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“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Jesus said, “We should pray thy will be done in the earth as it is done in heaven.” So little of the will of God is being done, but it is going to be done. As we pile hope upon hope, at last it becomes a reality whether it pleases man or pleases our flesh, and whether it is visible to our eyes or not we will know God is working.
How willing Mary was to be used of God—she met God’s approval. What a test it was to her to be asked to be the mother of a supposedly illegitimate child, but one day He came into existence. By faith, the elders received a good report, if they had nothing else witnessed to their hearts, this was enough (Hebrews 11:2). But we see the definite characters God brings in the background to show us how they won God’s approval. Enoch had this testimony that before he was translated, he pleased God; and without faith it is impossible to please God.
We cannot get faith within ourselves, faith is from heaven. We do have to do something and on this side. He has done all He can do—the next move is up to us. We must first believe that He is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
You may say, I haven’t such great faith that can say to the sick, be whole. But, the first thing to do is come before God and believe that He is, and then believe that that He is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. If we diligently seek Him, He proves to be a rewarder—they are the first principles we must come on. This faith is not the gift of faith but the faith we all must have.
We would like, we say, to go to hear an evangelist, preacher, teacher or someone who has faith. It does help us, but some people are spiritual thieves. You say, I would like to work with those people they seem to impart unto me something. You go around and try to get in on Sister or Brother So-and-so’s blessing.
“He that cometh to me… (Hebrews 11:6)”—we must come individually. We cannot get it from someone else.
First, you need to say, “Lord, I believe you are.” Second, “…I believe if I seek you, You are a Rewarder.”
If you go around to try and get something off someone else, if they fall, it will throw you down. But if you get the blessing direct from God himself, He is always the same. He cannot be moved, and we can be like Him. Getting light from somebody else may help, but it won’t be like getting it direct from God. Christ will give you your heart’s desire, but you must believe. Without that, it is impossible to please Him.
Some people say, “What can I do to please Him?” There is plenty to do, but why do a whole lot of things, when He is not implanted in our hearts? After we have gone the full length of the way, God owes us nothing. If you first believe that He is, you will have something that nothing can shake. There must be in us an underlying something.
We have here three kinds of heroes from the 33rd verse down:
- Those that really received the promise as Daniel, the three Hebrew children, etc.
- Woman who received their dead raised to life, as widow who cared for Elijah, Shunamite who befriended Elisha.
- Others tortured, not accepting deliverance. If they didn’t get God’s deliverance, they would rather die.
How many people in trouble will take deliverance at any cost? But there were enough people who wouldn’t accept such a deliverance. If He doesn’t send and lock the lion’s mouth, that is His business.
I heard of a Chinese group that was saved. And the revolt came, and those in authority came after the missionaries to kill them. They said to these native Christians, “You tell us where the missionaries are, and we will save your lives.” But they wouldn’t tell, though their heads came off.
Faith isn’t something to be used to get us out of scrapes and difficulties, but our business is to have the same words as the men in the furnace. The king said, “You think it over.”
But they said, “If it be so that God will deliver, alright. If not, we won’t take deliverance any other way.”
We need to have faith—not something to get us out of pain, but as Job said, “Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him.”
After all the troubles came on Job, he over on the ash heap scraping the corruption out of his body with a piece of crockery, his wife said, “Curse God and die.”
He said, “Naked came I into the world, naked shall I go out. Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”
Esther was willing to die, that others might live. “Though I perish,” she said, “I am going through.” There should be that underlying principle in each one of our hearts.
Some say, “What is the use being a Christian? You have troubles, too.” Yes, but the sinner has no one to go to.
God did not deliver Jesus, it was God’s will that He die. He said, “Father, glorify thy name.” There should be that absolute submission to the will of God, whether He delivers or not. Faith that is anything less than that is not of God—it is contaminated and leads into misery. We have the record of Paul, how he had the messenger of Satan to buffet him in the flesh. But he prayed through. We should have deliverance or grace where we can come to the place of leaving it in God’s hands, and His grace will be sufficient. If God’s grace is sufficient, we will not murmur or complain.
Paul said he strained every nerve to go forward. It will take a lifetime to do it. We better see to it that we make it through right. If God dealt with Moses and never let him enter the promised land, how do we measure up with these people? We need to move on, and we need to make it the business of 24 hours a day. See to it there is nothing between.
We may say, “Lord, whether I am delivered or not I want to serve you. I don’t care which is poured on me—deliverance or grace—whichever you think is best.” I am sure it was a wonderful thing to have the grace that was all sufficient. Paul was happy, He didn’t question God at all. Lord, you are running that end. Help me on this end.
We are in a day when judgments are being poured out, a day when God will purify His people. It will take something to purify God’s people. Tribulation and trials don’t drive us into God as it should. There will come tribulation days upon this world. Tribulation purged Job.
If you are one of those who believe God will lift some of these half-baked Christians up to be with Him in the rapture, these worldly ones will have to go through tribulation. God is going to take those that please Him. He is not going to take these half-done souls. It is true the tribulation days will be short, but if it does the work, it will be cheap.
I stood beside a Christian who was dying. The thought came to me, this one, who has done so much for you, won’t you do something for him? He needed to make it right with someone before he went to his maker. That was the mercy of God. If it takes trial and tribulation, it will be cheap at any cost. As soon as the pain hits you, you send for the doctor or rub on your old salve. When the test comes, the thing to say is “I don’t care whether I live or die, Christ must be magnified in this body.”
I believe there will be a band who will go through who will be able to stand against the powers of darkness. I also believe there will be a company of people who will be purged by tribulation fires (Revelation 14, 9:4).
We hear of revolts and communism sweeping the world, but it is nothing to what it will be. You say, “It is in Russia.”
But after a while, God will say to Satan, “You can touch all nations. Now you can touch everybody except those that have the stamp of God.”
If you are going through the fire, call out, “Lord, purify me.”
Isn’t that a benediction that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him? We must have this testimony that we please God. We have only today. Those who depend on tomorrow are presumptuous. I can’t see how those who sit and never make a move to do anything—testify, pray, witness or take their steps in God—ever expect to make it through. My friends, you will never come to the place of victory except you move.
Nothing seemed any different the day Esau made his choice, but the day came when he sought carefully that he might have the blessing. That line of Esau was cursed all the way through. It is a curse to serve the flesh. It seems you can get away with it for a while, but one day the heavens will become brass.
Let us search our hearts. When we put ourselves alongside of the patience of Job, the meekness of Moses, the warfare of Paul, we don’t rate very high.
