After posting Andrew Fuller's words about The Dangerous Tendency of Delay in the concerns of religion last night, this morning the Holy Spirit brought these words of Edward Payson to my heart:
Through that loving Fatherly discipline, I was strongly encouraged to trust and to go forward. Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: 18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. Psalm 16:7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
To explain... over the past several weeks, on many, many occasions, I've been tempted to distrust and to shrink back, rather than to trust and to go forward. I'd fallen headfirst into the deadly snare of fixing my eyes on the visible obstacles and impossible situations – instead of setting my affections on the invisible God Who can do the impossible.
I love the Bible, and God has provided many, many encouragements to me through His Word. However, once again, I must take the opportunity to commend to you the reading of well-chosen Christian biography. Though the words are not infallible and inspired as the Scripture is, the Holy Spirit can take the stories and the words of the saints and use them to strengthen and refresh our weak and thirsty souls, for these men and women are part of that great cloud of witnesses which surrounds us.*
Here's the full context of Payson's words (from "Memoir, Select Thoughts and Sermons of the Late Rev. Edward Payson, Volume 1" by Edward Payson (1783-1827) and Asa Cummings, 329-330, emphasis mine). Please note: though Payson's words were written to a man who is called to the ministry of Gospel preaching, they are helpful and applicable to any believer who is struggling to press on in obedience to the will of God in the face of great temptations and difficulties. If you're not struggling today, soon enough you will be. Though Satan is a defeated foe, he still prowls and seeks to work us woe!
To a brother, who shrunk from his duty, through depression of mind, and an erroneous opinion of his own qualifications for the ministry. Lest any should use the authority of Dr. Payson's name to urge men to assume the sacred office without the requisite qualifications, it ought to be stated, that the person addressed in the following letter, besides possessing decided piety, had passed through a regular course of preparatory studies at a theological seminary:
"My dear brother: Your letter found me more than ordinarily hurried; but I feel it to be so important that you should be licensed this fall, that I must snatch a moment to answer it. Your feelings, as you describe them, are just like mine, only less aggravated by long continuance. I mention this that you may pay more regard to my advice. I am as certain that it is best for you to take license immediately, as I can be of any thing. Rely upon it, that, if you delay, your difficulties will increase, and you will feel more and more as if it as impossible to preach. Your only safety lies in placing yourself in circumstances which will make exertion necessary, and which will secure divine assistance. Never mind your infirmities. You have nothing to do with them. Your business is to trust, and go forward. If you wait till the sea becomes land, you will never walk on it. You must leave the ship, and, like Peter, set your feet upon the waves, and you will find them marble. Christ is a good Master. He won't suffer you to sink; and you will, at length, glory in your infirmities. I would not give up the precious proofs which I have received, in consequence of my weakness, of his power, faithfulness, and love, for all the comforts of good health. But be assured, that, if you remain as you are, Satan will weave a net round you, which you will never break. Every mental and religious effort will become more difficult and painful; your mind will be like the body of a rickety child; you will live a burden to yourself and friend, and die without the consolation of having been made useful. This would infallibly have been my fate, had I not been thrust into the ministry before I well knew what I was about. Yet you see I have, somehow or other, been carried along, and so will you be. Do not then, my dear, dear brother, stand hesitating. A feeble, nervous man must not deliberate, but act; for his deliberation will not be worth a straw, but his activity may be, and probably will be, useful both to himself and others.
"When Christ told his disciples to feed the multitude with five loaves, they did not hesitate, and say, Lord, let us first see the bread multiplied; if we begin and have not enough, we shall be put to shame; but they distributed what they had, and it increased with the distribution. So you will find it. You just, therefore, go forward. There is no reason why you should not. If you delay, indolence will steal upon you, and bind you in chains, which you will never break.
"I charge you, then, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to be up and doing. There are fifty places in this State [Maine], where the most unconnected things, which your lips could utter, would do good, and be well received. You have no conception by what apparently feeble means God often works wonders. Let the next tidings I hear from you be, that you have crossed the Rubicon; or, rather, let me see you here forthwith, in the character of a preacher."
The God Who calls us to walk on the water, will sustain us to walk on the water,
no matter how high the waves, no matter how deep, how broad, how cold, or how turbulent the water may be!
Can the height or depth or breadth or chill or turbulence of any water separate us from
the height and depth and breadth and warmth and steadfastness of Christ's love for His elect?!
Our time of insufficiency is a God-ordained opportunity for us to come to know Christ Himself as our sufficiency!
II Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God
(Words: William H. Bathurst, Psalms and Hymns, 1831)
O, for a faith that will not shrink,
Though pressed by every foe,
That will not tremble on the brink
Of any earthly woe!
That will not murmur nor complain
Beneath the chastening rod,
But, in the hour of grief or pain,
Will lean upon its God.
A faith that shines more bright and clear
When tempests rage without;
That when in danger knows no fear,
In darkness feels no doubt.
That bears, unmoved, the world’s dread frown
Nor heeds its scornful smile;
That seas of trouble cannot drown,
Nor Satan’s arts beguile.
A faith that keeps the narrow way
Till life’s last hour is fled,
And with a pure and heavenly ray
Lights up a dying bed.
Lord, give me such a faith as this,
And then, whate’er may come,
I’ll taste, e’en here, the hallowed bliss
Of an eternal home.
O, for a faith that will not shrink!
Luke 17:5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
Mark 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith,
With men it is impossible, but not with God:
for with God all things are possible.
May the Holy Spirit impart to us understanding
and bring to our remembrance the five loaves of the five thousand,
and how many baskets were taken up,
so we might trust in God and go forward in faith
and expect to receive divine assistance as we go.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you.
Isaiah 54:4a Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded;
for thou shalt not be put to shame...
On what water is Jesus bidding you to walk?
Will you ask Him to strengthen your faith to trust Him more, so you might go forward?
Please note: Today's post is an edited/adapted version of a post I originally published here on October 2, 2011.
* Please check out John Piper's biographical messages. God used these to whet my appetite for reading Christian biography, and I pray God might use them similarly in your life if you've not yet come to appreciate the treasure of Christian biography.
Related posts...
on Christian biography...
- Why read Christian biography? To help us examine our love for God.
- "Who wants candles when he has the sun?" ~ Edward Payson | letter 124 on assurance & joy
- "if I would but cease struggling ... I might be happy" (Edward Payson)
- "Happy are they who can say..." ~ J.C. Philpot | Letter 139 on assurance & fighting for joy
- Happy Birthday, John Piper ~ reflections on year-ends, aging, fruit bearing & Christian hedonism
- Romans 12:1-2 ~ Ann Hasseltine Judson: a willing sacrifice – Are you?
- In which circle do you take your stand? ~ Hewitson's holy ambition ~ Are you a true disciple?
- In loss and grief ... "You maun just go the mair to Jesus." ~ James Laing
on God's sufficiency...
- by my God I can leap over a wall (Psalm 18:29b)
- your resolution - "Divine Intervention" by Lecrae
- Naphtali News: God speaking to me about my failures & the one thing needful
- Why not pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit
- trusting the eagles' wings (reliance on the Holy Spirit)
- Blessed dependence ~ "Leaning upon her beloved"
- "As your days, so shall your strength be"
- "Dependence" by William Cowper
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Po_vodam.jpg | {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}
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