| The Hidden Life |
Chapter 5 |
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There are divine words, also, which imply that the supply of blessing that we receive will depend upon ourselves. God’s people in ancient times were commanded to cross the Jordan, the promise being that the steam would divide for them. Yet the waters would not have parted for them if they had not gone forward in the obedience and faith. As a matter of fact, it was only when the feet of the priests, walking in advance, were wetted in the rushing floods that the stream began to sink away. When Jesus was ready to send forth his disciples to bear his gospel, his command was, “Go ye into all the world.” Then came the promise, “And lo! I am with you all the days.” The promise is very precious, but we cannot separate it from the command. We cannot have this blessed presence unless we are, in our own way, to the measure of our own ability, seeking to make disciples of all nations. It is when we go out in his name that he will be with us.
This is the unvarying law of spiritual blessing and good. Life lies before us, with its burdens, its duties, its responsibilities, its struggles, its perplexities. It does not come to us all in one piece. God breaks our years into months and weeks and days, and never gives us more than just a little at a time — never more than we can bear or do for the day. Then if we take up the present duty or burden, we shall always have strength to do it. If we have enough of our own natural strength, — and that is God’s strength too, — he does not need to give us special strength; for why should anything so precious as strength be wasted? But if we do not have strength of our own sufficient for the work or struggle, we need not falter, but should go on, just as if we had omnipotence in our arm; for the promise is that if we honour God by obeying him, though the task be impossible to our ability, he will honour us by giving us all the help we need. The river will surely open when he has bidden us to cross it, if only we move on as if there were no river. The bread will surely be given when we enter the wilderness, following the divine leading, if only we go on as if we had abundance of provision.
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