"The Rights of God" # 5

"The Starting Point for the Working of God (continued)

Let us remember that the sequence of events in this story serves a higher purpose.

We have already said that Israel had refused Him, that they felt no need of the blessing that the Lord wanted to give them. For this reason Jesus went beyond the boundary. For this reason He turned to the Gentiles. The blessing of God is only for those who seek it. But even then nothing will happen until God has come to His starting point. Whether we are speaking of Naaman, Nicodemus, the Syrophenician woman, or ourselves - God's starting point is there where our own self has come to an end.

All the blessings of God flow from the Cross. God must empty us. God must bring us to the place where He can trust us. This will not happen until we despair of ourselves. Nothing could be more dangerous than to place spiritual blessings into carnal hands. Many become proud and self-confident because God has blessed them, because God has given them understanding.

The foundation of all blessings is the Cross. If we want to stand in true fellowship with God, then it is only possible on the grounds of the Cross, only possible where all our own strength has come to an end, where we are completely dependent upon Him.

Be assured that God will put us to the test as to whether this is so. We remind ourselves of Elijah and Elisha; of how Elijah attempted to deter Elisha from accompanying him on his final journey. Elisha persevered. Elisha went with him right to the end. But as they passed through the Jordan, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for thee, before I am taken from thee." Had he allowed himself to be shaken off, all blessings would have been lost.

The same is true for us. There is no other way to receive the fullness of God in Christ. In no other way does the Lord come to His right with us without us first returning to the starting point of God, there where our old man was crucified with Him - and only when we are prepared to take the position of being crucified with Him will we receive the blessing whatever the cost. This means, however, at the cost of our own natural life.

May the Lord bring us to that place, where we can say from the heart: Whatever the cost, I will go with You right to the End.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 6)