Believing God Day by Day
In the proportion in which we believe that God will do just what He has said, is our faith strong or weak. Faith has nothing to do with feelings or with impressions, with improbabilities or with outward appearances. If we desire to couple them with faith then we are no longer resting on the Word of God. When we take Him at His word the heart is at peace.
God delights to exercise our faith, first for blessing in our own soul then for blessing in the church at large, and also for those without. When trials come we should say, “My heavenly Father puts this cup of trial into my hands, that I may have something sweet afterwards.” Trial is the food of faith. Let us leave ourselves in the hands of our heavenly Father.”
But trials and difficulties are not the only means by which faith is exercised, and thereby increased. There is the reading of the Scriptures, that we may by them acquaint ourselves with God as He has revealed Himself in His Word. And what shall we find? That He not only is God Almighty and a righteous God, but we shall find how gracious He is, how gentle, how kind, how beautiful He is, in a word, what a lovely Being God is.
Are you able to say from the acquaintance you have made with God that He is a lovely Being? If not, let me affectionately entreat you to ask God to bring you to this, that you may admire His gentleness and His kindness, that you may be able to say how good He is, and what a delight it is to the heart of God to do good to His children.
Now the nearer we come to this in our inmost souls the more ready we are to leave ourselves in His hands, satisfied with all His dealings with us. And when trial comes we shall say, “I will wait and see what good God will do to me by it, assured He will do it.” Thus we shall bear an honourable testimony before the world, and thus we shall strengthen the hands of others.