T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
November 1932
470
prayer is answered before the prayer itself is finished— before we have ‘done speaking.’ This is because God has pledged His word to us that whatsoever we ask in Christ’s name . . . and in faith, shall be done. As God’s word cannot fail, whenever we meet those simple conditions in prayer, the answer to our prayer has been granted and completed in heaven as we pray, even though its showing forth on earth may not occur until long afterward. So it is well to close every prayer with praise to God for the answer. He has already granted; He who never forsakes His loving kindness and His truth.” Possibly the children of God have never needed, as they do today, the wonderful assurance given in Philippians 4 :19: “ But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches.” Missionary organizations need this assurance. With the usual sources of supply drying up day after day, what are the missionaries o f the cross to do ? Those whom God has called to preach the gospel o f the kingdom in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and whose every heart-throb is for the neglected ones who are starving and dying for lack of the Bread of life—shall these be called home because of the lack of funds, or shall we, in place of crying, “ Lord, send us bread for the hungry multitudes,” rather say, “ Lord, we thank Thee that Thou hast heard us” ? The promise is there, with all the power of high heaven back of it, and it is our glorious privilege to praise through when we cannot pray through. H enry F ord ’ s B acking — and G od ’ s If Henry Ford, with his multiplied millions, should say to the leaders of any foreign missionary society, “ I will for one year supply all the need of your organization, accord ing to the wealth that I have in my possession,” and if, as an earnest o f his good faith, he should give an indefinite number of blank checks, signed with his name; do you sup pose that organization would have to consider retrenching ? And would the leaders of the work periodically spend an hour or two, or a whole night, with Mr. Ford, asking him, please, to supply the need? Would they not rather send him from time to time a warm note of appreciation and thanks for his gracious promise and his kindly care of the precious work in the Orient or elsewhere ? But one infinitely greater than Mr. Ford has spoken, One whose resources are exhaustless, and whose love for heathen souls is boundless. Shall we feel less secure to have the name of Jesus Christ signed to our checks, the name which is bound to be honored at heaven’s bank so long as a need remains, or until beaven is bankrupt ? Chil dren o f the Lord o f all the earth, depending on His own gracious promise, need have no fear that He will fail. “ God, that cannot lie, promised.” A D efinite A ct of C omm ittal . It is our privilege in these days when “ men’s hearts are failing them for fear,” to commit into the Father’s hands every circumstance, every condition, every individual for whom we feel personally responsible. The challenge comes to each of us, “ Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” or, briefly ren dered, “ Commit . . . trust . . . he worketh.” What a blessed relief'it is to be able, by a definite act of committal, to place on Him the responsibility o f our friends and loved ones, of hopeless situations or circum stances and, leaving them all with Him, to go our way with out a worry or a care. Our part is to commit and trust ; His part is to bring things to pass for the glory o f His name. And while there may be no immediate evidence that [Continued on page 473]
He Faileth Not B y A nna H oppe All the way thy gracious Lord will guide thee, Lead thee gently by His tender hand, Valiantly defend when ills betide thee, In thy sojourn in this pilgrim land. No matter what thy daily need may be, An all sufficient Christ sustaineth thee! Be not dismayed; let earthborn fears not grieve thee, Earth’s friends may fail—H e still abides the same. Ne’er for a moment will His watch-care leave thee; Zealous is He who calls His sheep by name! Eternal life is thine; His blood has bought thee; No power can take thee from thy Shepherd’s hand. Blessings abound with Him whose love has sought thee; Each day brings glimpses from Immanuel’s land! Rejoice, dear heart! Till thou His face wilt see, Goodness and mercy still will follow thee! to praise. Why not wait until there was some indication of victory ? Every Ammonite, every Moabite, every inhab itant of Mount Seir still stood in his place—what was there to shout about? But the record reads, “ When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, . . . and they were smitten.” The men of Judah praised in faith before there was the slightest manifestation of the power of God, and at the moment when they offered this sacrifice, He marvelously fulfilled His promise. The answer came when they prayed, but the manifestation came when they praised. A t the B eginning of D aniel ’ s S upplication How interesting from this standpoint is the record of Daniel’s intercessory prayer, given in the ninth chapter of the book called by his name! The record reads, “ I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplica tions, with fasting,-and sackcloth, and ashes.” The prophet first confessed the sins of his people, with whom he identi fied himself; he then extolled the righteousness of Jeho vah ; he acknowledged the justice of God’s judgments upon Israel and earnestly supplicated the throne on their behalf. While he was yet speaking, God’s emissary, “ the man Gab riel . . . being caused to fly swiftly,” touched him and gave this bit of information, which is a source of much encour agement to all who read the record, “A t the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee.” All the time that Daniel waited before the Lord in earnest supplication, the answer was coming as speedily as God could get it to him. And when we read in the tenth chapter of this same book that Daniel prayed and fasted three full weeks, we also read the assurance that was given to him at the moment the answer came: “ Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, . . . thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.” Interference on the part o f the “ prince of the kingdom of Persia” had delayed the answer, but it was coming from the first day of Daniel’s long period of intercession. W hen the A nswer C omes When does God answer? He answers “ before ye call,” or “when ye pray.” Some one has said, “ Every right
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