Quote of the Day

Want of trust is at the root of almost all our sins and all our weaknesses; and how shall we escape it but by looking to Him and observing His faithfulness?...The man who holds God's faithfulness will not be foolhardy or reckless, but he will be ready for every emergency.  The man who holds God's faithfulness will dare to obey Him, however impolitic it may be appear. "  As to the correctness of this modified translation, Mr. Taylor noted:  "For the rendering 'God's faithfulness,' see Rom. Iii. 3, where 'the faith of God' evidently means His faithfulness.  The verb translated 'hold', is thus rendered in Matt. Xxi. 26, 'all hold John as a prophet.' In the corresponding passage in Mark xi. 32, it is rendered 'count'; and in that in Luke xx. 6, a different Greek verb is used, which well illustrates the meaning, 'They be persuaded that John was a prophet.'  Let us see that in theory we hold that God is faithful; that in daily life we count upon it; and that at all times and under all circumstances we are fully persuaded of this blessed truth."  Abraham held God's faithfulness and offered up Isaac, 'Accounting that God was able to raise him from the dead.'  Moses held God's faithfulness and led the millions of Israel into the waste, holing wilderness.  Joshua knew Israel well, and was ignorant neither of the fortifications of the Canaanites nor of their martial prowess, but he held God's faithfulness and led Israel across the Jordan….The Apostles held God's faithfulness, and were not daunted by the hatred of the Jews or the hostility of the heathen….  "And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of those who, holding God's faithfulness, had faith, and by it subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises…out of weakness were made strong, waked valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the nations?'  Satan, too, has his creed:  Doubt God's Faithfulness.  Hath God said?  Are you not mistaken as to His commands?  He could not really mean just that.  You take and extreme view, a literal meaning to the words.'….How constantly, and, alas, how successfully are such arguments used to prevent whole-hearted trust in God, whole-hearted consecration to God!....How many estimate difficulties in the light of their own resources, and thus attempt little and often fail in the little they attempt.  All God's giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them.

 

Hudson Taylor