“THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET” Part Two
Merry Tuesday by Parris Bailey
“WHAT SHALL WE SAY TO THESE THINGS? IF GOD BE FOR US THAN WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?”
Our great consolation in the worst of times lies in our God. We have a covenant with God – “the Lord thy God” – is full of life. That word, “the Lord,” is really JEHOVAH, the self-existent One, the unchangeable One, the ever-living God, who cannot change or be moved from his everlasting purpose. “Since God’s power is supreme, and all others forces challenge it in vain, we note the inestimable comfort of God’s support: whether faced by the record of our past, or confronted with the difficulties of the present, we have no need to fear the outcome, we note the incomparable encouragement of God’s succor, for all that lies ahead, we can be sure that his help will be decisive and we note the importance of the power to evaluate correctly the forces which surround us, we shall not be free from opposition, but we shall escape the depression of spirit which comes from anticipating defeat.” (The Interpreter’s Bible)
Once again Spurgeon gives us these comforting words; “Having God you have more than all things, for all things come of him; and if all things were canceled out, he could restore all things simply by his will. He speaks and it is done; he commands, and it stands fast. Let the times roll on, they cannot affect our God. Let troubles rush upon us like a tempest, but they shall not come nigh unto us now that he is our defense. Jehovah, the God of his church, is also the God of each individual member of it, and each one may therefore rejoice in him. Jehovah is as much your God, my brother, as if no other person in the universe could use that covenant expression. O believer, the Lord God is altogether and wholly your God! All his wisdom, all his foresight, all his power, all his immutability – all himself is yours. As for the church of God, when she is in her lowest estate she is still established and endowed in the best possible sense – established by the divine decree, and endowed by the possession of God all-sufficient. The gates of hell shall not prevail against her. Let us exult in our possession. Poor as we are, we are infinitely rich in having God; weak as we are, there is no limit to our strength, since the Almighty Jehovah is ours. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” If God be ours, what more can we need? Lift up thy heart, thou sorrowful one, and be of good cheer. If God be thy God, thou hast all thou canst desire: wrapped up within his glorious name we find all things for time and eternity, for earth and heaven. Therefore in the name of Jehovah we will set up our banners, and march onward to the battle. He is our God by his own purpose, covenant, and oath; and this day he is our God by our own choice of him, by our union with Christ Jesus, by our experience of his goodness, and by that spirit of adoption whereby we cry “Abba, Father.”