Faith

If we act only because our path is clear of difficulty, this is not Faith. Faith acts upon God’s Word whatever the difficulty; and to walk by faith brings highest glory to God; but it is a crucifying the flesh.

To be strong in Faith two things are needful, - a very low esteem of ourselves, and a very high esteem of Christ.

The chief excellency of Faith is that it brings us into fellowship with God. Abel - the first spoken of in Heb. 11.¹ - is commended, not because of any great deed in man’s account, but because he worshipped God acceptably. Nevertheless, if we trust God, there is no limit to the power of Faith, whatever the thing to be done.

God shelters the weak in faith from many a storm, whereby the strong in faith must be proved. (Gen. 22.)²

When a man builds house or ship, he takes heed that no beam be strained; so God never overtaxes our Faith, but brings in comfort, knowing our frame, not suffering us to have sorrow upon sorrow, according to Phil. 2:27.³

By neglect of God, and forgetfulness of His word and promise, our minds may become blinded to plainest things. Isaac, through self-will and allowing his natural partiality to blind him, would have set aside as nothing the purposes of God concerning Jacob. When we are especially strong in Faith, we have especial need to watch against unbelief (compare 1 Sam. 26:5 and on⁴, with 27:1⁵)

for as the flesh takes great occasion by sin, so by grace; and no one who studies much that profitable book, his own heart, but must know it.

Soon after Abraham had greatly trusted God, he through unbelief denied his wife. Moses, the meekest of men, spake unadvisedly with his lips. David, the humble, forgiving man, was moved to proud wrath by the words of Nabal.

Faith, which always acts according to the mind of Christ, stoops to no unworthy device for deliverance from trial, leaving consequences wholly with God.

A little increase of Faith works great changes of judgment in us, and brings forth the otherwise hidden riches of the grace and wisdom of God: it stirs His power to do wonders for us, dividing the sea when the waves thereof roar.

Heb. 11:24.⁶ - Moses’ first great step of Faith was the refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Yet Moses mistook the time for delivering Israel by forty years. He was too hasty; right in point of purpose, not in point of time. He was not content with the bare doing the will of God; he would straightway accomplish some great thing. After leaving Pharaoh’s house he should have asked of God further guidance. We need guidance step by step. “I (saith the Lord) taught Ephraim to go, taking them by their arms (Hos. 11:3)⁷.

Faith looks straight to the command in order to obey it, and takes the promise for her support. She pushes on her way, regardless of dangers. Moses must “go forward,” though the next step lead the people into the sea. Whatever appearances may say to us, it is by advancing in the narrow way of obedience that we prove the truth of the promises; and the faithfulness, the wisdom, and the power of our promise-giving God.

We must not be deceived by appearances, but be sustained by promises. When Jacob looked upon Joseph’s coat, which had been brought to him, he should have said, “I see the coat that is covered with blood; I hear the report of the death of Joseph; but, Lord, I believe Thy word - Thy promises concerning the greatness and the glory of my son: what Thou hast spoken Thou wilt perform.”

It is a great proof of the strength and steadiness of Faith when, diligent in pleasing God, we rise above our obedience to God Himself.

Grace makes light of sacrifices, because of looking straight to Jesus.

Unbelief begets all sorts of evils; Faith prevents and cures them.

Would that the saints of God tried themselves by this test: “How much do I believe?” instead of “How much do I know?”

We please God by trusting Him; trusting His grace, His love, His wisdom; trusting without limit: but it is only by little and little that we come to account our own wisdom folly, and God’s wisdom true wisdom - wisdom infinite; then we are able to yield up ourselves unreservedly unto Him.

Faith labours, and holds on, despite of all appearances, and in the midst of all difficulties.

Rather let us look by Faith to Christ at God’s right hand, than at the mountain of difficulties before our eyes.

One of the best answers to prayer is to be able to continue in prayer. (See Matt. 15:21-28.)⁸

Faith perpetually cries to God for its own increase.

All things that are within the compass of God’s promises are within the compass of Faith.

Let Faith lay heart-sins upon Christ, and there will be no plague-spots upon the skin.

Faith waits upon God; but she waits also for God. Jacob (in Gen. 32:9-12)⁹ waited upon God regarding Esau his brother; but he did not wait for God. Had he done so, he would not have bowed down (33:3)¹⁰ seven times to his brother: Esau must have bowed down to him (27:29)¹¹.

God delights in putting faith to do that which the flesh declares impossible. Oh, how precious a jewel is that resolute Faith which walks with God under all circumstances, wrestling against the powers of darkness, making no bow to the Haman of evil customs, or evil principles!

We cannot be losers by trusting God, for He is honoured by Faith, and most honoured when Faith discerns His love and truth behind a thick cloud of His ways and providence. Happy those who are thus tried! Thus saith the Lord, “Count it, all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 2:3)¹². Let us only be clear of unbelief and a guilty conscience, and we shall hide ourselves in the rock and pavilion of the Lord, sheltered beneath the wings of everlasting love till all calamities be overpast.

Faith can bear the test of death and burial, and can sing praises to God under any circumstances.

A steadfast purpose to trust God, when He seems to unbelief to be breaking promise, betokens a growth in faith. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15)¹³.

God often encourages the weak in faith by giving speedy answers to prayer; but the strong in faith will be tested by God’s delays.

The prayer of self-will may get its answer, as with the Israelites: “He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul” (Ps. 106:15)¹⁴.

Faith is the good cable that, stretched and strained, does not break in the storm.

Trial humbles the soul and enables it to bear the ripened blessing, and to carry a full cup with a steady hand. Faith is not discouraged, but holds on in patience, expecting the promised blessing in the fitting time.

What is the food and nourishment of Faith? “My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed” (John 6:55)¹⁵.

To take God at His word is the business of Faith.

Faith can never fail of the reward of perseverance: the Lord delights in persevering faith.

In trial of faith, let us take heed to our spirit that we trust God without stint. The soul’s repose in Him is His delight; and He will honour it. Jehovah sitteth King upon the floods, and faith sits with Him.

Fußnoten

1. Hebrews 11: 4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

2. Genesis 22: 1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3. Philippians 2: 27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

4. 1 Samuel 26: 5 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. 6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. 7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him. 8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. 9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless?

5. 1 Samuel 27: 1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

6. Hebrews 11: 24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;

7. Hosea 11: 3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.

8. Matthew 15: 21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 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. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28 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.

9. Genesis 32: 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. 11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. 12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

10. Genesis 33: 3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

11. Genesis 27: 29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

12. James 1: 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

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

14. Psalm 106: 15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

15. John 6: 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.