Milo

April 29th

The graciousness of uncertainty

It doth not yet appear what we shall be. 1 John 3:2.

Naturally, we are inclined to be so mathematical and calculating that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We imagine that we have to reach some end, but that is not the nature of spiritual life. The nature of spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty, consequently we do not make our nests anywhere. Common sense says—‘Well, supposing I were in that condition …’ We cannot suppose ourselves in any condition we have never been in.
Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Immediately we abandon to God, and do the duty that lies nearest, He packs our life with surprises all the time. When we become advocates of a creed, something dies; we do not believe God, we only believe our belief about Him. Jesus said “Except ye … become as little children.” Spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, but uncertain of what He is going to do next. If we are only certain in our beliefs, we get dignified and severe and have the ban of finality about our views; but when we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy.
“Believe also in Me,” said Jesus, not—‘Believe certain things about Me.’ Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come. Remain loyal to Him.

April 29

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are.”
(James 5:17)

THANK God for that! He got under a juniper tree, as you and I have often done; he complained and murmured, as we have often done; was unbelieving, as we have often been. But that was not the case when he really got into touch with God. Though “a man subject to like passions as we are,” “he prayed praying.” It is sublime in the original—not “earnestly,” but “he prayed in prayer.” He kept on praying. What is the lesson here? You must keep praying.

Come up on the top of Carmel, and see that remarkable parable of Faith and Sight. It was not the descent of the fire that now was necessary, but the descent of the flood; and the man that can command the fire can command the flood by the same means and methods. We are told that he bowed himself to the ground with his face between his knees; that is, shutting out all sights and sounds. He was putting himself in a position where, beneath his mantle, he could neither see nor hear what was going forward.
He said to his servant, “Go and take an observation.” He went and came back, and said—how sublimely brief! one word—“Nothing!”

What do we do under such circumstances?

We say, “It is just as I expected!” and we give up praying. Did Elijah? No, he said, “Go again.” His servant again came back and said, “Nothing!” “Go again.” “Nothing!”

By and by he came back, and said, “There is a little cloud like a man’s hand.” A man’s hand had been raised in supplication, and presently down came the rain; and Ahab had not time to get back to the gate of Samaria with all his fast steeds. This is a parable of Faith and Sight—faith shutting itself up with God; sight taking observations and seeing nothing; faith going right on, and “praying in prayer,” with utterly hopeless reports from sight.

Do you know how to pray that way, how to pray prevailingly? Let sight give as discouraging reports as it may, but pay no attention to these. The living God is still in the heavens and even to delay is part of His goodness.—Arthur T. Pierson.
Each of three boys gave a definition of faith which is an illustration of the tenacity of faith. The first boy said, “It is taking hold of Christ” the second, “Keeping hold” and the third, “Not letting go.”

29 APRIL

Full of shame

‘And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.’ Genesis 3:7
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 25:1–22

The immediate consequences for Adam and Eve were:
(i) Their eyes were opened. Satan had blinded them but, when the Lord pleased, they came to themselves; they knew now the difference between good and evil. The full meaning of these expressions I am not able to explain. They were naked before, but now they were sensible of such a change in their state, that they were ashamed of themselves.
(ii) They made a covering of fig leaves. An emblem of the poor expedients of sinners, to supply their own wants, to hide their own shame and to satisfy their consciences by their own performances.
Here was the first sin—which indeed contained all other sins in one—idolatry, rebellion, robbery and murder—yet they found mercy. Here is encouragement to convinced souls—the Lord Christ who was revealed to them as the Seed who should break the serpent’s head is preached amongst you. Say not your sin is great and therefore no hope—so was Adam’s, but where sin abounded, grace has much more abounded.
FOR MEDITATION:
O, speak that gracious word again,
Oh then let saints and angels join,
And cheer my drooping heart!
And help me to proclaim,
No voice but thine can soothe my pain,
The grace that healed a breach like mine,
Or bid my fears depart.
And put my foes to shame!

And canst thou still vouchsafe to own
Dear LORD I wonder and adore,
A wretch so vile as I?
Thy grace is all divine;
And may I still approach thy throne,
Oh keep me, that I sin no more
And Abba, Father, cry?
Against such love as thine!

SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 8 [3/3], GENESIS 3:6–7

April 28th

What you will get

Thy life will I give thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest. Jeremiah 45:5.

This is the unshakable secret of the Lord to those who trust Him—‘I will give thee thy life.’ What more does a man want than his life? It is the essential thing. ‘Thy life for a prey’ means that wherever you may go, even if it is into hell, you will come out with your life, nothing can harm it. So many of us are caught up in the shows of things, not in the way of property and possessions, but of blessings. All these have to go; but there is something grander that never can go—the life that is “hid with Christ in God.”
Are you prepared to let God take you into union with Himself, and pay no more attention to what you call the ‘great things’? Are you prepared to abandon entirely and let go? The test of abandonment is in refusing to say—‘Well, what about this?’ Beware of suppositions. Immediately you allow—‘What about this?’ it means you have not abandoned, you do not really trust God. Immediately you do abandon, you think no more about what God is going to do. Abandon means to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions. If you abandon entirely to God, He says at once, “Thy life will I give thee for a prey.” The reason people are tired of life is because God has not given them anything, they have not got their life as a prey. The way to get out of that state is to abandon to God. When you do get through to abandonment to God, you will be the most surprised and delighted creature on earth; God has got you absolutely and has given you your life. If you are not there, it is either because of disobedience or a refusal to be simple enough.

April 28

“And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer … who delivered them, even Othniel … Caleb’s younger brother. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him.” (Judges 3:9, 10)

GOD is preparing His heroes; and when opportunity comes, He can fit them into their place in a moment, and the world will wonder where they came from.
Let the Holy Ghost prepare you, dear friend, by the discipline of life; and when the last finishing touch has been given to the marble, it will be easy for God to put it on the pedestal, and fit it into its niche.
There is a day coming when, like Othniel, we, too, shall judge the nations, and rule and reign with Christ on the millennial earth. But ere that glorious day can be we must let God prepare us, as He did Othniel at Kirjath-sepher, amid the trials of our present life, and the little victories, the significance of which, perhaps, we little dream. At least, let us be sure of this, and if the Holy Ghost has an Othniel ready, the Lord of Heaven and earth has a throne prepared for him.
—A. B. Simpson.

“Human strength and human greatness
  Spring not from life’s sunny side,
Heroes must be more than driftwood
  Floating on a waveless tide.”

“Every highway of human life dips in the dale now and then. Every man must go through the tunnel of tribulation before he can travel on the elevated road of triumph.”