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Apprehending The Purpose Of God

The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. (John 6:63 NLT)

It is one thing to have aconception or apprehension of the purpose of God, and to be givenup to it, but it is an extra thing to know how God would realizeHis purpose. It is still another thing to know the means He wouldemploy. There are many who have a true conception of what God'spurpose is, but the means which they employ are not God's means,the way in which they go to work is not His way, and thereforethey find that the Lord does not support them. They may be in atrue direction, but being out of fellowship with the method ormeans they are compelled to take responsibility for the workthemselves, and to find the resources. Thus they find themselvesoftimes exhausted, brought to a standstill, and having to resortto all kinds of methods and means to raise the resource to carryon God's work, because they are not in the real enjoyment of HisOwn support. The work of God becomes a burden upon their shoulders,and the Lord cannot order it otherwise because there is not thefullest fellowship and sympathy between them and His ways, Hismethods, His means, His times and the details of His purpose.

Now, in the case of the Lord Jesus it was quite the contrary. In the details He was in secret fellowship with the Father. With Him this represented a detailed obedience unto one comprehensive purpose. The only explanation needed by Him in any given matter was simply that of knowing that the Father willed it, and without any further word He did it. That was the basis of His relationship. Never do we trace in Him a sign of waiting to question why a thing should be done in a certain way, or at a certain time and not another, or why certain means should be employed and not others. It was enough that the Father willed it. The explanation came in the justification and vindication that followed. The doing of the will of God was a matter of that obedience which never moves out from self but always out from the Father. As that held good in His case the spiritual resources of sustenance, maintenance, strength, and energy were supplied.

I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”;nevertheless You heard the voice of mysupplications when I cried out to You.

I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters where the floods overflow me. § Waters flowed over my head; I said, “I am cut off!” I called on Your name, O LORD, from the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear from my sighing, from my cry for help.” You drew near on the day I called on You, and said, “Do not fear!”

Will the LORD cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up HIs tender mercies? And I said, “This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old.§ I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Ps. 31:22; Ps. 69:2 ; Lam. 3:54,55;  Lam. 3:56,57;  Ps. 77:7;  Ps. 77:8;  Ps. 77:9;  Ps. 77:10;  Ps. 77:11; Ps. 27:1

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him.

Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that  You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. § “Ask! What shall I give you?” And Solomon said to God: … “Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people.” § God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.

Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, “LORD it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power … O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” So the LORD struck the Ethiopians before Asa.

O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come.

Ps. 91:15;  1 Chron. 4:9,10;  2 Chron. 1:7,8;  2 Chron. 1:10;  1 Kings 4:29;  2 Chron. 14:11,12;  Ps. 65:2

Handicapped For Christ

My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in [your] weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9).

In self we are crippled; in Christ we conquer. The secret is to face up to the former, and rest in the latter. The disadvantaged believer has all the advantage - he knows it must be "not I, but Christ."

"It is a great step when the believer fully consents to his own weakness, and the abiding consciousness of it, and so works faithfully on, fully assured that his Lord is working through him. He rejoices that the excellence of the power is of God, and not of us. Realizing his oneness with his Lord, he considers no longer his own weakness, but counts on the power of Him of whose hidden working within he is assured.

"It is this secret assurance that gives a brightness to his look, and a gentle firmness to his tone, and a perseverance to all his efforts, which of themselves are great means of influencing those he is seeking to win. He goes forth in the spirit of one to whom victory is assured; for this is the victory that overcometh, even our faith. He no longer counts it humility to say that God cannot bless his unworthy efforts. He claims and expects a blessing, because it is not he, but Christ in him, that worketh. The great secret of abiding in Christ is the deep conviction that we are nothing, and He is everything." -A.M.

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God". (2 Cor. 3:5).

Consequences of Sin - Growing In Grace (8)

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