Walking With God Today 08/01/08

Today I provide you a classic reading from William Gurnall.

STAY ON COURSE TO THE END

There are times when a saint is called to trust in a withdrawing God.  ‘[Let him] that walketh in darkness and hath no light…trust in the name of the Lord’ (Isaiah50:10).  This requires a bold step of faith–to venture into God’s presence with the same temerity as Esther into Ahasuerus’s.  Even when no smile lights His face, when no golden scepter is extended to summon us to come near, we must press forward with this noble resolution: ‘If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).

Which leads our faith one step further: We must trust also in a ‘killing God.’  We must declare with Job, ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15).  It takes a submissive faith for a soul to march steadily forward while God seems to fire upon that soul and shoot His frowns like poisoned arrows into it.  This is hard work, and will test the Christian’s mettle.  Yet such a spirit we find in the poor woman of Canaan, who caught the bullets Christ shot at her, and with a humble boldness sent them back again in her prayer (Matt. 15:22-28).

Your work and your life must go off the stage together.  Persisting to the end will be the burr under your saddle–the thorn in your flesh– when the road ahead seems endless and your soul begs on early discharge.  It weighs down every other difficulty of your calling.  We have known many who have joined the army of Christ and liked being a soldier for a battle or two, but have soon had enough and ended up deserting.    They impulsively enlist for Christian duties, are easily persuaded to take up a profession of religion, and are just as easily persuaded to lay it down.  Like the new moon, they shine a little in the first part of the evening, but go down before the night is over.

Taking up the cross daily, praying always, watching night and day and never laying aside our armor to indulge ourselves, sends many sorrowful away from Christ.

From THE CHRISTIAN IN COMPLETE ARMOUR, Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare, by William Gurnall; January 5th reading.

The following are verses used in the reading above:

“Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.”Isaiah 50:10 (KJV)

“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16 (KJV)

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Job 13:15 (KJV)

“And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” Matthew 15:22-28 (KJV)

Walk With God Today.

-Tim A. Blankenship