The Source of Strength
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3.
"There is work for every one to do if he will co-operate with God. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15. Holy intelligences are waiting to work through us. If we will consecrate heart and mind to the service of God, doing the work he has for us to do, and walking in the footsteps of Jesus, our hearts will become sacred harps, every chord of which will send forth praise and thanksgiving to the Lamb sent by God to take away the sins of the world.
The life of Christ and his labors of love shame and condemn the unbelief shown by many. He has promised: “Ask, and it shall be given you,” “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things unto them that ask him?” Matthew 7:7,11. Those who do not know Jesus as their personal Saviour, do not avail themselves of the promised blessings; but to all who believe, he is as the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God. His branches reach to this world, that the blessings which he has purchased for us may be brought within our reach. Why, then, do we spend our precious time bemoaning our weakness, when Christ has made every provision for us to be strong? He has given us a Comforter, the Holy Spirit, which will present to us the precious fruit from the Tree of Life. From this tree we may pluck and eat, and we may then guide others to it, that they also may eat. Why should we mourn our inefficiency, when the heavenly angels are waiting to co-operate with us, to make us living agencies, blessing the world with the messages God will give us to bear.
If you have neglected to place your hand in the hand of Christ, you are in constant danger of being deceived. Many are spiritually weak because instead of cultivating faith, they look at the discouraging features of their work. In the time of trial they turn to humanity for aid, but in doing this, they lean upon a broken reed; for in humanity they will often be sorely disappointed. The distrust and suspicion thus awakened bear their own fruit.
Christ would have our thoughts center upon him. After he has given us many tokens of his willingness to help in any emergency, he is grieved if we withdraw our eyes from his sufficiency to look at our own weakness or the weaknesses of others. Look away from self to Jesus Christ, the Life of every blessing, every grace, the Life of all that is precious and valuable to the children of God. We have no cause to bemoan our own inefficiency, because Christ has shown himself to be an ever present help in time of need.
The Lord Jesus is our strength and happiness, the great storehouse from which, on every occasion, men may draw strength. As we study him, talk of him, become more and more able to behold him,—as we avail ourselves of his grace, and receive the blessings he proffers us, we have something with which to help others. Filled with gratitude, we communicate to others the blessings that have been freely given us. Thus receiving and imparting, we grow in grace; and a rich current of praise and gratitude constantly flows from our lips; the sweet spirit of Jesus kindles thanksgiving in our hearts, and our souls are uplifted with a sense of security. The unfailing, inexhaustible righteousness of Christ becomes our righteousness by faith."
Quote: Signs of the Times, October 22, 1896
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