The Tragedy of the Unfinished Task (continued)
The Spirit of the World
The next thing that caused these people to settle down too soon was the spirit of the world getting in among them. What is the spirit of the world? It is the spirit of: Have a good time! Let us have a good time! Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die! And these people of Israel looked at the world around them and, if I understand it rightly, they said: 'These people do not have all the hard time that we do. Our life is a life of continual battle. They do not know so much about that, but they believe in having a good time.' I think that is how it was at this particular time.
Of course, up to this time Israel had given the people round about a bad time! But Israel had lost the fighting spirit now, and the world was having a good time because the Church was no longer fighting it. Instead of fighting the world they made friends with the world. They made the world their friends, and so they did not finish the work. Compromise is a dangerous thing to the inheritance! Trying to be on good terms with the world and having an easy time will result in our losing a large part of the inheritance.
Recovering the Fighting Spirit
But let us finish on a better note. As I said before, God did not give up, and whenever the people took up the battle again and turned again on the Lord's side to fight the enemy, they found the Lord waiting for them. So we have the story of Deborah, the story of Gideon - and dare I mention Samson? However, although Samson was a poor sort of man, if only the Lord gets a chance, He will take it. You may not think much of Samson - but do you think better of yourself? We are all poor creatures! We have all been discouraged, we have all been tempted to give up, we have all stopped too soon, we have all been weary in well-doing, but take the sword of the Spirit again! Take up the battle again, and you will find the Lord is ready and waiting for you.
Gideon - Deborah - Samson - and all the others. But I think there is one who is better than them all - do you remember the beautiful little Book of Ruth? Everybody is charmed with that book! What a lovely book of spiritual recovery it is What a picture of the Lord's patience, the Lord's readiness to take advantage of every opportunity! How does that book begin? "And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged ..." The Book of Ruth was in the times of the Judges, which until then was the most terrible time in history of Israel, but God was ready to change the whole picture. There are the two different pictures: the Judges and Ruth, but both were in the same period. Do you see what I am trying to say?
Dear friends, we are in a great battle, and it is long drawn out. We can get very weary in the fight. We can become discouraged and give up too soon. We may have to stop before the work is finished. That is always our temptation, the tragic possibility in the Christian life, but the Lord does not give up. He does not faint, nor is He discouraged, and if we will turn again to Him, rise up again, recover our fighting spirit again and continue to fight the good fight, we shall find the Lord is ready every time, and He is always wanting to help us to fight to the end. He will help till the day is done!
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 17 -3(Gather My Saints Together)
Friday, September 19, 2014
Have You Received the Holy Spirit?
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the word of God with boldness. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection (Acts 4:31-33).
Christmas Evans tells us in his diary that one Sunday afternoon he was traveling a very lonely road to attend an appointment, and he was convicted of a cold heart. He says,
"I tethered my horse and went to a sequestered spot, where I walked to and fro in an agony as I reviewed my life. I waited three hours before God, broken with sorrow, until there broke over me a sweet sense of His forgiving love. I received from God a new baptism of the Holy Ghost.
As the sun was westering, I went back to the road, found my horse, mounted it and went to my appointment. On the following day I preached with such new power to a vast concourse of people gathered on the hillside, that a revival broke out that day and spread through all Wales."
The greatest question that can be asked of the "twice born" ones is, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" This was the password into the early Church.
O the Spirit filled life; is it thine, is it thine?
Is thy soul wholly filled with the Spirit Divine?
O thou child of the King, has He fallen on thee?
Does He reign in thy soul, so that all men may see
The dear Savior's blest image reflected in thee?
Has He swept through thy soul like the waves of the sea?
Does the Spirit of God daily rest upon thee?
Does He sweeten thy life, does He keep thee from care?
Does He guide thee and bless thee in answer to prayer?
Is it joy to be led of the Lord anywhere?
Is He near thee each hour, does He stand at thy side?
Does He gird thee with strength, has He come to abide?
Does He give thee to know that all things may be done
Through the grace and the power of the Crucified One?
Does He witness to thee of the glorified Son?
Has He purged thee of dross with the fire from above?
Is He first in thy thoughts, has He all of thy love?
Is His service thy choice, and is sacrifice sweet?
Is the doing His will both thy drink and thy meat?
Dost thou run at His bidding with glad eager feet?
Has He freed thee from self and from all of thy greed?
Dost thou hasten to succor thy brother in need?
As a soldier of Christ dost thou hardness endure?
Is thy hope in the Lord everlasting and sure?
Hast thou patience and meekness, art tender and pure?
O the Spirit filled life may be thine, may be thine,
In thy soul evermore the Shekinah may shine;
It is thine to live with the tempests all stilled,
It is thine with the blessed Holy Ghost to be filled;
It is thine, even thine, for thy Lord has so willed.
Is thy soul wholly filled with the Spirit Divine?
O thou child of the King, has He fallen on thee?
Does He reign in thy soul, so that all men may see
The dear Savior's blest image reflected in thee?
Has He swept through thy soul like the waves of the sea?
Does the Spirit of God daily rest upon thee?
Does He sweeten thy life, does He keep thee from care?
Does He guide thee and bless thee in answer to prayer?
Is it joy to be led of the Lord anywhere?
Is He near thee each hour, does He stand at thy side?
Does He gird thee with strength, has He come to abide?
Does He give thee to know that all things may be done
Through the grace and the power of the Crucified One?
Does He witness to thee of the glorified Son?
Has He purged thee of dross with the fire from above?
Is He first in thy thoughts, has He all of thy love?
Is His service thy choice, and is sacrifice sweet?
Is the doing His will both thy drink and thy meat?
Dost thou run at His bidding with glad eager feet?
Has He freed thee from self and from all of thy greed?
Dost thou hasten to succor thy brother in need?
As a soldier of Christ dost thou hardness endure?
Is thy hope in the Lord everlasting and sure?
Hast thou patience and meekness, art tender and pure?
O the Spirit filled life may be thine, may be thine,
In thy soul evermore the Shekinah may shine;
It is thine to live with the tempests all stilled,
It is thine with the blessed Holy Ghost to be filled;
It is thine, even thine, for thy Lord has so willed.
~L. B. Cowman~
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Discipline Unto Prayer # 15
The Tragedy of the Unfinished Task (continued)
Weariness In the Battle (continued)
The first reason why these people settled down too soon, then, was discouragement. It was not because they had had no victories - they had had many - but because they said: 'There is no end to his battle! It looks as though we shall never finish!' So in weariness and discouragement they settled down too soon.
I feel sure that this Book of Judges recognizes that. Every time these people stirred themselves again they found that the Lord was very ready to go on with them. This book is a picture of an up-and-down Christian life. One day these people are down in despair, and another day they are up in victory. It was that kind of Christian life which was always up and down, but when they turned their faces to the Lord they found that He was waiting for them. The Lord had not given up. He was always ready to go on. I think that is the first great lesson in this Book of the Judges.
The Loss of Heavenly Vision
But what was the effect of this loss, of this stopping too soon? It was the loss of vision. They only saw the things that were near and lost sight of God's eternal purpose. They lost sight of what Paul calls the "prize of the on-high calling" (Philippians 3:14). Now this sounds like a contradiction, but they lost sight of the things that are not seen! You say: 'What do you mean by that? This is nonsense! How can you see the things that are not seen?' Paul says: "The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). They lost sight of the things which are eternal because they were looking too much at the things which are seen. They lost the heavenly vision for they became satisfied too soon. It was all good so far, but the good became the enemy of the best.
The first thing that happened, then, was the loss of the heavenly vision. It works both ways. If we lose the heavenly vision we settle down too soon. If we settle down too soon we lose the heavenly vision. And what do we mean by settling down too soon? We mean: losing the warring spirit. In this Book of Judges the Philistines resorted to a very subtle strategy: they took all the weapons of war away from Israel, and all that they had left was one file to sharpen their agricultural instruments, so that every farmer in Israel had to take a journey to the blacksmith to sharpen his farm instruments. All the sharp instruments had been taken away, and the spirit of war was undermined.
The Philistines had made it impossible for Israel to fight and you know that there is a very big Philistine about! The strategy of this great enemy of the inheritance is to take the fighting spirit out of us. Oh, what a lot of mischief the Philistines have done to Christians! What about our prayer life? There was a time when we were mighty warriors in prayer. We fought the Lord's battles in prayer. What about our prayer meetings? Where can you find the prayer meetings now that are out in spiritual warfare? Yes, we ask the Lord for a hundred and one things, but we do not battle through to victory on some situation. There is some life in terrible bondage, their is some servant of the Lord having a hard time, and there are many other calls for battle, but where are the prayer groups who take up these issues and will not give up until they are settled? The warring spirit has gone out from so much of the Church. That is a clever strategy of the devil! Lose the spirit of spiritual battle and you will stop short of finishing the work.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 16 - (The Spirit of the World)
Weariness In the Battle (continued)
The first reason why these people settled down too soon, then, was discouragement. It was not because they had had no victories - they had had many - but because they said: 'There is no end to his battle! It looks as though we shall never finish!' So in weariness and discouragement they settled down too soon.
I feel sure that this Book of Judges recognizes that. Every time these people stirred themselves again they found that the Lord was very ready to go on with them. This book is a picture of an up-and-down Christian life. One day these people are down in despair, and another day they are up in victory. It was that kind of Christian life which was always up and down, but when they turned their faces to the Lord they found that He was waiting for them. The Lord had not given up. He was always ready to go on. I think that is the first great lesson in this Book of the Judges.
The Loss of Heavenly Vision
But what was the effect of this loss, of this stopping too soon? It was the loss of vision. They only saw the things that were near and lost sight of God's eternal purpose. They lost sight of what Paul calls the "prize of the on-high calling" (Philippians 3:14). Now this sounds like a contradiction, but they lost sight of the things that are not seen! You say: 'What do you mean by that? This is nonsense! How can you see the things that are not seen?' Paul says: "The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). They lost sight of the things which are eternal because they were looking too much at the things which are seen. They lost the heavenly vision for they became satisfied too soon. It was all good so far, but the good became the enemy of the best.
The first thing that happened, then, was the loss of the heavenly vision. It works both ways. If we lose the heavenly vision we settle down too soon. If we settle down too soon we lose the heavenly vision. And what do we mean by settling down too soon? We mean: losing the warring spirit. In this Book of Judges the Philistines resorted to a very subtle strategy: they took all the weapons of war away from Israel, and all that they had left was one file to sharpen their agricultural instruments, so that every farmer in Israel had to take a journey to the blacksmith to sharpen his farm instruments. All the sharp instruments had been taken away, and the spirit of war was undermined.
The Philistines had made it impossible for Israel to fight and you know that there is a very big Philistine about! The strategy of this great enemy of the inheritance is to take the fighting spirit out of us. Oh, what a lot of mischief the Philistines have done to Christians! What about our prayer life? There was a time when we were mighty warriors in prayer. We fought the Lord's battles in prayer. What about our prayer meetings? Where can you find the prayer meetings now that are out in spiritual warfare? Yes, we ask the Lord for a hundred and one things, but we do not battle through to victory on some situation. There is some life in terrible bondage, their is some servant of the Lord having a hard time, and there are many other calls for battle, but where are the prayer groups who take up these issues and will not give up until they are settled? The warring spirit has gone out from so much of the Church. That is a clever strategy of the devil! Lose the spirit of spiritual battle and you will stop short of finishing the work.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 16 - (The Spirit of the World)
The Entrance of Error
Jude 1:4 gives us an ominous warning,
For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude is giving us an idea of how the devil brings error into a church. The key phrase is men have crept in unnoticed. That phrase literally means to come alongside by stealth. It pictures someone creeping in and coming alongside, like coming in through a side door.
The folks Jude is talking about look like everyone else, they talk like everyone else, but they are not like everyone else.
That is the way the devil brings error and false doctrine into the Church. It looks like the truth, sounds good, seems like the truth, and it may even be partially true. But there is enough poison in it to kill you.
It's like the guy who wanted to break into a used car lot to steal a bunch of auto parts. The only problem was the two guard dogs. So for the next week he showed up every night with some pieces of meat.
At first the dogs would bark like crazy, but after the man left, they would eat the meat. By the end of the week, they didn't bark at all, they just wanted the meat. So, having become familiar with the dogs, knowing that they wouldn't "sound the alarm," he approached them one last time—with poisoned meat. The dogs ate, and he was able to get into the lot and steal all he wanted.
That is the way the devil does it a lot of times. He sends someone among the believers in order to distract and detour them from the truth. But it is calculated and happens by degrees. Do not let your "inner alarm system" go silent through familiarity.
Beware of those who would move you away, even subtly, from the clearly revealed truth of God's Word.
~Bayless Conley~
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Discipline Unto Prayer # 14
The Tragedy of the Unfinished Task
We move to the Book of Judges - and how very different it is from the Book of Joshua! I think the Book of Judges is the most terrible book in the Bible! And why is it such a terrible book? Because it is the book of the unfinished task.
In the Book of Joshua the people of Israel went into the land, and had a wonderful history of victory after victory, moving more and more into God's full purpose. Then, before they had finished the work, they settled down In the last chapters of the Book of Joshua we see the people just settling down before the work is perfect. They had heard the great call of God. God's purpose had been presented to them and they had made a response to it. They had moved so far, and then, before it was all finished, they settled down. The Book of Judges follows, and that is the book of the tragedy of the unfinished work.
None of us will say that there is nothing like that in Christianity today! There are many Christians who make a wonderful beginning. They see the vision of God's great purpose, and certain words in the New Testament make a great appeal to them, such as: "Called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). That is a wonderful vision! According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:11). Such a thought makes a great appeal to these people and they make a heart response. They go on so far, and then many stop too soon. They lose the vision; they lose the inspiration; they lose the sense of purpose; they lose the energy to go on, and of some we have to say: 'Something has gone out of their faces. What was there with them once is not there now They were so positive once, so occupied with the heavenly calling, but something has happened.' These people may not be altogether conscious of it, and they would not tell you that something has happened. They have just lost something, and you do not get the response now from then that you once got. They are not so interested now as they were. The heavenly vision has gone out of their lives. That is true of many Christians, and it could be true of all of us.
And the Book of Judges is our instructor in this matter. What I say now is not in judgment - although it is from the Book of Judges! I have a very great deal of sympathy with these people. Oh yes, I know how wrong it was, and how this book spelt the failure of these people. I know how sorry the Lord was about it, but from my own experience I cannot help being sympathetic; for I think I understand.
Weariness In the Battle
Why did these people stop short of finishing the job? I think that very likely it was because they became weary in well doing. The battle was long drawn out. It was spread over years and was very exhausting. No sooner had they gained one victory than they had to start fighting again. They did not have much rest between one battle and the next one. It was a long-drawn-out warfare, they got weary in battle, and in their weariness they lost the vision, they lost heart, and they lost the initiative.
I am so glad that with all the strong things that the New Testament says, it says some very kind and underthings things about this? "Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9); "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ... your labor is not vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58); "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love" (Hebrews 6:10). What a lot of things there are like that! And Jesus said to His disciples, who were being brought into the battle: "Let not your heart be troubled!" (John 14:1), while we can hear the Lord's words to Joshua: "Be strong and of a good courage; be not affrighted, neither be thou dismayed" (Joshua 1:9). Again, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13).
These people in the Book of Judges were discouraged by weariness - and we are all capable of that! Sometimes it is not easy for us to give up - because we do not want to get out of the battle, and yet, at the same time, we do want to get out of it. The battle is inside, and even so great a man as the Apostle Paul had that battle. He said: 'I really do not know what to do! I have a strong desire to depart and be with the Lord in order to get out of the battle, and yet I know that duty to the Lord would keep me in the battle!' I say that that is a possible temptation to every Christian, and the Lord knows all about that! The New Testament is full of understanding things about it.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 15)
We move to the Book of Judges - and how very different it is from the Book of Joshua! I think the Book of Judges is the most terrible book in the Bible! And why is it such a terrible book? Because it is the book of the unfinished task.
In the Book of Joshua the people of Israel went into the land, and had a wonderful history of victory after victory, moving more and more into God's full purpose. Then, before they had finished the work, they settled down In the last chapters of the Book of Joshua we see the people just settling down before the work is perfect. They had heard the great call of God. God's purpose had been presented to them and they had made a response to it. They had moved so far, and then, before it was all finished, they settled down. The Book of Judges follows, and that is the book of the tragedy of the unfinished work.
None of us will say that there is nothing like that in Christianity today! There are many Christians who make a wonderful beginning. They see the vision of God's great purpose, and certain words in the New Testament make a great appeal to them, such as: "Called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). That is a wonderful vision! According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:11). Such a thought makes a great appeal to these people and they make a heart response. They go on so far, and then many stop too soon. They lose the vision; they lose the inspiration; they lose the sense of purpose; they lose the energy to go on, and of some we have to say: 'Something has gone out of their faces. What was there with them once is not there now They were so positive once, so occupied with the heavenly calling, but something has happened.' These people may not be altogether conscious of it, and they would not tell you that something has happened. They have just lost something, and you do not get the response now from then that you once got. They are not so interested now as they were. The heavenly vision has gone out of their lives. That is true of many Christians, and it could be true of all of us.
And the Book of Judges is our instructor in this matter. What I say now is not in judgment - although it is from the Book of Judges! I have a very great deal of sympathy with these people. Oh yes, I know how wrong it was, and how this book spelt the failure of these people. I know how sorry the Lord was about it, but from my own experience I cannot help being sympathetic; for I think I understand.
Weariness In the Battle
Why did these people stop short of finishing the job? I think that very likely it was because they became weary in well doing. The battle was long drawn out. It was spread over years and was very exhausting. No sooner had they gained one victory than they had to start fighting again. They did not have much rest between one battle and the next one. It was a long-drawn-out warfare, they got weary in battle, and in their weariness they lost the vision, they lost heart, and they lost the initiative.
I am so glad that with all the strong things that the New Testament says, it says some very kind and underthings things about this? "Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9); "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ... your labor is not vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58); "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love" (Hebrews 6:10). What a lot of things there are like that! And Jesus said to His disciples, who were being brought into the battle: "Let not your heart be troubled!" (John 14:1), while we can hear the Lord's words to Joshua: "Be strong and of a good courage; be not affrighted, neither be thou dismayed" (Joshua 1:9). Again, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13).
These people in the Book of Judges were discouraged by weariness - and we are all capable of that! Sometimes it is not easy for us to give up - because we do not want to get out of the battle, and yet, at the same time, we do want to get out of it. The battle is inside, and even so great a man as the Apostle Paul had that battle. He said: 'I really do not know what to do! I have a strong desire to depart and be with the Lord in order to get out of the battle, and yet I know that duty to the Lord would keep me in the battle!' I say that that is a possible temptation to every Christian, and the Lord knows all about that! The New Testament is full of understanding things about it.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 15)
Adrian Rogers Devotionals
How Do I Get More Light?
BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” Psalm 119:34
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Is God righteous? Yes! How is the righteousness of God revealed? “From faith to faith.” How does that work? God gives you truth…you believe that truth…God gives you more truth.
The more you obey the light, the more light you get.
The reason some of us don’t understand the Bible any more than we do is because we have not been living up to the light God has already given us! If you want to understand the part of the Bible you don’t understand, begin to obey the part you do understand and you’ll understand what you didn’t understand. Do you understand?
ACTION POINT:
Ask God for faith that will reveal to you the hidden truths of His Word that are hard for you to understand right now.
“Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” Psalm 119:34
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Is God righteous? Yes! How is the righteousness of God revealed? “From faith to faith.” How does that work? God gives you truth…you believe that truth…God gives you more truth.
The more you obey the light, the more light you get.
The reason some of us don’t understand the Bible any more than we do is because we have not been living up to the light God has already given us! If you want to understand the part of the Bible you don’t understand, begin to obey the part you do understand and you’ll understand what you didn’t understand. Do you understand?
ACTION POINT:
Ask God for faith that will reveal to you the hidden truths of His Word that are hard for you to understand right now.
----------------------------------------------------------
One Body in Christ
BIBLE MEDITATION:
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Romans 12:5
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
My left hand is a member of my body. So is my right hand. The right hand cannot direct the left hand and vice versa. But both hands can receive instruction from the head. If one hand is connected to the head and the other hand is connected to the head, then it simply follows that our hands are going to submit one to another. They’re not going to fight one another.
It’s the same way in the Body of Christ—the church. Who is the head of the body? The Lord Jesus Christ. Who are the members of the body? You and I. God put us in the church together that we might have a spirit of submission in the fear of the Lord.
ACTION POINT:
Is there someone in the church with whom you’re having difficulties? Submit yourself to the Lord and allow Him to give you grace to submit one to another.
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Romans 12:5
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
My left hand is a member of my body. So is my right hand. The right hand cannot direct the left hand and vice versa. But both hands can receive instruction from the head. If one hand is connected to the head and the other hand is connected to the head, then it simply follows that our hands are going to submit one to another. They’re not going to fight one another.
It’s the same way in the Body of Christ—the church. Who is the head of the body? The Lord Jesus Christ. Who are the members of the body? You and I. God put us in the church together that we might have a spirit of submission in the fear of the Lord.
ACTION POINT:
Is there someone in the church with whom you’re having difficulties? Submit yourself to the Lord and allow Him to give you grace to submit one to another.
~Adrian Rogers~
Monday, September 15, 2014
Discipline Unto Prayer # 13
Meekness Of the Man of God (continued)
Mercy of Answered Prayer
Think, also, of the wonderful way in which the Lord answered Moses' prayers. There were miracles of preservation, miracles of provision, miracles of progress. Every time when a new crisis of need came upon them, Moses turned to the secret place of prayer and called on the Name of the Lord. And on each occasion there were fresh blessings which could only have come by way of the trials. The people could not pray for themselves. More often than not they doubted and complained. Moses was the man who prayed, and so Moses had the full spiritual blessing which comes to those who see their prayers answered, especially if these prayers are for others rather than for themselves. After all, when the people lacked food, Moses was as hungry as any of them. He, too, could have died from thirst, just like the rest. When they were attacked by their enemies, Moses was as much in danger as any of them - possibly more. It seems, though, that as a true intercessor should, Moses forgot himself and his own needs in his shepherd-like concern for the people. He prayed for them, not for himself; and, as he did so, he could hardly ignore the fact that they were as unworthy as he. When the prayers were answered - and what a wonderful record of answered prayer the wilderness journey provided! - then anew he would be impressed with the greatness of God's mercy.
There were, of course, deeper spiritual needs than the physical and material perils of the wilderness way. There were times when the whole nation was likely to be destroyed, because of its disobedience and sin. There were individuals, like Aaron and Miriam, whose only hope of survival could be in the mercy of God. Moses was the man who prayed for that mercy, and God graciously responded to his selfless intercession. There are two ways of receiving answers to prayer. The wrong way is that of conceit, as though we or our prayers had some kind of merit in them. A prayer ministry will not continue for long, nor remain effective, if any such spirit is allowed a place in the heart of the intercessor. But there is the other way, when those concerned are humbled to the dust by the sheer goodness and grace of God. Even more than suffering, even more than chastening, the very abundance of God's mercy can melt our hearts in lowly gratitude. Such people do not have to try to be meek. They do not even have to pray to be made meek. It is the goodness of God, so amazing and so undeserved, which produces such meekness.
The Influence of A Meek Man
It was after the people's greatest sin, and God's gracious pardon, that the new promise was given: "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest (Exodus 33:14). The "rest" here spoken of was something more than comfort or easement: it implied that the expedition would reach its successful end, and that the people would be led into the land of promise, which was God's "rest". Moses had earlier lost all confidence in himself. He knew that he had failed God. Now, in a very thorough way, he had reason to lose confidence in the whole people who had sinned away all their prospects. Only one hope was left to him, and this was the hope now inspired by God's new promise. It was hope in the mercy of God.
We know that the nation did get through. Although Moses himself was not allowed to lead them into their inheritance. On the Divine side, this success was due solely to God's great mercy; on the human side, to the shepherding ministry of the man Moses. What was the secret? We are told: it was that he excelled in meekness. So we are left with this definite implication, that in any people who are in danger of breakdown and failure, the one contribution which has most value among them is meekness. If there be but one truly meek man or woman in that situation there is still hope. "The meek will He guide in judgement: and the meek He will teach His way" (Psalm 25:9). There are various qualifications for the man who would serve the Lord, but this is probably the most important. The one who excels in meekness will be the one who knows face-to-face communion with God, and proofs of the mighty hand of God which are denied to all others. May we, too, learn something of the meekness of the man of God.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 14 - (The Tragedy of the Unfinished Task)
Mercy of Answered Prayer
Think, also, of the wonderful way in which the Lord answered Moses' prayers. There were miracles of preservation, miracles of provision, miracles of progress. Every time when a new crisis of need came upon them, Moses turned to the secret place of prayer and called on the Name of the Lord. And on each occasion there were fresh blessings which could only have come by way of the trials. The people could not pray for themselves. More often than not they doubted and complained. Moses was the man who prayed, and so Moses had the full spiritual blessing which comes to those who see their prayers answered, especially if these prayers are for others rather than for themselves. After all, when the people lacked food, Moses was as hungry as any of them. He, too, could have died from thirst, just like the rest. When they were attacked by their enemies, Moses was as much in danger as any of them - possibly more. It seems, though, that as a true intercessor should, Moses forgot himself and his own needs in his shepherd-like concern for the people. He prayed for them, not for himself; and, as he did so, he could hardly ignore the fact that they were as unworthy as he. When the prayers were answered - and what a wonderful record of answered prayer the wilderness journey provided! - then anew he would be impressed with the greatness of God's mercy.
There were, of course, deeper spiritual needs than the physical and material perils of the wilderness way. There were times when the whole nation was likely to be destroyed, because of its disobedience and sin. There were individuals, like Aaron and Miriam, whose only hope of survival could be in the mercy of God. Moses was the man who prayed for that mercy, and God graciously responded to his selfless intercession. There are two ways of receiving answers to prayer. The wrong way is that of conceit, as though we or our prayers had some kind of merit in them. A prayer ministry will not continue for long, nor remain effective, if any such spirit is allowed a place in the heart of the intercessor. But there is the other way, when those concerned are humbled to the dust by the sheer goodness and grace of God. Even more than suffering, even more than chastening, the very abundance of God's mercy can melt our hearts in lowly gratitude. Such people do not have to try to be meek. They do not even have to pray to be made meek. It is the goodness of God, so amazing and so undeserved, which produces such meekness.
The Influence of A Meek Man
It was after the people's greatest sin, and God's gracious pardon, that the new promise was given: "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest (Exodus 33:14). The "rest" here spoken of was something more than comfort or easement: it implied that the expedition would reach its successful end, and that the people would be led into the land of promise, which was God's "rest". Moses had earlier lost all confidence in himself. He knew that he had failed God. Now, in a very thorough way, he had reason to lose confidence in the whole people who had sinned away all their prospects. Only one hope was left to him, and this was the hope now inspired by God's new promise. It was hope in the mercy of God.
We know that the nation did get through. Although Moses himself was not allowed to lead them into their inheritance. On the Divine side, this success was due solely to God's great mercy; on the human side, to the shepherding ministry of the man Moses. What was the secret? We are told: it was that he excelled in meekness. So we are left with this definite implication, that in any people who are in danger of breakdown and failure, the one contribution which has most value among them is meekness. If there be but one truly meek man or woman in that situation there is still hope. "The meek will He guide in judgement: and the meek He will teach His way" (Psalm 25:9). There are various qualifications for the man who would serve the Lord, but this is probably the most important. The one who excels in meekness will be the one who knows face-to-face communion with God, and proofs of the mighty hand of God which are denied to all others. May we, too, learn something of the meekness of the man of God.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 14 - (The Tragedy of the Unfinished Task)
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