"BUT GOD." A BIBLE READING FOR MISSIONARIES.
By W. Percy Knight
[By W. Percy Knight, Missionary of the China Inland Mission.] THE little word "but," when used with regard to God in His gracious dealings with His people, is full of glorious meaning. It puts His grace over against man's sin, His strength for human weakness, and brings God into the inner circle of life, with all its circumstances of trial and difficulty. Eph. 2:1-4: "Dead in trespasses and sins; . . . in the lusts of our flesh; . . . by nature children of wrath, even as others. BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy," etc. Here we have a full-length and lifelike portrait of the sinner, and God, in His wondrous love and grace, coming into relation with Him in His mercy in Christ Jesus. It is God in relation to new life. 1 Cor. 1:26-29, R.V.: "Not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. . . . BUT GOD chose the foolish," etc. In this passage we see God in relation to Christian service, and three times in verses 27, 28, find the word "chosen." It is God's purpose and plan to use the weak, the despised things of this world, to bring to naught the things that are mighty. Compare Ps. 8:2, R.V.: "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou established strength, because of Thine adversaries, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." In view of the hoary systems of idolatry the missionary has to meet, the deep-seated prejudice and superstition to be overthrown in heathen lands, and his deep realization of inability to do the work, this thought of God's choice of the weak and despised to do His mightiest works should fill all hearts with joy and encouragement. 1 Cor. 2:9, 10, R.V.: "Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not. . . . BUT unto us GOD revealed them through the Spirit." Here we have God in relation to teaching. Above and beyond all other teachers, however learned and able to impart knowledge, is the Spirit of God, who alone can enlighten the heart to divine truth. He alone is able to take of the things of Christ and make them real and actual to the inner life. Verse 11: As the spirit of man alone knows the things of man, so the things of God none knoweth save the Spirit of God. With all the dullness of the native convert how wonderful his progress when taught by the Spirit! Let us thank God for the revealing power and light of the Holy Ghost. Of these mysteries of divine grace we are told, "BUT GOD hath revealed them unto us by the Spirit." In the following three passages we see God in relation to circumstances:— Gen. 45:8. Joseph, speaking to his brethren, says, "So now it was not you that sent me hither, BUT GOD." Gen. 50:20, R.V.: "Ye meant evil against me; BUT GOD meant it for good." Acts 7:9: "The patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; BUT GOD was with him." This is one of the hardest lessons to learn, and yet fraught with infinite blessing, to place God in the inner circle of life, all circumstances alike of difficulty and trial, or sorrow caused us by others on the outside, and say, with Joseph, "BUT GOD meant it for good." In spite of all the machinations of his brethren, the anguish of soul, the carrying into Egypt, false accusation and imprisonment, Joseph did not lose sight of the working and loving purpose of his God; and, bringing that loving Lord in between himself and all his untoward circumstances, he could say, as in Rom. 8:28, that all things were working together for his good. We have a very striking illustration of this truth in Numbers 13 and 14. The spies had returned to Moses and the people of Israel from spying out the promised land. The report of the ten caused the heart of the people to melt. Forgetting their covenant-keeping and wonder-working Jehovah, and all that He had done for them in the past, these spies told only of the sons of Anak and strongly-fenced cities. Caleb and Joshua, the two faithful spies, would not allow the Anakim and the great cities to blot out their sight of the Lord; putting obstacles and difficulties without, they said, "The Lord is with us," and, looking into His face, remained calm and restful in spite of the foe. As we know, the counsel of the ten prevailed, and, putting circumstances before the Lord, the carcasses of those who murmured fell in the wilderness. Ex. 13:17, 18, R.V.: "God led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, altho that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war; . . . BUT GOD led the people about." Lastly, we see in this passage God in relation to guidance. Israel did not as yet know God sufficiently; they were untrained and unorganized, and, knowing that the experience in the land of the Philistines would be too hard for them, we read that "God led them about." Our God deals very tenderly with us, and is never in a hurry. How often do we want to take what seems the most direct way to Christian work or experience, yet the Lord "leads us about"! He knows that that work would involve responsibility for which we are not yet prepared, would bring burdens that would crush us, and so we are kept, as Moses was kept forty years, for training in the wilderness, and further fitted by the Lord for future service. It may be we cry out, "Lord, give me the blessing such a man has," yet the Lord, knowing that his spiritual experience would bring to us fierce temptations and deep trial, of which we are all unaware, withholds the coveted experience, and gently leads us by a longer road. Let us trust our Jehovah more simply and implicitly. He makes no mistakes, and with tender individual guidance suited to our several needs, will lead us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.—Missionary Review.