HOW TO TAKE HOLD OF THE LORD'S STRENGTH.
By I. E. Kimball
THESE comforting words are found in Isa. 27:5: "Or let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me." Enmity between man and God comes through sin. There is no peace to the wicked; but "the work of righteousness shall be peace." The above text therefore shows how to work righteousness. "Let him take hold of My strength." The prophet, just before giving us this word, had said, "In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength," and had exhorted consequently to trust in the Lord forever, telling us that the one who does thus God will keep "in perfect peace." That everlasting strength covers all possibilities and makes all things possible to him that believeth. But the above shows plainly enough that peace and reconciliation with God come only by our taking hold upon the power which comes from God. The gospel turns us from the power of Satan and his tyranny unto a power which fully releases from the wicked one. But just how shall we take hold upon the Lord's strength? We all wish that power was manifest fully in us; and it seems from the text that all we have to do is to take what is already proffered to us. A few texts will show us plainly to whom and under what conditions the Lord's strength is imparted:— "Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat." "He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." "I will pour waters upon him that is thirsty." "The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."727"A strength to the poor," "a strength to the needy in his distress," "power to the faint," "strength to them that turn the battle to the gates," "a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat." Such is the Lord. But how very few venture into the blinding storm, or expose themselves to the scorching heat! How few, with weapons of God's salvation, turn the battle against Satan to the very gate, stronghold, citadel! The enemy's stronghold is death. Here he holds the many captive. He binds those over whom he has power and brings them finally to the narrow house. He is called "him that hath the power of death." He who strives against sin and sickness and death, may be sure to be sustained of God. There is no limit to the strength which is already his—freely given to him. Shall the grace of God be in vain? or will he take it? Christ says, I give you power to take the great stronghold of Satan—"power over all the power of the enemy;" but that stronghold is assaulted to-day by an army of babes who know not to exercise spiritual strength. Christ proposes to come in unto us and sup with us and we with him. However much companionship and oneness are here shown, we know that God gives, to purify and cleanse, a "bitter cup," a cup of suffering. The Lord will partake of it with us when we are ready to receive that cup. When we pass through the waters, he will be with us; when we walk through the fire, we shall not be burned. Isa. 43:2. Paul spake of the sufferings of Christ abounding in him—in hunger, thirst, nakedness, in trouble on every side, perplexed, persecuted, forsaken, in deaths oft, "always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus"—"always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake" "that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in [his] mortal flesh." Do you want the life of Jesus made manifest in your mortal flesh? Go thou and do likewise. Labor as he labored, suffer willingly as he suffered, and take hold upon God's strength as he took hold upon it, to endure. You should welcome infirmities, take pleasure in necessities and distresses, for it throws you off your own base. You feel the necessity then of taking freely hold upon the Lord's life. So when the dart of Satan is thrust at us to buffet, and fleshly infirmities weigh us down, remember the word to Paul, "My strength is made perfect in weakness," and his conclusion, "most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." He surely was here speaking of infirmity of body of the flesh, and he adds therefore, "I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong." Our light afflictions, if we make a right use of them, work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Don't, then, shun crosses, responsibilities, labors, dangers; do not sorrow over weaknesses and buffetings, but take the invincible strength of God, and say with Paul, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."