With regard to our spiritual state before God, if we find we are dry and out of communion, we should seriously consider it, and not go on in a joyless condition. If we were threatened with a serious illness, would we put off using the needed remedies? Then why not call a halt when our souls are out of order and have matters set right before any severe spiritual disease overtakes us? Deliverance from an unspiritual state of soul can be remedied only by the Holy Spirit giving fresh working in the soul and fresh unfoldings of Jesus in His attractiveness to the heart. Also, when communion gets interrupted, there must be confession, and under the gracious action of the heavenly advocacy of Christ, it will be restored. The chief thing is to relinquish trying to get it ourselves. Confess the evil state and lacking need of joy in the Lord, and lay ourselves down before Him in all our unhappiness, but in the acknowledged recognition and confession of our real condition, and leave Him to deal with us as He sees best. If all is cast on God in the confidence of faith and real dependence, He will graciously give us clearance and fill us with the light and joy of His own presence.
The Answers
If led to act thus of God, the change may be instantaneous. The Lord may be working to bring us to our knees, because He means to give us fresh blessing in the Spirit. But this may go on for a time before the blessing of the Lord is imparted. But even if there is delay, let us wait entirely upon God; the blessing will come in due time. We have a notable example of delay in the case of Daniel, for we read that “I Daniel was mourning three full weeks” (Dan. 10:22In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. (Daniel 10:2)). But when the answer came, we read, “Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words” (Dan. 10:1212Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. (Daniel 10:12)). The exercise went on for “three whole weeks,” but now he is told his words were heard “from the first day.” I have referred to this remarkable experience of Daniel to show that our “words” may be heard “from the first day,” and yet the exercise of soul that crushes us to the ground and takes away every bit of strength from us may go on, and the answer may come only after some time.
Paul’s Experience
Let us not say this is Jewish experience, for we read of the Apostle Paul’s passing through a similar exercise and experiencing similar delay. “He was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words” (2 Cor. 12:44How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (2 Corinthians 12:4)). Yet he tells us, “Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me” (2 Cor. 12:7-87And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (2 Corinthians 12:7‑8)). The word “thrice” tells of continuance of supplication and delay as to the answer. And when it came, it was not the removal of the thorn, but sufficient grace to bear it. “He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:99And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)).
Paul received a much better thing than what he had asked. The heightening of the power of Christ to bear the thorn and to be strong in Christ’s power were surely higher blessings than the removal of the source of his weakness. The thorn led him to pray to the Lord about it; the delay gave spiritual exercise of soul and necessitated repeated prayer. But when the Lord’s voice is heard, it conveys such assurance that Paul glories in his weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon him. But whether it is “Daniel the prophet” or “Paul the apostle,” the lesson is the same — that we are cast entirely upon the Lord as to divine dealing, spiritual exercise and spiritual deliverance. We ourselves must be reduced to nothing; we should have “the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead” (2 Cor.1:9). This is stated in a more detailed way farther on in the same epistle: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassingness of the power may be of God and not from us: every way afflicted, but not straitened; seeing no apparent issue, but our way not entirely shut up; persecuted, but not abandoned; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifested in our body; for we who live are always delivered unto death on account of Jesus that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh; so that death works in us” (2 Cor. 4:7-127But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12So then death worketh in us, but life in you. (2 Corinthians 4:7‑12) JND). This was the experience of the Apostle in connection with the gospel of the glory of Christ and the ministry of the same. The “vessel” containing the treasure of a glorified Christ was broken in pieces that the light might shine out.
The Life of Jesus
The more weight and pressure on the outward man, the more the life of Jesus was manifested. The more the vessel was broken, the more the testimony of Christ shone out, and the more the weakness of man was felt, the more the power of God was experienced. All free spiritual living is the consequence of the sentence of death in ourselves and trust in God, for it is in proportion as we bear about in our body the dying of Jesus that the life of Jesus is manifested in our body. The Christian life was, with Paul, a very serious thing: “For me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:2121For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)). The Christian life with him was Christ — he was living a life of faith and communion, and he expressed the traits of Christ in his daily life. Our life, motive, power, object and end is Christ. We have Christ before us as our Object and our Prize, and our joy is in Him. “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil. 4:44Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)), and the man who said so was at that time in prison! He showed such superiority to circumstances, in the divine energy which actuated him, that the prison was nothing to him. His desire was to reach the goal in glory and have Him there as gain.
Bible Herald (adapted)