Faith recognises the reality of an eternal choice, that God has entered into a covenant which cannot be dissolved, and that His love and fidelity are bound to finish the work He has commenced.ģ. To her eye common desert bushes burn with His ShechinahĢ. Faith is conscious that God is there, and that His presence is the complement of every need. What makes the difference? What does faith see? How is she able to work such transformations?ġ. But the eye of faith beholds a paradise of beauty, murmuring brooks filling the air with melody, leafy trees spreading their shade. Still the tiny garret, and the wasting illness still the pining child still the straitened circumstances - still the deferred hope. To the ordinary eye it is probable that there would appear no difference. Life is not easy for any of us, if we regard the external conditions only: but directly we learn the Divine secret, rivers flow over bare heights in magnificent cascades fountains arise in the rock-strewn sterile valleys the wilderness becomes a pool (vers. No height, however bare, nor depth, however profound, can separate us from His love.
It is into the empty branch that the vine-sap pours into the hollowed basin that the water flows the weakness of the child gives scope for the man's strength. Emptiness to receive Him weakness to be empowered by Him. It is necessary that God should have room in which to work. THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH GOD ADDRESSES HIS PEOPLE. (3) It is the word of One whose compassion is well proved. (2) It is the word of one whose faithfulness cannot fail it comes from him whose hand is "the right hand of his righteousness." (1) It is a Divine word "he is our God" (vers. us of our ultimate triumph, not only for ourselves, but for the cause of truth and righteousness in which we are engaged. When he is not actually interposing on our behalf we may rest on his sure promise. He "holds our right hand " he inspires us with skill and energy to act, with fortitude to endure, with patience to persist, with victorious strength. (2) by imparting courage and strength to overcome them. the drowning of the Egyptian host, and the slaughter of the army of Sennacherib or, and more often, (1) by making their difficulties to disappear, so that "they that are against them are as nothing " e.g. "I am thy God: I will strengthen thee," etc. That God our Divine Father, that Christ our unfailing Brother and Friend is with us, is by our side, with purest interest and tender sympathy in his heart, - this is a strength and a stay to our trembling hearts.Ģ. "I am with thee." The presence of a friend or of a parent in the time of trouble is, in itself and independently of any expectation of help, a reassuring thought.
We are inclined to give way to " fear," to allow ourselves even to " be dismayed."ġ. " Thou worm Jacob " " Ye men of Israel." Who is sufficient for all these things? With our bodily weakness, our mental poverty and our spiritual failures, with the limitations of our humanity, we look forward to the work which we have to do, to the sufferings we shall be called to bear, to the battle we shall have to fight, with serious apprehension. 10), and we owe to him the faithful discharge of varied and weighty obligations.ģ. We are God's servants, his children, his spokesmen, his representatives. The weight of the burden of responsibility laid upon us. "All they that were incensed against thee " "they that strive with thee " "they that war against thee." We may say as Paul said, "There are many adversaries." There are the evil tendencies of our own nature not yet extirpated there are the vicious, the ungodly, the half-hearted men, who act injuriously upon us and there are the "principalities and powers" of the evil spiritual world.Ģ.
The strength of the forces which are against us. In the battle and burden of our life we also gladly welcome them to our hearts.ġ. Clarkson Israel in captivity, hoping for return from exile, but fearing lest its enemies should prevail and the desire of its heart be defeated, might well delight in such reassuring words as these. The Christian's Fears and the Christian's Encouragement God's All-Sufficiency a Reason for Fearlessness
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