Take Courage

God’s Presence Among Your Enemies

Wisdom from William Gurnall

If God des call you into fiery trials, His promise will take all responsibility out of your hands: “When they deliver you up, take no thought” – that is, do not worry – “how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you that same hour what ye shall speak” (Matthew 10:19). It is your Father which speaketh in you” (v. 20).

There is no mouth which God cannot make eloquent, no back so weak that He cannot strengthen it. And He has promised to go with you wherever your enemies might force you to go; neither fire nor flood can take you away from the Father. These promises make such a soft pillow for the saints’ heads that many have experienced marvelous rest when roughly handled by cruel enemies. One persecuted Christian, for example, dated his letter “from the delectable orchard his prison;” another signed herself “Your loving friend, as merry as one bound for heaven.” People like these have been far from pitying themselves in their sufferings; in fact, their main sorrow has been that they could not express more thankfulness for them. And where did their supernatural strength and joy come from? The Holy Spirit applied God’s promises to them in the time of distress!

Believers’ troubles are for Christ’s cause. The ark may shake but it cannot fall; the ship of the church may be tossed but it cannot sink, for Christ is in it and will awaken in plenty of time to keep it safe. Therefore we have no reason to disturb Him with screams of unbelief when storms beat angrily against the church. In times like these our faith is in more danger of sinking than Christ and His church. God’s promises hold them securely out of the reach of both men and devils.

Our source of security is an “everlasting gospel” (Revelation 14:6). Heaven and earth will pass away, but not one word of this Gospel will perish. “The word of the Lord endureth forever (1 Peter 1:25). Taken from The Christian in Complete Armour, December 19. Edited by James S. Bell, Jr. Moody Publishers Edition, 1994.