Taking God At His Word

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Let me quickly refresh your minds about W. Faber’s magnificent and timeless hymn, 'There's a Wideness in God's Mercy' and this verse in particular.

If our love were but more simple,

We would take Him at His Word;

And our lives would be all sunshine,

In the sweetness of our Lord.

Like many of you, I was also struggling with believing and accepting the fact that any life could be all sunshine. This was made real and much plainer to me, with this experience. Here is my testimony, which I share gladly, willingly, excitedly and most decisively with all who will hear and heed. It was during this time of learning, when I was heavily dependent on our Teacher, to bring understanding to me regarding, more simple love, I was given a first-hand example, which brought me to earnest repentance and exposure.

It was Sunday evening and, as usual, my neighbour, who has difficulty hearing, plays his little transistor radio so loudly, I hear it as if it is next to me.  He loves to listen to the Church services which are broadcast at the same time every Sunday evening. The sermon on this Sunday evening, pertained to Jonah and the preacher spoke of God creating a huge fish to swallow Jonah. I heard my neighbour’s wife, who sits with him in the patio, tell him that the minister at their church, who preached on Jonah that very Sunday morning, said that they were not to take the story about a huge fish swallowing Jonah, literally. Before she could say another word, I heard him speak loudly and authoritatively, these words. “Don’t worry with dem preachers! If God could make a man, how come He can’t make a fish to swallow the man! God used to do dem things in dem days. All dem things used to happen in dem days.”

Straightway, I heard no more of the sermon, just my neighbour’s ranting voice about people who disbelieve the Power and Authority of God. He said that God could do anything He wanted to do and “dem fellers peaching foolishness to the people.” Then, as if schooling his wife into all truth, repeated this for the umpteenth time.  “All dem things used to happen in dem days.” This hit me hard, I tell you, because right there and then, I was told by our Holy Spirit that my life testified to the same thing I was frowning upon.

You see, what my neighbour was saying, most categorically, was that the preacher his wife spoke about, was leading people astray in making them believe that God did not create a fish to swallow Jonah. The preacher was making that incident a figurative possibility, but an actual impossibility. When therefore, I heard my neighbour explain that such miracles took place only in those far gone days, I saw no difference between him and the preacher whom he was so openly lambasting. 

The Holy Spirit then turned the spotlight on me, as it were, and showed me that I really was no different in my beliefs about Him and miracles. I saw clearly, how my life showed a Jesus, a Holy Spirit, a Heavenly Father, who was unable to do certain things, so that my testimony with my lips say that nothing is impossible for God to do. Nevertheless, with my life, I show the whole world how impossible it is for God to do certain things for me. It was then that it all was illuminated before me that if my love were, but more simple, if my faith were, but more simple, if my trust were, but more simple, I would take God at His Word. Nothing! Absolutely nothing will be too hard for Jesus to do.

Is the same true of you also? Is the Lord saying the same to you also?

We continue tomorrow.