Believe In Order To See

Psa 106:12  Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
 
Psa 106:13  They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:

Psa 106:14  But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. 

Psa 106:15  And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

We read of Moses, that "he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." Exactly the opposite was true of the children of Israel in this record. 

They endured only when the circumstances were favorable; they were largely governed by the things that appealed to their senses, in place of resting in the invisible and eternal God.

In the present day there are those who live intermittent Christian lives because they have become occupied with the outward, and center in circumstances, in place of centering in God. 

God wants us more and more to see Him in everything, and to call nothing small if it bears us His message.
     
Here we read of the children of Israel, "Then they believed his words." They did not believe till after they saw--when they saw Him work, then they believed. 

They really doubted God when they came to the Red Sea; but when God opened the way and led them across and they saw Pharaoh and his host drowned--"then they believed."
     
They led an up and down life because of this kind of faith; it was a faith that depended upon circumstances. This is not the kind of faith God wants us to have.
     
The world says "seeing is believing," but God wants us to believe in order to see. 

The Psalmist said, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."
     
Do you believe God only when the circumstances are favorable, or do you believe no matter what the circumstances may be? 

~C. H. P.~
     
Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.

~St. Augustine~

He Will Keep The Feet Of His Saints

1Sa 2:9  He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
 
The way is slippery, and our feet are feeble, but the Lord will keep our feet.

If we give ourselves up by obedient faith to be His holy ones, He will Himself be our guardian. 

Not only will He charge His angels to keep us, but He Himself will preserve our goings.

He will keep our feet from falling, so that we do not defile our garments,  wound our souls, and cause the enemy to blaspheme.

He will keep our feet from wandering, so that we do not go into paths of error, or ways of folly, or courses of the world's custom.

He will keep our feet from swelling through weariness, or blistering because of the roughness and length of the way.

He will keep our feet from wounding: our shoes shall be iron and brass, so that even though we tread on the edge of the sword, or on deadly serpents, we shall not bleed, or be poisoned. 

He will also pluck our feet out of the net. We shall not be entangled by the deceit of our malicious and crafty foes. 

With such a promise as this, let us run without weariness, and walk without fear. He who keeps our feet will do it effectually.

~Charles Spurgeon~

GOD Is Looking

2Ch 16:9  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
 
God is looking for a man, or woman, whose heart will be always set on Him, and who will trust Him for all He desires to do. 

God is eager to work more mightily now than He ever has through any soul. The clock of the centuries points to the eleventh hour.

The world is waiting yet to see what God can do through a consecrated soul.

Not the world alone, but God Himself is waiting for one, who will be more fully devoted to Him than any who have ever lived; who will be willing to be nothing that Christ may be all; who will grasp God's own purposes; and taking His humility and His faith, His love and His power, will, without hindering, continue to let God do exploits.

~C. H. P.~

There is no limit to what God can do with a man, providing he will not touch the glory.      

In an address given to ministers and workers after his ninetieth birthday, George Mueller spoke thus of himself: "I was converted in November, 1825, but I only came into the full surrender of the heart four years later, in July, 1829.

The love of money was gone, the love of place was gone, the love of position was gone, the love of worldly pleasures and engagements was gone.

God, God alone became my portion. I found my all in Him; I wanted nothing else.

And by the grace of God this has remained, and has made me a happy man, an exceedingly happy man, and it led me to care only about the things of God.

I ask affectionately, my beloved brethren, have you fully surrendered the heart to God, or is there this thing or that thing with which you are taken up irrespective of God?

I read a little of the Scriptures before, but preferred other books; but since that time the revelation He has made of Himself has become unspeakably blessed to me, and I can say from my heart, God is an infinitely lovely Being.

Oh, be not satisfied until in your own inmost soul you can say, God is an infinitely lovely Being!

~Selected~

I pray to God this day to make me an extraordinary Christian.

~Whitefield~

Victory That Overcomes The World

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

It is easy to love Him when the blue is in the sky, When summer winds are blowing, and we smell the roses nigh;

There is little effort needed to obey His precious will When it leads through flower-decked valley, or over sun-kissed hill.
     
It is when the rain is falling, or the mist hangs in the air, When the road is dark and rugged, and the wind no longer fair, When the rosy dawn has settled in a shadowland of gray, That we find it hard to trust Him, and are slower to obey.
     
It is easy to trust Him when the singing birds have come, And their canticles are echoed in our heart and in our home; But 'tis when we miss the music, and the days are dull and drear, That we need a faith triumphant over every doubt and fear.
     
And our blessed Lord will give it; what we lack He will supply; Let us ask in faith believing--on His promises rely; He will ever be our Leader, whether smooth or rough the way, And will prove Himself sufficient for the needs of every day.

To trust in spite of the look of being forsaken; to keep crying out into the vast, whence comes no returning voice, and where seems no hearing;
 
To see the machinery of the world pauselessly grinding on as if self-moved, caring for no life, nor shifting a hair-breadth for all entreaty, and yet believe that God is awake and utterly loving;

To desire nothing but what comes meant for us from His hand; to wait patiently, ready to die of hunger, fearing only lest faith should fail--such is the victory that overcometh the world, such is faith indeed.
 
~George MacDonald~

THE FAILURE OF MAN

Before we can follow that through into the Christian life, we have to look at that tragic interlude, as we may call it-the failure of man. 

We know the story, how it is written and how it is put.

If you have difficulty in accepting the form in which the story is given, that is, either the actual way in which the test was set before Adam, as to the tree, the fruit, etc., or all this as symbolism, you should be helped in such difficulty by remembering that behind any form of presentation there are spiritual principles, and these are the essential and vital things.

It is the MEANING that matters, not so much the form of conveyance. 

We want to get behind that man's failure.

The Bible tells us what the source of that failure was.

Here again, marvelously, we are taken right back before the creation.

The veil is drawn aside and we are shown something happening outside of this world, somewhere where those counsels of God have become known, His counsels concerning His Son and the appointment of His Son as Lord of creation, as Heir of all things.

It has become known amongst the angels, the hierarchy of Heaven, and there is one there, the greatest created being of all, Lucifer, son of the morning, who becomes acquainted with this Divine intention.

How - this is the mystery - how into that realm iniquity could enter we do not know: we cannot fathom the origin of sin; but what we are told is that "unrighteousness was found" in him (Ezek. 28:15). Pride was found in his heart.

Pride immediately works out in jealousy, does it not? Think of pride again. It always immediately shows itself in jealousy, rivalry. 

Pride cannot endure even an equal. Pride will always lead to a trying to 'go one better' in whatever realm it is.

And so all the jealousy and all the rivalry sprang into that heart.

We are told in the Scripture that that one said: I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; ...I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High (Isa. 14:13,14).

He was jealous of God's Heir, and a rival to His appointment; Heaven was rent.

But that one was cast out (Ezek 28:16-18).

We are told that he was cast out of his estate together with all those who entered into that conspiracy with him against God's Son.

Those "angels which kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation" (Jude 6), were cast out.

The next thing we see is the appearance of this one in beautiful guise - not with horns and tail and pitchfork! - but in beautiful guise to deceive; we see him coming into the realm of God's creation, to man and his partner.

Now, what was his method? We shall never understand the meaning of the Christian life until we grasp these things.

What was the method, what was the focal point, of the great arch-enemy's attack upon the man - this man whom God had created to come into fellowship with His Son in the great purpose of the ages?

The focal point was man's SELF-hood.

I doubt whether the man had any consciousness of selfhood until Satan touched him on that point and said, "Hath God said?" 

The insinuation was - 'God is keeping something from you that you might have; He is limiting you.

God knows that, if you do this thing which He has forbidden, you yourself will have the root of the matter in yourself, you will have the capacity and faculty in yourself for knowing, knowing, knowing.

At present, under this embargo of God, you have to depend entirely upon Him: you have to consult Him, refer to Him, defer to Him; you have got to get everything from Him.

And all the time you can have it in yourself, and God knows that.

You see, God is withholding something from you that you might have, and you are less of a being than you might be - so God is not really favourable to you and your interests.'

It was a maligning of God.

But the focal point was this: 'You, YOU - you can BE something, you can DO something, you can be "in the know" about things' - self-centerdness, self-interest, self-realization, and all the other host of 'self' aspects.

The 'I' awoke, that 'I' which had brought the enemy out of his first estate.

I will be exalted above the stars, I will be equal with the Most High.

To awaken the 'I' in man - so that, instead of man having his center in God, deriving everything from God, he aspired to have the center in himself; instead of being God-centered, he was self-centered - that was the focal point.

And man was enticed into the same pride as had brought about Satan's downfall, leading to the same act of independence - nothing less than a bid for personal freedom from God.

As to the results, well, we know them.

The older this world becomes, and the greater the development of this race, the more and more terrible is the manifestation of this original thing.

We see a picture of man trying to get on without God, man saying that he CAN get on without God; man seeking to realize himself, fulfill himself, and to draw everything to himself; seeking to be himself the center of everything, not only individually but collectively.

That is the story, that is the history.

The results? Look at the world - all the terrible, terrible suffering, all the misery, all the horror. 

We should never have believed, had it not become an actuality in recent years, what man is capable of doing - all because of his break with God.

We will not dwell upon it; it is too awful.

If we ask, Why, why should all this suffering and misery and wretchedness go on in the world? - surely the answer is this.

God can never remove from man the consequences of this act of pride and disobedience, independence and complicity with His arch-enemy, without letting man go on in his independence.

All this is God's way of saying - the way in which He is compelled to say - It is an awful, awful thing, to be without God, to be in a state of breach with God.

Now suppose you come into the Christian life. 

That does not remove all the misery and suffering in the creation, and it does not remove the suffering from yourself, but there is a difference.

The mighty difference between one who is outside of Christ and one who is in Christ is this: both suffer, but whereas the one suffers unto despair and hopelessness, in the sufferings of the other there is the grace of God turning it all to account to make him or her Godlike again.

The others suffer without hope, die without hope, but the sufferings of a Christian are to make that one like their Lord.

It is a marvelous thing to see the likeness of Christ coming out in His own through their sufferings.

~T. Austin Sparks~

Elijah Watched And Waited

1Ki 17:7  And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

Week after week, with unfaltering and steadfast spirit, Elijah watched that dwindling brook; often tempted to stagger through unbelief, but refusing to allow his circumstances to come between himself and God.

Unbelief sees God through circumstances, as we sometimes see the sun shorn of his rays through smoky air; but faith puts God between itself and circumstances, and looks at them through Him.

And so the dwindling brook became a silver thread; and the silver thread stood presently in pools at the foot of the largest boulders; and the pools shrank. 

The birds fled; the wild creatures of field and forest came no more to drink; the brook was dry. 

Only then to his patient and unwavering spirit, "the word of the Lord came, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath."
     
Most of us would have gotten anxious and worn with planning long before that. 

We should have ceased our songs as soon as the streamlet caroled less musically over its rocky bed; and with harps swinging on the willows, we should have paced to and fro upon the withering grass, lost in pensive thought.

And probably, long ere the brook was dry, we should have devised some plan, and asking God's blessing on it, would have started off elsewhere.
     
God often does extricate us, because His mercy endureth forever; but if we had only waited first to see the unfolding of His plans, we should never have found ourselves landed in such an inextricable labyrinth; and we should never have been compelled to retrace our steps with so many tears of shame.

Wait, patiently wait!

~F. B. Meyer~

Polish Comes Through Trouble

Isa 49:2  And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me; and he hath made me a polished shaft, in his quiver hath he kept me close:
 
There is a very famous "Pebble Beach" at Pescadero, on the California coast. The long line of white surf comes up with its everlasting roar, and rattles and thunders among the stones on the shore.

They are caught in the arms of the pitiless waves, and tossed and rolled, and rubbed together, and ground against the sharp-grained cliffs. Day and night forever the ceaseless attrition goes on--never any rest. And the result?
    
Tourists from all the world flock thither to gather the round and beautiful stones. 

They are laid up in cabinets; they ornament the parlor mantels. 

But go yonder, around the point of the cliff that breaks off the force of the sea; and up in that quiet cove, sheltered from the storms, and lying ever in the sun, you shall find abundance of pebbles that have never been chosen by the traveler.

Why are these left all the years through unsought? For the simple reason that they have escaped all the turmoil and attrition of the waves, and the quiet and peace have left them as they found them, rough and angular and devoid of beauty. 

Polish comes through trouble. 

Since God knows what niche we are to fill, let us trust Him to shape us to it. Since He knows what work we are to do, let us trust Him to drill us to the proper preparation.

O blows that smite! O hurts that pierce This shrinking heart of mine! What are ye but the Master's tools Forming a work Divine?"

Nearly all God's jewels are crystallized tears.

Purity Of Heart And Life

Blessed are the are pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8).

Purity, even purity of heart, is the main thing to be aimed at. 

We need to be made clean within through the Spirit and the Word, and then we shall be clean without by consecration and obedience.

There is a close connection between the affections and the understanding:

If we love evil we cannot understand that which is good. 

If the heart is foul, the eye will be dim. 

How can those men see a holy God who love unholy things?

What a privilege it is to see God here! A glimpse of Him is heaven below! In Christ Jesus the pure in heart behold the Father. 

We see Him, His truth, His love, His purpose, His sovereignty, His covenant character, yea, we see Himself in Christ. 

But this is only apprehended as sin is kept out of the heart.  

Only those who aim at godliness can cry, "Mine eyes are ever towards the LORD." 

The desire of Moses, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory," can only be fulfilled in us as we purify ourselves from all iniquity. 

We shall "see him as he is," and "every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself." 

The enjoyment of present fellowship and the hope of the beatific vision are urgent motives for purity of heart and life. 

LORD, make us pure in heart that we may see Thee!

~Charles Spurgeon~

Warfare In View

There is one thing of which we must take note right at the beginning. This movement from the wilderness, through the Jordan and into the land, was entirely with warfare in view. 

It is necessary for young Christians especially to recognize this, but if the older ones are wondering why there is so much conflict in the Christian life, we had better remind ourselves at once that that is the nature of the testimony of Jesus.

If we are really associated in heart with the testimony of Jesus we are going to find that we are committed to warfare.

Perhaps we know the fact of conflict, but we very often have questions about it, and even think sometimes that because of the conflict things are all wrong. 

I think it would be right to say that any Christian who knows nothing about conflict has not really entered fully into the meaning of the Christian life.

Of course, we all sing very heartily "Onward, Christian soldiers!", but we have some very big questions when we find ourselves in the battle. 

The journey of the testimony of Jesus is therefore a journey of warfare.

I remember hearing a very famous preacher put it this way: On Sunday morning the Christians go to church and sing "Onward, Christian soldiers!"; on Monday night they go to the theater; on Tuesday night they say: "We will have a cocktail party"; on Wednesday night they decide to go to the pictures; on Thursday night they play cards at home; on Friday night they go off and visit some of their friends; on Saturday night they say: 'Now, what shall we do tonight?' - and on Sunday morning:"Onward, Christian soldiers!"

Now, that may not be true of any of you, but a Christianity that only sings about Christian soldiers and never goes into the battle is not true Christianity.

So I remind you that when we come to the Book of Joshua there is a movement entirely with warfare in view.

In chapter one the Lord is preparing Joshua for the battle, and the word which constantly occurs is: "Be of good courage."

'Courage' is a great word in that chapter! 

Joshua was a man of courage before - all his history shows him to be so - but this new movement needs more courage than ever before.

The ark is moving on to new ground, and there are many great enemies to this testimony.

In chapter two the Lord commands that they send out their spies in order to take the measure of the people, so that the people of Israel might really recognize what they are up against.

So in chapter one there is the preparation of the leader and the people for war, and in chapter two the being quite intelligent as to the kind of enemy that they have to deal with.

Then, with those two things done, in chapter three the ark comes to the foremost place. 

So chapter three is our present occupation, for it is the ark, or the testimony, with which we are occupied. 

~T. Austin Sparks~

They ate of The Fruit of the land of Canaan That Year

                                                                                 

They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
Joshua 5:12

Israel’s weary wanderings were all over, and the promised rest was attained. 

No more moving tents, fiery serpents, fierce Amalekites, and howling wildernesses: they came to the land which flowed with milk and honey, and they ate the old corn of the land.

Perhaps this year, beloved Christian reader, this may be thy case or mine. 

Joyful is the prospect, and if faith be in active exercise, it will yield unalloyed delight.

To be with Jesus in the rest which remaineth for the people of God, is a cheering hope indeed, and to expect this glory so soon
is a double bliss.

Unbelief shudders at the Jordan which still rolls between us and the goodly land, but let us rest assured that we have already experienced more ills than death at its worst can cause us.

Let us banish every fearful thought, and rejoice with exceeding great joy, in the prospect that this year we shall begin to be forever with the Lord.
 
A part of the host will this year tarry on earth, to do service for their Lord. 

If this should fall to our lot, there is no reason why the New Year’s text should not still be true. “We who have believed do enter into rest.” 

The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance; he gives
us “glory begun below.” 

In heaven they are secure, and so are we preserved in Christ Jesus; there they triumph over their enemies, and we have victories too.

Celestial spirits enjoy communion with their Lord, and this is not denied to us; they rest in his love, and we have perfect peace in him: they hymn his praise, and it is our privilege to bless him too.

We will this year gather celestial fruits on earthly ground, where faith and hope have made the desert like the garden of the Lord. 

Man did eat angels’ food of old, and why not now?

O for grace to feed on Jesus, and so to eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan this year!
 
~Charles Spurgeon~