not in a morose and churlish manner, with reflection and
reproach, but with affection and pity; and where there is neither one
nor the other, How dwelleth the love of God in him? neither the
love with which God loves men; for if this was shed abroad in him, and
had a place, and dwelt in him, and he was properly affected with it, it
would warm his heart, and loosen his affections, and cause his bowels to
move to his poor brother: nor the love with which God is loved; for if
he does not love his brother whom he sees in distress, how should he
love the invisible God? 1Jo_4:20; nor that love which God requires of
him, which is to love his neighbour as himself.
1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue,....
Which though it holds good of love to God, and to Jesus Christ, yet here
is to be understood of love to the brethren, as the context shows; and
so the Syriac version reads, "let us not love one another in word",
&c. that is, without the heart, or with a double heart; speaking one
thing with the lip, and designing another thing in the heart; speaking
peaceably with the mouth, and with the heart laying wait; or we should
not love in this manner "only"; and so the Arabic version of De Dieu
adds. It is very lawful, and right to express our love to one another,
and to all men in words, to give good words, and use courteous language,
and speak in a kind, tender, and affectionate manner, and especially to
persons in distress; but this should not be all, it will be of no avail
to say to such, be warmed and filled, and give them nothing but these
good words, nothing to warm and fill them with; see Jam_2:15;
But in deed and in truth; for true love is a laborious and operative
grace, hence we read of the work and labour of love; it shows itself by
the saints serving one another, in spirituals; as by bearing one
another's burdens, forbearing with, and forgiving one another, praying
for each other, and building up one another on their most holy faith;
exhorting each other to the duties of religion, and not suffering sins
upon one another, but admonish in love, and restore with meekness; and
in temporals, distributing to the necessities of the saints,
ministering: to them of their worldly substance, and supplying their
daily wants: and this is loving "in deed", or "in work"; this is actual
love, love in fact, and what is apparent and evident: and it is "in
truth", when it is in reality, and not in show only; and when it is
cordially and heartily done, with cheerfulness, and without grudging.
HE WHO DWELLS IN THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL REMAIN STABLE
AND FIXED UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY WHOSE POWER NO FOE CAN
WITHSTAND. PSALM 91 AMP
Psa 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my
God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my
salvation, and my high tower.
Psa 18:3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
