Taking God at His Word
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TAKING GOD AT HIS WORD.
journey may and must be met with the same simple and sufficient secret of calm, simple belief in what God has said, Itis strange and surprising even to ourselves how absolutely exough we always do find it, just to believe that Prov. xvi. 3. it shall be even as God has told us, and 'rest'? on His word.
The 'it' may be for us one thing to-day, another to-morrow, according to the circumstances He sends; but the 'shall be' cannot be severed from it.
He has 'told us' so much, that we have only to recognise our special need, to find 2 Chron.
XXXii. 8.
Matt. xxiv, 35+ at once that He has already 'told' us exactly what we want.
Glance at the needs of this day— our weakness, our openness to temptation, our liability to fall, our besetting sins, Our ignorance, our present or possible troubles, our longing for Himx Pet. v. 8
Ps. Ixxiil. 22, Psalxoar. self, which includes all other holy longing—seven pressing realities.
Now Psa inte te let us hush our hearts to listen to the reality of His corresponding replies.:
'I will strengthen thee.'
'Ye shall be able to quench a// the fiery darts of Isa, xli. 10.
Eph. vi. 16.
ROYAL COMMANDMENTS.
y ee the wicked.'
'Able to keep you from falling' (Gr. 'stumbling').
'He shall save His people from ¢heir sins' (2.2. just your own special ones).
'I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go.'
'I will not leave you comfortless.'
'I will come to you.'
Can we read these words—His. own words, and say, 'I do zo¢ believe God!'
Jude 24.
Matt. i. 27.
Ps. x¥xii. 8.
John xiv. 18.
Even the recoil from such an expression may help a trembling one to the joyful and only alternative : 'I believe
God, that it shall be even as it was told me.'
Not less, not almost as, but "even as,' with God's own fulness of meaning in each word of each promise.
David prayed: 'Do as Thou hast said...
. For Thou, O my God, hast told Thy servant that Thou wilt build him an house:
¢herefore Thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before Thee.'
And because God had 'promised this goodness,' he prayed on confidently : 'Now therefore let it please
Thee to bless .
. .: for Thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed for ever.'
Has He not 'told' us of blessings 1 Chron. xvii.
23525. ib. xvii. 26. ib. xvii. 27.
Eph. i. 3.
TAKING GOD AT HIS WORD.
Ioi beyond those for which David pleaded, and may we not claim these in the name of Jesus with a childlike, 'Do as Thou hast said'?
The ground of St. Paul's belief was not something, butSome One.
Simply, 'I believe God'/ An earnest worker said the other day, 'Oh, I am so glad it does not say, 'I know what I have believed," but, "I know whom I have believed" !'
This belief, of course, includes all His messages, written or spoken.
'If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established,' is a word of continual application to the trembling or wavering steps of our daily path.
But 'this is His commandment,'
'Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His ; 2 Tim. i, 12.
Isa. vil. g. t Johniii. 23.
2 Chron. xx.
20. prophets, so shall ye prosper.' :
And then, 'Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were ¢o/d her from Luke i. 45. the Lord.'
'Even as it was told me.'
'And so Acts xxvii, it came to pass.'
25) 44
ROVAL COMMANDMENTS.
TWENTY-FIRST Day.
—)=—— Our Conmission, 'And let him that heareth say, Come.'
Rev. xxii.17.
HEY delivered the king's comEzra viii. 36. missions unto the king's lieutenants.'
Have some of us thought it would be easier to work for God if a definite commission were delivered to us, so that we could know exactly what we were to do and say ?—a commission so explicit, that there could be no mistake either in its personal delivery to ourselves or in our execution of it?
Then here it is!
To whom is it delivered?
Simply to 'him that heareth.'
'The Spirit and the bride say, Come.
And let him that heareth say, Come.'
Then, if this blessed call has been heard by you, for you is thecommission intended, Josh. i. 16.
Rev. xxii. 17. ee