I believe that God desires that we should understand every act and dealing of His grace with us. Human parents do much for their children without ever making known to them their intent and pleasure; therefore, much of the lives of children is spent, not in co-operation with their parents, but in misunderstanding their treatment, and in endeavoring to escape from it. Now, I think it is quite different with our God and Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe a blessing either as to place or gift is often delayed, until we are intelligent enough to see something of its value. I think the Lord unfolds to His servants His gift as He attains to ability to comprehend it; and God acknowledges the exercise of gift and gives scope for it, according as there is intelligence to follow simply with His mind therein. How could a man think so as to be wise “as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith,” (Rom. 12:33For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)) unless he knew the measure; and, therefore, if one is skillful in the word of righteousness, he is grown up and able to discern between the good and evil. If I am able to discern, I understand God’s dealings with me, and get the blessing of it; if not, I am only a babe, unskillful in the word of righteousness. Solid food is unfit for me. I am alive, but with no sense or intelligence of God’s ways with me. Now, I say that a want of this sense debars me from the present communication of God’s mind and purpose. You would not talk to a babe about its inheritance; but as it gained sense you would speak to it and open your mind to it. This, I believe, God does in an especial manner.
I have hitherto only referred to distinct blessings, but it is the same, though in a lesser degree in chastening—you ought to be exercised thereby—no good comes from it if you are not; you must get your Father’s mind about it. I do not say that He does not chasten unless you understand the good of it. I believe He often chastens to vindicate His own care, when His child does not notice it at all; but no child who knows His love will be satisfied to let His chastening pass by unexplained. If an earthly friend indicates any coolness or distance towards me, do I not seek an explanation of it in proportion as I love Him? Just so, according to our value of the love of God shall we seek for an explanation of any marked visitation from Him. I think we see it more plainly in blessings; it will be the wise virgins, with trimmed lamps, who go forth to meet the Bridegroom. It is to him “that hath shall be given.” In the parable of the pounds, the man who made the most, got more than he who had made less. God unfolds according as we are prepared for it, and hence circumstances and occurrences are often used to prepare us for a due appreciation of His blessings. Thus Paul in the prison at Rome, and John at Patmos, were through circumstances prepared—the one, to reveal the heavenly glory in heaven—the other, the Lord’s glory on earth. When Jonah lost the gourd, he was able to understand God’s feelings; when prepared to bear them, they are imparted to Him. God wants us to know the way whereby we go, and to be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” (Col. 1:99For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (Colossians 1:9).)
I do not believe that any soul, no matter how great its acquisition of knowledge from the Scriptures, has really got on morally beyond its intelligence of God’s ways with itself. I mean, that as far as you understand God’s ways with you, so far have you been taught of Him—this is the measure of your attainment. If you understand His ways with you in the wilderness, then you are in the wilderness; if in heavenly places, then you are in heavenly places, and so on.
You will remark that, often at meetings or otherwise, a spiritual desire, like a flash of light, engages your soul. You may in some degree remember how you liked it; but you find that practically you have not reached it-you are not prepared for it. I have no doubt that the grapes of Eshcol are often tasted by us, but it takes a good deal of exercise and intelligence before we reach Eshcol; and when we do reach it, we see how necessary it was for us to go through so much exercise and toil of spirit, for now we comprehend the excellence of the blessing, and we are in it—in the place of it. To be in the place of blessing, you must not only feel that you prize the blessing, but you must also feel that you are suited to the place, and therefore necessarily separated from what is unsuited to it. It is not in a moment that we see how the idolatry of our hearts stands in the way as a barrier to our reaching the place or possession of the grapes, the taste and excellence of which we feel we appreciate; chastening falls on us in order to remove the obstacles and prepare us, as Caleb was, after forty years, for the possession of Eshcol; and surely when he was in full possession, his heart acknowledged God’s grace to him; he comprehended the nature, order, and value of the blessing he had so long before tasted of; he could then “sing with the understanding.”
There can be no “basket”—see Deut. 26—unless we understand our blessings; and hence the prayer, “that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, that we being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length, and breadth, and depth, and height. (Eph. 3:17,1817That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (Ephesians 3:17‑18).)
The Lord give us to understand the nature and value of His blessings, that we may be suited to enjoy them suitably.