A Knowledge of
God
Chapter 10Many are the ways in which God is seeking to make Himself
known to us and bring us into communion with Him. Nature speaks to our senses without
ceasing. The open heart will be impressed with the love and glory of God as revealed
through the works of His hands. The listening ear can hear and understand the
communications of God through the things of nature. The green fields, the lofty trees, the
buds and flowers, the passing cloud, the falling rain, the babbling brook, the glories of
the heavens, speak to our hearts, and invite us to become acquainted with Him who made
them all.
Our Saviour bound up His precious lessons with the things
of nature. The trees, the birds, the flowers of the valleys, the hills, the lakes, and the
beautiful heavens, as well as the incidents and surroundings of daily life, were all
linked with the words of truth, that His lessons might thus be often recalled to mind,
even amid the busy cares of man's life of toil. God would have His children appreciate His works and
delight in the simple, quiet beauty with which He has adorned our earthly home. He is a
lover of the beautiful, and above all that is outwardly attractive He loves beauty of
character; He would have us cultivate purity and simplicity, the quiet graces of the
flowers. If we will but listen, God's created works will teach us
precious lessons of obedience and trust. From the stars that in their trackless courses through
space follow from age to age their appointed path, down to the minutest atom, the things
of nature obey the Creator's will. And God cares for everything and sustains everything
that He has created. He who upholds the unnumbered worlds throughout immensity, at the
same time cares for the wants of the little brown sparrow that sings its humble song
without fear. When men go forth to their daily toil, as when they engage in prayer; when
they lie down at night, and when they rise in the morning; when the rich man feasts in his
palace, or when the poor man gathers his children about the scanty board, each is tenderly
watched by the heavenly Father. No tears are shed that God does not notice. There is no
smile that He does not mark. If we would but fully believe this, all undue anxieties
would be dismissed. Our lives would not be so filled with disappointment as now; for
everything, whether great or small, would be left in the hands of God, who is not
perplexed by the multiplicity of cares, or overwhelmed by their weight. We should then
enjoy a rest of soul to which many have long been strangers. As your senses delight in the attractive loveliness of the
earth, think of the world that is to come, that shall never know the blight of sin and
death; where the face of nature will no more wear the shadow of the curse. Let your
imagination picture the home of the saved, and remember that it will be more glorious than
your brightest imagination can portray. In the varied gifts of God in nature we see but
the faintest gleaming of His glory. It is written, "Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9.
The poet and the naturalist have many things to say about
nature, but it is the Christian who enjoys the beauty of the earth with the highest
appreciation, because he recognizes his Father's handiwork and perceives His love in
flower and shrub and tree. No one can fully appreciate the significance of hill and vale,
river and sea, who does not look upon them as an expression of God's love to man.
God speaks to us through His providential workings and
through the influence of His Spirit upon the heart. In our circumstances and surroundings,
in the changes daily taking place around us, we may find precious lessons if our hearts
are but open to discern them. The psalmist, tracing the work of God's providence, says,
"The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." "Whoso is wise, and will
observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord."
Psalm 33:5; 107:43. God speaks to us in His word. Here we have in clearer
lines the revelation of His character, of His dealings with men, and the great work of
redemption. Here is open before us the history of patriarchs and prophets and other holy
men of old. They were men "subject to like passions as we are." James 5:17. We
see how they struggled through discouragements like our own, how they fell under
temptation as we have done, and yet took heart again and conquered through the grace of
God; and, beholding, we are encouraged in our striving after righteousness. As we read
of the precious experiences granted them, of the light and love and blessing it was theirs
to enjoy, and of the work they wrought through the grace given them, the spirit that
inspired them kindles a flame of holy emulation in our hearts and a desire to be like them
in character--like them to walk with God. Jesus said of the Old Testament Scriptures,--and how much
more is it true of the New,--"They are they which testify of Me," the Redeemer,
Him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. John 5:39. Yes, the whole Bible tells
of Christ. From the first record of creation--for "without Him was not anything made
that was made"--to the closing promise, "Behold, I come quickly," we are
reading of His works and listening to His voice. John 1:3; Revelation 22:12. If you would
become acquainted with the Saviour, study the Holy Scriptures. Fill the whole heart with the words of God. They are the
living water, quenching your burning thirst. They are the living bread from heaven. Jesus
declares, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no
life in you." And He explains Himself by saying, "The words that I speak unto
you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:53, 63. Our bodies are built up from
what we eat and drink; and as in the natural economy, so in the spiritual economy: it is
what we meditate upon that will give tone and strength to our spiritual nature. The theme of redemption is one that the angels desire to
look into; it will be the science and the song of the redeemed throughout the ceaseless
ages of eternity. Is it not worthy of careful thought and study
now? The infinite mercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our behalf, call for the
most serious and solemn reflection. We should dwell upon the character of our dear
Redeemer and Intercessor. We should meditate upon the mission of Him who came to save His
people from their sins. As we thus contemplate heavenly themes, our faith and love will
grow stronger, and our prayers will be more and more acceptable to God, because they will
be more and more mixed with faith and love. They will be intelligent and fervent. There
will be more constant confidence in Jesus, and a daily, living experience in His power to
save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. As we meditate upon the perfections of the Saviour, we
shall desire to be wholly transformed and renewed in the image of His purity. There will
be a hungering and thirsting of soul to become like Him whom we adore. The more our
thoughts are upon Christ, the more we shall speak of Him to others and represent Him to
the world. The Bible was not written for the scholar alone; on the
contrary, it was designed for the common people. The great truths necessary for salvation
are made as clear as noonday; and none will mistake and lose their way except those who
follow their own judgment instead of the plainly revealed will of God. We should not take the testimony of any man as to what the
Scriptures teach, but should study the words of God for ourselves. If we allow others to
do our thinking, we shall have crippled energies and contracted abilities. The noble powers of the mind may be
so dwarfed by lack of exercise on themes worthy of their concentration as to lose their
ability to grasp the deep meaning of the word of God. The mind will enlarge if it is
employed in tracing out the relation of the subjects of the Bible, comparing scripture
with scripture and spiritual things with spiritual. There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the
intellect than the study of the Scriptures. No other book is so potent to elevate the
thoughts, to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If
God's word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of
character, and a stability of purpose rarely seen in these times. But there is but little benefit derived from a hasty
reading of the Scriptures. One may read the whole Bible through and yet fail to see its
beauty or comprehend its deep and hidden meaning. One passage studied until its
significance is clear to the mind and its relation to the plan of salvation is evident, is
of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view and no
positive instruction gained. Keep your Bible with you. As you have opportunity, read it;
fix the texts in your memory. Even while you are walking the streets you may read a
passage and meditate upon it, thus fixing it in the mind. We cannot obtain wisdom without earnest attention and
prayerful study. Some portions of Scripture are indeed too plain to be misunderstood, but
there are others whose meaning does not lie on the surface to be seen at a glance.
Scripture must be compared with scripture. There must be careful research
and prayerful reflection. And such study will be richly repaid. As the miner discovers
veins of precious metal concealed beneath the surface of the earth, so will he who
perseveringly searches the word of God as for hid treasure find truths of the greatest
value, which are concealed from the view of the careless seeker. The words of inspiration,
pondered in the heart, will be as streams flowing from the fountain of life. Never should the Bible be studied without prayer. Before
opening its pages we should ask for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and it will be
given. When Nathanael came to Jesus, the Saviour exclaimed, "Behold an Israelite
indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael said, "Whence knowest Thou me?"
Jesus answered, "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I
saw thee." John 1:47, 48. And Jesus will see us also in the secret places of prayer
if we will seek Him for light that we may know what is truth. Angels from the world of
light will be with those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance. The Holy Spirit exalts and glorifies the Saviour. It is
His office to present Christ, the purity of His righteousness, and the great salvation
that we have through Him. Jesus says, "He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it
unto you." John 16:14. The Spirit of truth is the only effectual teacher of divine
truth. How must God esteem the human race, since He gave His Son to die for them and
appoints His Spirit to be man's teacher and continual guide! |
