Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Deuteronomy 29 and verse 29.
The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
And then in Psalms, the book of the Psalms and the 18th chapter.
And the 30th verse. As for God, his way is perfect.
The word of the Lord is pride. He is a buckler to all those that trust in him. Then in Psalm 31.
Psalm 31 and verse 14. But I trusted in thee, Oh Lord, I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand. Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
Oh, brethren, what I had on my heart this afternoon was to speak a little bit of the different ways of God in suffering, in connection with the lives of believers. I believe we can learn much by what the word of God reveals to us as to these different ways that suffering come. We know that it's part of this world in which we live, and we'll see how that God has a purpose in all the things that come, although we may not always understand.
This is a very lovely verse that is brought before us here in Deuteronomy 29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God. There are things that God has not been pleased to make known to us. There are things He has been pleased to make known for which we thank Him. And as someone has said, that we should never allow the things that we don't know and don't understand to spoil the things that we do know and do understand.
How often it's so that because there's something we don't understand, we dwell upon it, we get upset about it. Instead of enjoying the 101 Things and far more that God has made known to us that it is our privilege to know and enjoy. And as children of God, how very richly we have been blessed. Oh, how marvelous. As Mr. Darby once said, the path of the Christian is worthwhile.
If it were 1000 times harder than it is because we know where the path is going to end, we know it's going to be fullness of joy in that glory above. And so as we think of this, we have the courage to go on in the pathway it tells us in Proverbs.
Where no vision is, the people perish. And if we don't have a vision of coming glory, why we do perish? Or is another translation reads. We cast off restraint.
That is, we say it's not worthwhile. This conflict is too difficult, There are too many problems.
And yet, when we think of the end of the journey, when we think of the future that awaits us, why our hearts ought to be filled with praise and Thanksgiving? Because of all that we know of, all that has been secured to us, and at so great a cost. The Lord Jesus loved us and gave himself for us. He wanted us not only to save us from the penalty of our sins, but the wonder to my soul, brethren, is.
That he wanted to have my company. I just can't understand that. But I believe it's true.
It says in Proverbs chapter 8 that when he created this world, his delights were with the sons of men, and that he was rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth. Yes, And when man sinned, as they did in the Garden of Eden. And then it's to me as though God said, well, you spoil this world that I made so beautiful for you, but I'm going to give you something better than what you have spoiled.
And it's going to cost me a great deal. But I want your company so much that I'm willing to pay the price so that I can have your company in a place you can't spoil. Oh brethren, our hearts ought to be filled with thankfulness. We ought to be lifting a note of praise to the Lord as a little him says. This is my story, this is my song, praising my savior all the day long.
So here in this verse here, God gave many instructions to his people. Some of them they could understand, some of them they couldn't. Some of them, when they understood them, they could do them intelligently and in faith. Others they did without understanding. For instance, if you had asked an Israelite why do the insides of an animal have to be washed a certain way before you sacrifice them, why he'd have to say, well, I don't know.
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I just know that God has said that, and so I do it in loving obedience to Him.
There were things that they were called upon to do that they didn't understand.
But there was much that they did, much that they could rejoice in. God made it very clear to them.
That he had a glorious lamb for them, a lamb full flowing with milk and honey.
Where he would come and bless them, and that he would find his own delight, as he will in the coming day. When he does fully bless them, it says He will joy over the US singing, He will rest in his love. So let us then if there are things that we don't understand, let us be content to leave those things with God, Because as we will see, I trust with the Lord's help, there is a day coming when we will understand.
Now we find here in this twenty 29th 18 Psalm, it says. As for God, his way is perfect. He is the word of the Lord is tried. He is a buckler to all those that trust in him. No one that has really trusted him hasn't found that he's faithful to his word, that he is a buckler to those that trust him, the ones I feel most sorry for.
Are the ones who don't trust him. Because I know if you don't trust him, there's nothing worse for a Christian than the weed of unbelief growing in our hearts. And I have to say I've experienced it myself, and it can make you terribly miserable. Doubting the wisdom and love of God's ways will only make you miserable. But believing what God says, you'll find that his word is tried like the lady who wrote beside a lot of verses in her Bible, T&P.
And someone said to her, well, what does that mean besides so many verses? Well, she said, tried and proven.
She had proved these things to be true, and so we have this privilege too.
Of knowing that God's word is true and he is a buckler to those that trust in him.
And then in this 33rd Psalm, it's very interesting how it comes in here in the 33rd, in the 32nd, no, pardon me, it's in the 30th Psalm.
In May 6th verse it says, And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved, Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong, thy doubt its tie thy face. And I was troubled. Sometimes God is very good to us. Sometimes he does make so to speak our mountain to stand strong. He seems to undertake for us, and protect us, and care for us in remarkable ways.
But then there are times when he allows trouble to come, as he did with Job and others, And he said, thou did side thy face, and I was troubled. And then, as you see, he goes through quite a little exercise, and then in his 31St Psalm that we've read.
He could say, but I trusted in thee, O Lord, I said, thou art my God. My times are in my hand. Oh, how lovely to come to that point where we can say my times are in my hand. To know that those hands, as we sang, that our many sins have pierced, is now our guard and our guide. Well, having this thought before us, our brothers spoke about these ways of God a little bit on the young people's meeting on Friday.
And I just like to look on some of the different aspects of God's ways. He showed how that God did have a protection. Sometimes he withdrew that protection. But we know that he has a particular purpose in all the things that come. And there are some of them that we just will never understand down here in this life. There are those things that come that we just have to leave with God.
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But there are others. Let us turn first of all now to Romans chapter 8.
Romans chapter 8.
Says here in the.
22nd verse For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Now that shows us that there are some things that come just because we are part of this groaning creation.
And we might think of that man in the 8th chapter of John. The Lord Jesus came along where that young man was, and it tells us that he was there. And his disciples asked the question, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind. And the Lord's answer was neither did this man sin, nor his parents thought that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
Now, as I say, there's always some purpose that God has in everything, but there are some things that are not necessarily because of anything that we have done in our lives. Now this young man that was by.
Where in the 8th chapter, 9th chapter of John rather he was born blind. He was part of the groaning creation. There wasn't any particular discipline that had come upon him.
But it's just that he was part of that groaning creation. But it tells us how that the works of God were made manifest in him. The very fact that he was born blind made him feel his need of the Lord. And there were many other people when the Lord Jesus passed by that could see him with good eyes and they didn't particularly feel their need. But the Lord Jesus saw this man.
And this man felt his need. And Ohio how grateful he was.
When the Lord opened his eyes. And you know, I believe, that there will be many people in heaven.
And they'll say, well, I was born with some physical disability, but I don't regret that.
I know that God has used that very thing to make me feel my need of him.
It has caused me to turn to the Lord. And so how often those who have health and strength and all those kind of things that really have a easy life, as we might say, they just go on enjoying the pleasures of this world and leave God out. So God does have a purpose even in things that come upon us quite apart from anything that we have done, things that perhaps we were born with.
Perhaps you have some physical thing that you were born with and you say why.
Well, God can use that very thing to make you feel constantly dependent how often those of us who are true Christians and who are older have. Because we're part of this groaning creation, we have partaken of some physical limitation, and that has taught us dependence.
It has taught us constantly to be asking the Lord to help us. And if we didn't have that, who can tell how independent, how self willed we might be, what things we might plunge into? And so we can see that there are things that take place in our lives. They're not particularly the governmental ways of God because of failure or other things that with the Lord's help we'll speak about, but just those things that are because we are part of this groaning creation.
And if I'm speaking to someone and you say I've never had good health, I've had handicaps that other people don't have, and it really gets me down at times, and I don't know what I have done. Well, that man hadn't done anything particular, that he was born blind, but it made him feel his need of Jesus. And as our brother brought before us last night, how beautiful it was to see that man with all those leaders, perhaps with the best of health, rejecting the Lord.
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But his eyes were opened and his heart was opened to acknowledge the Lord Jesus.
Son of God. And so instead of feeling grieved and upset because we have these things, let us realize that God has some purpose to teach us dependence upon Him, to keep us looking to Him constantly through our lives, so that we might find the help that we need from Him. And it doesn't need to make us search our hearts and say what? What have I done?
As I say, this man hadn't done something, but it was a blessing. It was for his good and God used it for his good too. Well, these are things that do come upon us. And as we grow older too, the body has wears out. The scripture says the days of our years are three score years and 10. We can't expect to always have good health as we grow older. I remember visiting an old Christian. He was about 80 years old.
And he was constantly complaining that he didn't feel as well when he was 60 as when he was sixty. Well, I would hardly expect that I would feel quite as good at 80 if I lived to be that as I do and as I would at 60. Well, so, you know, we can't expect the body's going to wear out. But, you know, it's very blessed as we get older to learn more and more dependence on the Lord. The scripture speaks of those who bring forth fruit in old age.
And there's nothing sweeter than to visit someone in an old folks home and see them praising the Lord.
Learning to trust him in a new way as they get older and find the limitations of old age. Well, that's not particularly the governmental ways of God. That's just that the body wears out, brethren. Our bodies are part of a groaning creation, and it says not only the.
Creation, the animal creation, not only unbelievers, but not only they but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the spirit.
Even we ourselves grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, To wit, the redemption of our body and the Lord is sufficient for every stage of life, no matter what it may be. Whether it's youth, whether it's middle life or old age, the Lord is sufficient. He is enough to fill and satisfy the heart, and He delights to do that so that we would be happy and rejoicing in Him.
But the only way we can do this is when this verse really grips our souls. Our times are in my hand. We're content with what he orders in our lives. I've told a story before as an illustration, and perhaps some have heard it, But the little boy who was flying a kite and it was a beautiful day and the wind was taking the kite up higher and higher and he was having to let out more string as it went higher.
And someone walked by and said, why are you holding your kite down? It wants to get up, and you're just holding it down with that string. Why don't you let go and see how high it will go? Well, he let go of the string. And we all know what happened. Yes, the kite came down. The very thing that was holding it down was also keeping it up. And brethren, this is so true that those things that are keeping us down are often keeping us up.
They're keeping us in communion. They're keeping us independence upon the Lord, and that is always for our good and for our blessing. And now I'd like to turn to another one in Second Samuel.
Second Samuel in the 11Th chapter.
Well, perhaps our turnover is a little more about it in the 12Th chapter. Romans, I mean.
Two Samuel, Chapter 12.
And the seventh verse and Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man.
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. And I gave thy master, gave thee thy masters house, and thy masters wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah. And if that had been too little, I would, moreover, have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in our his sight?
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That was killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and has taken his wife to be thy wife.
And has slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, and because thou hast despised me, and has taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite, to be thy wife.
Well, this is one of the ones, Brandon, that I have to say that God has left it as one of his secret things. I don't know that I can in any way say why God allowed this to happen to Uriah. I'm not speaking now about his government upon David, but why the Lord allowed this to happen to Uriah. If you go back to the 11Th chapter, perhaps I should read a few verses the 11Th verse.
And Uriah said unto David the Ark, and Israel and Judah abide in tents. And my Lord Joab and the servants of my Lord are encamped in the open fields.
Shall I then go into mine house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife?
As thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
Here was a man, perhaps one of the most devoted of David servants, Uriah, the Hittite. And it wasn't for anything that he had done, because his answer shows that he really had a desire to please God. He really valued the ark, as our brother brought before us this morning, and God's people and their interests. And here, by the treacherousness of David, another person who was a real believer.
He was actually put out in the forefront of the battle and killed he he. Could you say what blessing did he get from that? Well, that's one of the secret things that we have to expect sometimes, that there are questions in life to which we will never find the answers. Down here I was quite struck because I can look at other passages and with the Lord's help I will, and show how we can get a blessing.
Out of the sufferings and the trials that we go through, how about you would say what blessing did Jiraiya get from this? Well, I all I can say is that I'll have to wait until that coming day to find out. I can say this however, that God knew what was ahead for Uriah. And if Uriah had ever found out what was happened, he would have been a terribly sad and crushed man and God didn't let him see that. And sometimes God sees things ahead.
In our lives that we don't see things, that we don't know what's ahead, he does.
And he knew what was ahead for Uriah, if he ever found out what had happened. And so the Lord took him away, and we find him numbered among Davidde mighty men. He was counted as one who was one of the mighty men for David. And I'm sure that when we meet a Uriah in glory, that we will see that God honored his faithfulness. And sometimes our faith is put to the test in things. And brethren, I say again.
There are things that we just have to say. I'll never find out in this life, but on another day.
We shall know, even as also we are known, are we content to take things, those hard questions of life, those situations to which there seems absolutely no answer. God delights in that faith that counts upon Him, as we had in that verse.
The trial of your faith is much more precious than a goal that perisheth though it be tried with fire. And I think Uriah's faith was tried with fire, and it says it'll be found under praise and honor and glory. At the revelation of Jesus Christ. I expect to see Uriah get a great reward. Perhaps I can say a greater reward than this than if this had never happened because it brought out his devotedness to the Lord.
And to the Lord's people. And the hardest part of it all was he didn't bear it from an unbeliever.
But he had to suffer it from a believer. Have you suffered something from a believer? And there seemed absolutely no explanation why the thing should have happened as it was. Well, just think about this and just think about the faith of Uriah and by the Lorde grace look up and ask him to help you to leave all with God, to commit it to him. And no, I'm glad that God has put this story in the Word, because I can think of a lot of other stories that I can see some good came from the thing.
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I can tell you of other things in the Scripture where people learn lessons, But here there was just a matter of simply committing the whole matter to the Lord. And there are times like this in life, and I wish to encourage you. Perhaps someone has done something to you and you get bitter. You get away. You leave the meeting, you turn against them. What have you gained? I say you've lost everything by doing it. The Lord has forgiven us for many things.
And he can give us the grace in situations, no matter how difficult, to just leave all with God. So in this second case, there is something that can't be explained, but it will be in another day. Well, and there's another kind of suffering. Perhaps we could find that in Philippians.
Philippians chapter one.
And verse 29.
For unto you it is given on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which he saw in me, and now here to be in me. Well, here's another kind of suffering, and that tells us here.
Not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. We could think of cases of this. I'll take one instance. We think of Paul and Silas. They came to preach the gospel in Philippi. They were sent there by the Lord. They were doing His will. It was not for any disobedience or self will in their lives that they had to suffer on that occasion, but it was because.
The world is opposed to the gospel. And while I stand here talking to you.
I'm sure that I could safely say that there are thousands upon thousands of real Christians who are suffering for Christ sake. It's not for some wrong that they have done, it's because they're in a hostile world, they're in an enemies land and they're suffering.
As we look back in the history of the Church, why the history of the Church has been.
Filled with suffering Saints, people who have given their lives for Christ.
People who would rather die than be unfaithful to their Lord or deny him.
It says.
In Revelation. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.
And by the word of their testimony. And they love not their lives.
Unto the death, and there will come in your life, and in mine, if we seek to be faithful to the Lord.
Times when we'll suffer for Christ, when the confession of his name will bring reproach and suffering. It might mean just being laughed at. It might mean that you lose a promotion or lose your job. It might mean that you have to suffer, like some have in Russia and other places where they're sent to Siberia and our brethren out in India if they make a confession of Christ.
They have to be content with more menial jobs because they are not following.
The ordinary religion of the country. And so there are many ways, brethren and dear young people, that we are called upon to suffer for Christ. Is it worth it? Is it worth it? Is this world so important to us that we would rather put our light under a bushel or under a bed? That rather than be faithful to Christ? I believe the bushel means business, and the bad means laziness.
And you know, there are two things that do hinder us from being loyal to the Lord, and that is we don't like to lose out in material things. We don't like to lose out in things that we think are really important and then make up life. But all when we think of what the Lord gave up for us. The only person who could choose where he would be born was born in a Manger, the person who could say the silver and the gold is buying.
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But while walking through this world would say show me a penny, and we think of him not having a place to lay his head. And yet he made all the things that are used to build a finest, finest houses in this world. All think of our precious Savior. What an example he's left for us.
Oh, I say, and I say it to myself. Are we holding back from some situation?
That involves suffering for Christ. Oh, it's worth it. It's given to us. It's not as though it were something that we just had to do. As though a soldier is ordered into an action that he is not very anxious to go in because he has to face the gunfire. But you and I, it says it's something that is given to us, the privilege of suffering in this world for Christ.
Paul speaks of it. He experienced it himself. And now?
That was a far greater joy than the finest pay that they could have got for doing anything. Well, it's worth it. Suffering for Christ. And now we have another one in First Peter, Chapter 3.
First Peter 3 and verse 14.
But on if he suffered for righteousness, sake, happy are ye and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you, a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers.
They may be ashamed that falsely accused your good conversation.
In Christ.
Well, we spoke about suffering for Christ. Now it's here it says suffering for righteousness sake. If I could think of an example of that in the Bible, I would think of Joseph. When Joseph was sold down into Egypt and then was given a job there working in the House of Potiphar, he sought to maintain a good conscience. He sought to do his work well, as he certainly should, and we all should.
When we're working for an employer. But there was a situation there that brought temptation with it. And when he was put in this spot, why, It wasn't a matter of preaching the gospel there. It wasn't a matter of trying to bear a testimony that she might be saved, but it was to maintain a good conscience. And when he was put to the test, why it tells us this, was his reply.
God forbid that I should do this great wickedness and sin against God.
He sought to maintain a good conscience and I know the way the world is today.
It's very easy for them to say, oh, don't worry, everybody does this. It's maybe not altogether straightforward, but everybody's doing it. And it's very easy, dear young people, and we who are older too, in the business world, very easy for us to not to maintain a good conscience, just to let little things slip in where we know that we haven't done what the Lord would have us do, what was thoroughly honest and upright.
Where we could say at the end of the day, as Paul said here into I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward man, well, that's suffering for righteousness sake. And you know, that was very hard. That was very hard for Joseph on that occasion. Sometimes the Lord helps us when we try to be upright and honest, but sometimes the same thing happens to us that happened to.
Joseph Joseph, Joseph not only lost his job.
And I think it might have been a pretty fair job that he had because he was in charge of the household, but he was actually put in prison for trying to maintain a good conscience. Yes, he was put in prison. And why did God allow that, you say? If he was trying to maintain a good conscience, why didn't God uphold him? Sometimes, brethren, we have to suffer for righteousness sake. Sometimes we have to suffer. Young people have lost their jobs. Young people have failed to get promotions.
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Just because they desired to be thoroughly honest and upright and so this is suffering for righteousness sake. And Joseph Thayer was cast into prison, but you know, God had his hand in it. And there in that prison he was able to speak to that Butler. And that Butler was I believe, led to put his faith in the Lord. And he afterwards turned around and spoke up for Joseph and was the means of him getting out of prison.
Well, we see how God has ways. In situations like this, He accomplishes his own purposes. But here we sometimes have to suffer for this. I'm Speaking of the various ways that we have to suffer in this world. It's a world where everything is out of order, so to speak, and it tells us not to be afraid of their terror and either to be troubled. We find the same thing with those three Hebrew children.
Have sometimes said they probably could have found a way to get out of that situation. When they were told they had to bow down. They could have easily said, well, putting your head down isn't necessarily bowing, that's just a muscular thing. And they could have found a way of getting away from the responsibility of being loyal to the Lord. But no, they wouldn't. They rather would maintain a good conscience. The same with David, with Daniel rather.
He was in the school at Babylon, and he refused to eat of the King's meat or drink of the wine that he drank. He sought to maintain a good conscience before God.
And you know, there's a warning in Timothy that sometimes in giving up a good conscience, it says we make shipwreck. That doesn't mean we can be lost, but we can definitely spoil our usefulness in our Christian testimony. And the world is very alert about that. I don't think there's anything the world is more ready to point a finger at a Christian, as in anything where he thinks that he has been a little bit dishonest, how quick they are to make a great deal out of it.
How it reflects on the testimony. Well, there is such a thing as suffering for righteousness sake. And then it says to be ready to give an answer when we're asked, ready to tell why. And so that's what that's what Joseph did. He was ready to tell. He said, God forbid that I should do this great wickedness and sin against God.
Well then there's also suffering. Turn over to John, Chapter 15.
John chapter 15 and verse one.
I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away, but every branch that beareth fruit he purges it that it may bring forth more fruit. Now we have the dealings of God with us as his children. This is not so much what we suffer in an outward way, like the case of Uriah, or suffering for righteousness sake, or suffering for our testimony to Christ.
But here it's the Lord himself. Here is God our Father as the husbandman.
And he sees that we are bearing fruit. When I read this, I think about Job. The Lord bore a very wonderful testimony to Job. He said that he was a perfect and an upright man, and one that feared God and astute evil. But God had a desire that there should be more fruit. And there was something that was hidden in Job's heart that Job wasn't aware of a little hindrance to bearing fruit. And it was very hidden because outwardly, his life seemed to be.
And was very upright and good, but you know, they're inside there. There was a pride.
There was a self righteousness have sometimes said, you might be the most godly living person in the whole assembly and God would put his hand upon you and it might be brethren because we're proud and we think we're better than our brethren. Yes, that's something that God hates is pride. It's good that we should be upright and God come into Job for all these good things in his life that he was indeed a perfect and an upright man.
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And I believe when it tells us what he said about himself, that he was kind and made the widow's heart sing for joy and did so many things for people. I believe all that was true, But there was that inward pride. And you know, there's often that within us and the Lord has to prune us and Job couldn't see it himself. There's an interesting verse if you turn to Job where Elihu is talking to him. I think it's the 34th chapter.
Verse 29.
When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him, whether it be done against the nation or against a man only?
The 31St verse. Surely it is meat to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement. I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou me. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
Well, we see here that Elihu is the only one who really had a wise answer for Job. He's telling Job that this didn't happen by chance, and God gives quietness.
There's not a power in the world that can disturb it, as our brother brought before us the other day. There's not a power in the world can disturb it unless God allows it. And when he allows it, he has a purpose. A job searched his own heart and he said, I've been an upright man, I've been kind. Everything has been right in my life.
And if I could put it very plainly, he said. It doesn't seem fair that all this is coming upon me.
But a lie? You gave him a very, very needful and wise answer, he said. Job, why don't you ask the Lord to show you what he sees? You don't see it, but he sees something. And Mr. Darby once said, the flesh in another is easily detected, but we don't see it in ourselves. Isn't that true of a lot of us? We don't see it in ourselves, but we see it in others. And there was that in Job that he didn't realize.
And Eli, who says, why don't you ask the Lord to show it to you? And we finally see that God did show to Job what was the root of his trouble. He was pruning him. There was that which was useless, so to speak. It was Job in his importance as being a better man than his neighbor. And God had to take care of that. He had to prune those branches that weren't going to bear any fruit for him.
And he passed Job through a great deal to do that. And sometimes I don't know much about pruning, but as I've been told of those who who pruned by it almost seems ruthless the way they go out the trees. But what was the result in Jobs life? It almost seems to the natural man when you read Job, as though God was placing on him more than he could bear. But what was the result? In the end, Job was drawn nearer to the Lord.
It tells us that he had twice as much as he had before, And he had three children, three daughters who are spoken of as the fairest in the land. And the three names bring before us fragrance, purity and beauty. And that's what God wants in US, brethren. He wants that fragrance of Christ, that purity of Christ. And he wants us to be for his glory here, fragrance, purity and beauty, that beauty of Christ to be seen in us. And I believe that that pruning produced that result with Job.
And so sometimes when we go through trials instead of giving ourselves a clean sheet.
I think we can take good heed to what Eli you said to Job and we can say Lord.
What is there in me that needs to be corrected? And then Elihu advised him. He said, if the Lord shows it to you, be willing to give it up. If I have done evil, I will do it no more. In other words, when the Lord shows it to us, do we say I can't give that up, it's part of me. Or do we say, Lord give me grace, He give us more grace? Well, that's pruning, brethren. And very often this takes place in our lives.
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Terrible things could happen like did to job, but that was pruning and the result was.
Much blessing in Job's life as a result of it. Now let's turn over to 2nd Corinthians and we'll see another case.
2 Corinthians.
Chapter 12.
And 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 I it might depart from me. And 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. Well here we could perhaps call.
What God was doing as preventing something?
There was a tendency on account of all that had been given to Paul.
That he might be exalted, that he might be lifted up with pride. There's a tendency in everyone of our hearts.
Along that line. And if the Lord gives us more than others, it's so easy for us to become proud. Well, in the case of in the case of Paul, it was in spiritual things. He had those wonderful revelations from Christ in glory. And so along with it, God gave this thorn in the flesh. He gave him that which, if I could choose the expression, made him somewhat despicable in the eyes.
And into the ears of those who listen. There's a suggestion of it when it says his bodily presence was weak and his speech contemptible. So that people would say, well, I like to listen to Paul, but on the other hand, he has such a poor delivery that he's awfully hard to listen to. He tells us some wonderful things, but and that that was hurtful to Paul. It really was knocking on his pride. And I'm sure that he hesitated to get up on his feet sometimes because he said, I know that people are going to find it hard to listen to me. And the Lord says that's just what you need, Paul. It's going to help to keep you humble.
And you know, God sometimes has to put blocks in our way to prevent things.
We think we just like to rush ahead and the Lord puts blocks in our way. Has He put a block in your way?
Well, his grace is sufficient. If he has put that block in the way, he knows what he is doing. And did he take it away? Now, in jobs case, he got back twice as much as before. But I think sometimes as though the Lord said to Paul, Paul, I'm not going to take it away. You're going to have it the rest of your life. You're going to have it the rest of your life. But my grace will be sufficient for you.
And there are things Even when we have learned what God has for us, He still lets them remain.
They still stay with us, and God allows it in his perfect wisdom.
And in his love, because his ways are perfect and he knows what's best, He knows our frame. He numbers the hairs of our head. He knows all about us. He knows our tendencies all about us. And so Paul learned that this was a necessary thing. And isn't it beautiful to see a submission? He says most gladly. I rather glory in my infirmities, he said. I'd rather have this thing that I have to bear with all my life.
And have a sense of the Lord's presence with me. That's better than just having all that delivery and all that nice thing that I could glory in as a man, that I was the best, I was tops and everything like that. Now he has this that keeps him down. Well, brethren, God sometimes prevents things in our lives. He sees where the road goes, and He allows things.
And he doesn't always take them away. He sometimes lets them remain.
And he teaches us to be constantly dependent on him. Now let's turn over to Hebrews chapter 12.
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Hebrews, chapter 12.
Verse 7 If he endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, were of all are partakers, then are ye ******** and not sons? Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection under the father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure.
But he for our Prophet that we might be partakers of His Holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Here we find another, and that is the Lord dealing with us in chastisement.
We could speak of different cases like this through the scripture, and all of us have experienced it in some measure in our lives, because it says what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not. We read about what David did to Uriah. Did David come under the chastisement of God for it all the rest of his life? The sword didn't depart from his house for what he did. He took the life of Uriah and he lost four sons.
Because of it, God has to deal. God has to deal very, very solemnly sometimes in our lives. But you know, he does it for our profit. And David was drawn near to the Lord through the chastisement that God saw fit to bring upon him. And we all need it, brethren, There's no one of us that can say, well, I'm such a good child in his family. He never has to correct me. He never has to put his hand upon me. None of us can say that.
We all have to go through this, more or less, but it's beautiful what it says.
He for our prophet it says here we had fathers that corrected us after their own pleasure.
And sometimes, as parents, we correct children for our own pleasure. If the children are noisy and they're bothering me, I might tell them to be quiet. That's for my pleasure, not for theirs. They were enjoying having a good time, but for my pleasure. I told them to be quiet. But my Father in heaven, God, my Father, is not like that. Every correction is for our good. Oh, how faithfully is how wise he is. Sometimes I was a little too strict with my children, sometimes a little too easy with them. I wasn't always wise.
In the things that I did, but I have a father who will never make a mistake in his chastening.
He knows exactly what we need. He knows the very intense of our hearts.
The Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed. That's a beautiful verse because it shows us that God not only sees the act, but he measures the amount of self will in the act. I might do something and the Lord would have to deal much more severely with me than someone who was only saved a short time because he does make a difference and those who know their Lord's will. And so we have a Father.
If the correction is not from God as a judge, but it's from a father.
And these are part of the troubles that he brings into our lives. It's good for us to be exercised thereby. We may not always discover the exact thing, but if it has drawn us nearer to the Lord, it is the results in blessing. I'm sort of glad the verse doesn't say it heals the peaceable fruits of righteousness to those who find the reason. Because sometimes I think as Christians, we don't always see the reason for a trial that God sends.
But if it has taught us to be more dependent upon the Lord, then it has accomplished a needed purpose, even though we didn't exactly see it ourselves. And so it says that it's we might be partakers of His Holiness, and it yields a blessing when we're just exercised, when we look up and say, Lord, I want to learn what our teaching me in this trial. Well, as I say, there are many kinds of suffering that we go through.
That are part of this groaning creation. Some through unkind acts that are done by others, some because the world is hostile to Christ, some just because we want to do what's right. And then there are other things that have more directly to do with our own personal lives, preventing us from things pruning us because when we want to please the Lord, He wants to have more fruit and then correcting us when we have done what's wrong.
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There is one other that I'd like to turn to. It's in Hebrews Chapter 11.
And verse 25.
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, And then the 10th chapter and the 32nd verse, but called remembrance the former days in which, after ye were illuminated, he endured a great fight of afflictions, partly whilst you were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches.
And afflictions, and partly while he became companions of them.
Which were so used. There is another suffering that we have and that is when we cast in our lot with the people of God.
When we cast in our lot with the people of God, then we suffered along with them. That is, if they go through trials, Paul said. Who is a who is offended? And I burn not, he said.
The, the, the things that came upon him daily were were the care of all the churches he entered into the trials and sorrows of God's people. He shared them. Well, let us be willing in this, brethren.
There are a lot of trials among God's people. Do we try to run away from these situations or do we identify ourselves with the people of God? There are suffering people. Sometimes God has to correct them and we can shed our tears along with them. Even though the correction may come because of self will, we're part of it because remembers one of another in the beautiful to see this with a man like Moses, he could have enjoyed all the excellence of the court of Pharaoh.
He could have perhaps been the next pharaoh in Egypt because he was in line for it and he gave it up. What for? To have a good time with the people of God now, to suffer affliction with the people of God. May I put it very practically, too. If you take your place among those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, you're going to have to suffer affliction along with the people of God. You may say, Oh, there's too many problems. I'm just going to stay clear of them.
Then you're not really identifying yourself with them when these Christians got saved by.
Now they it says here they became companions of those who were suffering. And so it is we cast in our lot with those who are walking to please God. Maybe they're going through trials for their own fault. We can still cast in our lot and feel for them. Isn't it beautiful what it says about the Lord in connection with Israel and their passage through the wilderness? Many of the things came on them because of their own self will.
But this is a precious verse in Isaiah. I think it's the 53rd chapter. I'm not just sure. It says.
In all the reflection he was afflicted, and the Angel of his presence saved them.
And he bare them, and carried the mall, the days of old, all that they passed through the Lord felt.
He said. You're living in tents. Make me a tent and I'll live with you. Isn't that beautiful? Or how precious? Brethren, may we go along with the people of God when they're in trial, share it with them, because we're going to share eternal joy with them. We're going to be with them in the Father's house.
Well, are we ever going to understand? We don't always understand. Now maybe we just turn to 1St Corinthians chapter 13.
First Corinthians chapter 13.
Verse 9 For we know in part and we prophecy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. And then in the 12Th verse. But now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. And one more verse in Revelation 21.
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Just verses 3:00 and 4:00.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with man.
And he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, For the former things are passed away. I believe, brethren, we will know in a coming day. I believe it will all be explained when the Queen of Sheba came to King Solomon with all her hard questions.
She couldn't find answers to them in the country where she lived. But when she asked Solomon these questions, it says he told her all her questions. There was nothing hid from her that he told her not. And I believe when we get the glory and all tears are wiped away and it's all past, then we'll know even as also we are known, we'll understand. We'll enter into it. And what's more, I believe we'll say Amen. It was the right way.
Will not question them, as we often do. Now we'll know that all was done by one who was perfect in wisdom and love. In the meanwhile, we walked by faith, not by sight. We're companions in tribulation, as John said. And as we go through these different kinds of things that we have to in a world like this, may we realize that we're in good company, he said. I will never leave the.
Nor forsake thee.