WHY IS IT SO? by I. E. Kimball

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 3, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 34.

WHY IS IT SO?

By I. E. Kimball

BY ELDER I. E. KIMBALL.

THE mystery of God's providence is scarcely discerned by many. Why does he allow this and that, and why does he not give more light and power? Yea, why does he not pour out his Spirit as in former days? Now it cannot be that there is an arbitrary withholding of God's Spirit. This would certainly stultify his word, and that could never be. Why, then, is not the Spirit as fully manifest now as at Pentecost, or at any previous time?

Evidently there is some failure on our part. "The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble;" and if darkness is in our minds, and the ways and works of God are not discerned, we may well fear. This is not Christ or Christian.

It is a positive and undeniable truth that, among many who profess to have merged their life in Christ, spiritual discernment is so lacking that they are uncertain whether God or Satan is at their side. Now, before we have power over all the power of the enemy, before we get where unclean, wicked spirits can have no power over us, even though they assault us with forces massed, with carnal weapons and engines of death, and we still remain unconquered and unconquerable,—before this we must come to discern the enemy fully, and know when his power is exercised against us, and know whether we are walking with God. When we get where wicked spirits can have no power over us, we will know it.

But do we complain of insufficient light? Something is wrong in this surely. If the Lord does not give us light, we cannot be blamed for walking in the darkness. But what is light?—Whatsoever maketh manifest, and enables you to discern the way, the truth, and the life, is light. "The commandment is a lamp, and the law is light." The word of wisdom and truth is light. "The entrance of thy words giveth light." Is it possible in this our day to complain that God has not given sufficiently "line upon line, precept upon precept"? Have we been so sedulous and constant as to have taken in "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," and still complain of an insufficiency?

But the reason for the complaint in this direction lies in this, that you have not regarded the light God has given. And with some, yea, very many, although the word stands in their mind apparently accepted, it is not radically fulfilled; it stands as theory, not as fact. They have never taken hold of God's strength to live out that word, and, therefore, they have never found the strength to do it. They think they would not do this or that, but when the temptation comes, they do it, and the Lord knew they would. "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps;" and so long as we remain flexible with reference to the word, just so long wicked spirits will control us. But when with the prophet we say, "Have I set my face like a flint," God's word is then spirit and life to us.

The reason why God gives some no more light is because he loves them, and is merciful. For they have never conceived strength to live even according to the law of their mind. With their heart they serve the law of God, with the flesh the law of sin. They are continually brought into captivity, whether they realize it or not. They speak idle words, do idle works, serve divers lusts and pleasures. Something beside the Spirit of truth, or the Spirit of God, reigns within. They are continually compelled to cry out, "The good that I would I do not; but the evil that I would not that I do." "O wretched man that I am!"

Now is it not in mercy that God gives them no more? For if they have not taken hold of his strength and received grace to help, by faith, additional light would make sin more abound, and utterly sink them in discouragement. When they will live by every word of God, claiming his strength and the divine enlightenment in order to do so, then God will give more light, yea, all light, and he always grants strength to walk in the light. So all light and all strength will make all things possible to us, and clear up all that now looks dark and mysterious.

Jamaica, Vt.