Strength to Go On

The Reason Why - At Thy Word

Barbara Henderson
 
What gives some people the strength to go on when others faint in the way? 

Having fished all night, but caught no fishes, Peter let down the nets one more time at the world of the Lord.  Luke 5:5

 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 

 Don’t you imagine Peter was dreadfully weary?  He probably just wanted to go home, sleep all day, and not think about the bills he needed to pay.  Instead, at the Word of the Lord, he worked a little longer.  Christians often it necessary to work a little longer at hard or difficult tasks than they had originally planned.  It is the Lord who strengthens them to keep working.

Lazarus came forth out of the grave at the word of the Lord.

John 11:43

 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

 Lazarus was dead four days when the Lord called him out of the grave.  We don’t know what he was doing when the Lord called him forth.  But after four days, don’t you think Lazarus was already getting used to the next life?  He had experienced at least four days of no pain or suffering, seen heaven, probably visited with Abraham, and got a very good taste of the good things in the next life.  It is possible he didn’t even want to get his body out of the earthly grave.  Yet he did just that at the word of the Lord. 

 This is just an aside here, but the things Lazarus could have told us about the afterlife are not written down anywhere.  Also, the Bible tells of ‘graves opening up’ at the crucifixion. 

50.  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51.  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52.  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,  
53.  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

 At any other time in history, either of these events would have been the subject of extensive writing and explanation and conjecture by the scholars for centuries.  Yet they are barely footnotes in the Bible itself, and to my knowledge, these events are not really written about anywhere.  So important was the resurrection of Jesus Christ that even events as powerful as these two events were overshadowed to the point of almost obscurity.  The reason ‘why’ was/is Jesus Christ.  The Lord proved He had power over the death of others and over His own death.  That makes His words worth heeding, and His instructions worth following.

 How does a young man (or person) chose a clean path? 

Psalm 119:9

‘Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.’

 Why was the young man cleansed of leprosy?

2. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

3.  And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

 Why did the demons leave the man?  They did it at the word of the Lord.  (Mark chapter 5)

 Things done at the word of the Lord will always work for the best. 

Things not done because the Lord tells us not to do them will always be for our good.

 The instructions are in the Bible.  The draw back for many people is that the Bible actually must be read, or listened to, in order to get the good out of it.  There is no other way to keep the lamp that lights your path burning brightly.

 There are often decisions we make that have no exact instructions in the Bible. 

The procedure in making decisions in such cases, is to go over the things the Bible does make clear.  Honor God, love God, no other God’s before God, no idols, honor parents, no murder, no jealousy, no adultery, no lying, no thieving, and treat others the way you want to be treated.  Does your decision break any of the rules?  If it breaks any of the rules, then you can’t do it.  Well, you can do it, but you won’t like the results.  If it doesn’t break any of the rules, it is free choice.  Whatever choice you make will send you on a different path, and give you different experiences, or cause you to meet different people, and things like that.  But God does give you choices within set boundaries.  In every case it is imperative, of the utmost importance, and really important that you stay within the boundaries and guidelines of the Lord’s written word.

 At Thy Word’ – referring to the Lord Jesus Christ of course – should be the thought in every Christian’s mind continually.  What does the Lord have to say about any matter?  Is He for it or against it?

At Thy word – I will do this.

At Thy word – I will not do that.

 Draw a line in your mind.  Make those important decisions in advance. 

Why should I do right when it appear that everyone around me is doing wrong?  The reason why is Jesus Christ.  You are the one who will face Him one day.  You will answer for your own actions, not the actions of the ones around you.  You will also be the one who is blessed today by following the instructions given to us in the Holy Bible.  It has the words of life.  It has ‘Wonderful Words of Life’.

Why should you keep on going when you are tired and weary?  Has the Lord given you permission to stop in well doing.  Remember Galatians 6:9 which says, ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.’

 At the Word of the Lord, stay on the path where He is leading, and keep your eyes on the prize.  There is a ‘due season’ coming.  I don’t know if you will reap a net full of fishes or some other prize.  But, I do KNOW that in due season you will reap if you don’t faint.

                                                                                                  

Wonderful Words of Life

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/o/wondword.htm

Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life,

 Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;

 Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.

Refrain

Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life,

 Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessèd One, gives to all wonderful words of life;

 Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life;

 All so freely given, wooing us to heaven.

Refrain

Sweetly echo the Gospel call, wonderful words of life;

 Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life;

 Jesus, only Savior, sanctify us forever.

Refrain

AND

Just for good measure, or in case you are being tossed by storms in your life, remember this song also

The Haven of Rest

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/a/v/havenres.htm

My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea,

 So burdened with sin and distressed,

 Till I heard a sweet voice, saying,

 “Make Me your choice”;

 And I entered the “Haven of Rest”!

Refrain

I’ve anchored my soul in the “Haven of Rest,”

 I’ll sail the wide seas no more;

 The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,

 In Jesus I’m safe evermore.

I yielded myself to His tender embrace,

 In faith taking hold of the Word,

 My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul;

 The “Haven of Rest” is my Lord.

Refrain

The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,

 Has been the old story so blest,

 Of Jesus, who’ll save whosoever will have

 A home in the “Haven of Rest.”

Refrain

How precious the thought that we all may recline,

 Like John, the belovèd so blest,

 On Jesus’ strong arm, where no tempest can harm,

 Secure in the “Haven of Rest.”

Refrain

O come to the Savior, He patiently waits

 To save by His power divine;

 Come, anchor your soul in the “Haven of Rest,”

 And say, “My Belovèd is mine.”

Refrain