"My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts, Neither Your Ways My Ways, Saith the Lord"

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 6
What is the sign of Gods accomplishment of promise and of His presence in the world ? A BABE IN A MANGER!" the weakest thing, and the lowest place! But God is found there, though these things are beyond man, who cannot walk with God, nor understand His moral glory. But God's sign is within the reach of faith. It is the token of perfect weakness: a little infant who can only weep! Such, born into this world is Christ the Lord. And the place God chose—not a palace but a manger—the low degree God's intervention is recognized by a sign like this. Man would not have sought that. The heavenly host praise God and say, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards [in] men." Nothing higher nor more astonishing (save the cross) for those who have the mind of heaven. The choir above see God in it—God manifested in flesh, and praise God in the highest. They rejoice that His delights are with the sons of men, Of old God had displayed Himself to Moses in a flame of fire, without consuming the bush; and here, still more marvelously, in the feeblest thing on earth: infinite thought morally, though despicable in the eye of, the world! How hard it is to receive that the work of God and of His Christ is always in weakness! The rulers of the people saw in Peter and John unlearned and ignorant men. Paul's weakness at Corinth was the trial of his friends, the taunt of his enemies, the boast of himself. The Lord's strength is made perfect in weakness. The thorn in the flesh made Paul despised, and he conceived it would be better if that were gone. He had need of the lesson, " My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." We get God's rule of action in 1 Cor. 1:2727But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (1 Corinthians 1:27) and seq., " God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." And why? " That no flesh should glory in His presence." Everything must rest on God's power, otherwise God's work cannot be done according to His mind. One can hardly believe that one must be feeble to do God's work: but Christ was crucified in weakness, and, " the weakness of God is stronger than men." For the work of God we must be weak: " that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (2 Cor. 4:77But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. (2 Corinthians 4:7).)