I want share with you the following words that I read this morning. Corrie ten Boom wrote them in her book Not I, But Christ, which has been a big encouragement to me.
You may have read the "verse of the week" that I just put up. These words from Jeremiah have been chasing me night and day all this week, but I wasn't going to put it up because I always put up a verse from Proverbs. Well, when I read these words this morning, I understood why God was putting that verse on my heart.
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"I see a clear resemblance between the life of a child of God these days and a soldier, standing on the front line.
'Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Eph. 6:10-13)
An army has provision officers. Imagine a soldier coming to such an officer after a battle and saying: 'I could not fight; I had no guns. I was hungry, but there was nothing to eat. I saw my mate bleed to death, but I could not do anything to dress his wounds. All the time I did not know what the staff expected of me.'
And an officer who had seen to everything would answer him: 'But there were guns and food, which I provided. And you had the first-aid kit with the bandages.'
Imagine this soldier saying: 'Oh, yes, the bandages---I used them to polish my shoes.' And if he said: 'I never knew what I had to do,' the officer might say: 'I gave you a walkie-talkie, by which you could remain in constant touch with your staff.' That soldier would be punished severely.
But what are we doing, if we do not use the provision of the Holy Spirit in our battle? What are our riches; what is our background? What is our provision? We have a mighty High Priest and legions of angels on our side. We have the intercession of the Lord Jesus Himself and of the Holy Spirit. 'We know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered....It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again,...who also maketh intercession for us' (Rom. 8:26-34). And we have the presence of the Lord Jesus, who said: 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.' (Matt. 28:20)
He is standing at our side, in us, with us. We stand on victory ground. We have a walkie-talkie, if the Holy Spirit fills us, making our prayer a talk, a wonderful fellowship with our King.
They that are with us are much stronger than they that are against us. One day when I had to go to a place that was dangerous, I was afraid. Then somebody said to me: 'When you enter, Jesus comes in.' That is true, for if Jesus is in us and we are in Him, He is always with us. God's provision is perfect.
We need food, and the Bible is the bread that never gets stale. Heaven and earth shall pass away but the Word of God remains in eternity. We have the instruments, the connection with our headquarters. The Holy Spirit gives it to us by His fullness. He makes our prayers a talk with the Leader. You know, a provision officer can do much, but if the soldier does not obey, loses courage, or gets afraid, and leaves the provisions without using them, then this officer cannot help him.
I fear that when, later on, we hear God's judgement regarding our lives, we shall be ashamed because we lived as beggars. 'Yes, but I was so heavy laden and I was so deeply impressed by my sins.' Then the answer will be: 'Heavy laden? But you had My Word: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). You were anxious, but I told you to cast all your care upon Me. But you did not do so.'
Imagine that we should say: 'I could not forgive. I was so full of bitterness. To love my enemies surpassed my strength.' Then the answer would be: 'But you had your Bible in which it says: 'The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us' (Rom. 5:5). God's ocean of love was there for you personally to use every minute of day and night.'
Imagine that you would say: 'My sins worried me so much.' Then you would hear: 'Have you no Bible? Did you not read in 1 John 1: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (v.9) and "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sins' (vs. 7). And 2 Corinthians 5:21: "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him"?'
All God's promises are yes and amen in Jesus. God was serious about the promises He gave us in the Bible. Take the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Because of this sword we are strong and God's Word shows us that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus, forgive us that so often we are discouraged because we look in the wrong direction. Teach us to accept all the riches, the strength, of Your Word, and to enjoy them that we may become Your strong, conquering soldiers. Thank You that we know that the best is yet to be. Cause us, by Your Holy Spirit, to be ashamed when we rely on ourselves and not on You. Thank You, Lord Jesus, that we can never expect too much from You. Amen."
-Not I, But Christ, by Corrie ten Boom, chapter 25
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The defeated soldier that she described is exactly the state of the defeated Christians today. How is it that we can forget the One who bought us, and through the mystery hidden for ages bestowed on us his riches beyond measure: HIMSELF, His own Person, His Holy Spirit living through our surrendered lives what we never could do on our own? Have we forgotten for days without number the VICTORY that He has already won? Have we forgotten that we are "more than conquerors" because of Him living in us? He has clothed us, His Bride, with HIS righteousness, and do we forget? If a bride cannot forget her beautiful wedding dress, how can we forget ours!? Are we that blind to His promises?
If we have confessed our sins to Him, Jesus has washed them away, forgiven us, and cleansed us from all unrighteousness. He has clothed us with Himself, commanded us to follow Him, eat of His body and blood, abide in Him, and go and bear fruit in Him. What if when we got to heaven and He said, "Where is the fruit that you bore in Me?", and we said, "Lord, I could not bear fruit. It was way too hard just to get by, just to survive. I could barely make it by myself, let alone help anyone else. I did not have time to bear fruit. I tried very hard Lord; I wanted to serve You! But even though I willed to do it, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't! Somehow I always ended up doing the things that I didn't want to do...even the things I hate! I really wanted to do those things You talked about in Your Word, but I could not. I always ended up doing the things that I did not want to do. I don't understand; I tried Lord, really I did!"
Oh how wretched it would be to end that way! It breaks my heart now just to think that that is truly how some Christians live!
In all our hearing of God's Holy Word, can we miss so much? Can we miss the Solution?
"I thank God---through Christ Jesus our Lord!!!"
May God give you understanding this day into His mystery that was hidden for so long and even seems to be hidden so often today. May you not fall back in unbelief but through faith partake of all that He has purchased for you from His great storehouse of grace. May He show you that He is the Solution; not just once when you accepted Him, not just a few times when He "helped" you with something, but EVERYDAY, everyday that you abide in Him and walk in Him, you in Him, He in you. May He dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in Love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height---to know the love of Christ that passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph. 17-21)
May He show you His "Sweetest Song".
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