28:9. And David speaks of prayers that "become sin," because of wickedness and deceit. See Ps. 109: 7. When our prayers go forth in harmony with the mind of the Spirit of God, they will be prayers of faith, and cannot fail to bring their an swer. But no doubting, no wavering must be allowed to mingle with them. "Let him ask in faith, nothing wa vering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." James 1:6, 7. The waters composing the waves of the sea do not rush on with the waves. The wave is but the upheaval of the waters. The ship upon the billows does not move along with the wave. As the wave rushes along, the vessel rises upon the crest, and then falls into the trough of the sea, but it does not move forward with the wave unless propelled by sail or steam. And so with the life of many vacillating Christians,-sometimes on the mountain top, and again in the valley of doubt, but with no visible advancement in spiritual attainments or experience. Their condition is well described in the jubilee melody, "Sometimes up, and sometimes down, Sometimes almost to the ground." God's promises to His children represent all the power of heaven. They are not promises merely, but they are backed by the oath of Jehovah. Paul, presenting these sure promises, says: "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it [to Abraham] by an oath that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." Heb. 6:17, 18. And to show that this assurance applies to our day, Paul writes, "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29. The Christian's hope is based upon the promises of God. Faith brings the reward. The sincere faith of the humblest suppliant at the throne of grace is more powerful than "all the power of the enemy." True is the word of the poet, "Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees." Simple faith makes real the promises of God. Paul writes: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for. the evidence of things not seen." Heb. III. Through faith the hope of the child of God be comes very real and tangible. We have a loving heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is our Elder Brother, and our Advocate with the Father. Heavenly angels are our constant attendants. A city with mansions is being prepared for us in heaven. See John 14:2, 3. The true and faithful of earth will have homes in that beautiful city. This earth will be made new and glorified, to become the eternal dominion of the saints. Here they will dwell through an endless life of joy and bliss beyond our comprehension. These are the rewards which the Christian contemplates "with joy unspeakable and full of glory." 1 Peter 1:8. And these are the promises which become as real and substantial to us as the events of every-day life. Through faith they are the "substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." |