Altering God's mind

"Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten down before your enemies." - Numbers 14:42

There is always the serious possibility that God will change His mind. This fact should keep us in humble fear before Him. For if there is something in us which resists His will, God may be compelled to modify His orders to us, as He did to Israel. It is true they acknowledged they had sinned, but they were wrong in thinking they could then proceed as though nothing had altered. It had. In such a situation it is folly to hold blindly on to something the Lord gave us twenty years ago - or even last year. We must live in today, and hold on to God. It is the present relationship that is vital. Why, even Moses found his course redirected when he failed God. But bowing to God's present will he was blessed, whereas the Israelites who tried to ignore it met only disaster. Has something in me altered God's mind? Let me then be open to His adjustment. One day He will restore.

A Table In The Wilderness (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)

Read the Scriptures: Numbers 14

A Cheerful Giver

"God loveth a cheerful giver." - 2 Corinthians 9:7

The servant of the Lord should learn to give as well as to receive. Yet how hard it often is to do so! I remember once I was setting out on a journey up river to take part in some important meetings. I had to trust the Lord for my fare, and I had only eighteen dollars in hand. The river boat would take me only so far, and I might need anything up to $300 to hire a boat for the rest of the way. Yet before I left, God told me to give away to a friend six of my sorely needed dollars. I started off, found quite unforeseen cheap travel provided from half way, enjoyed a most blessed week, and was amply provided for for my return journey. What a joy to discover when I got back that my gift of six dollars had been desperately needed!

All too often, I fear, we are bad givers. If I am only a receiver and not also a giver, I am unworthy of the God who sent me. The divine principle is not 'Save and you shall grow rich.' It is 'Give and it shall be given unto you.'

A Table In The Wilderness (Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)

Read the Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 9

Broken by God

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." - Habakkuk 3:18

When the Galilean boy brought his bread to Jesus, what did Jesus do with it? He broke it. God will always break what is offered to Him. He breaks what He takes, then blesses and uses it to meet men's needs.

Is not this true to your experience and mine? You give yourself to the Lord, and at once everything goes so badly wrong that you are tempted to find fault with His ways. To persist in such an attitude is to be broken, yes indeed, but to what purpose? You have gone too far for the world to use you, but you have not gone far enough for God. This is the tragedy of many a Christian. Do we want Him to use us? Then day by day let us go on giving to Him, not finding fault with His methods, but accepting His handling of us with praise and expectation.

A Table In The Wilderness (by Watchman Nee 主僕倪柝聲弟兄)
Read the Scriptures: Habakkuk 3; Matthew 4:13-21