Whispers of His Power –  MARCH 23

Ps. 139.23-24:  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Sometimes we are conscious of something wrong.  We feel in ourselves a grumbling spirit, or an unloving spirit, or the petulant arguing spirit that asks Why?  We honestly want victory, and yet it does not come.

Perhaps these words from the preface to The Spirit of Discipline by Bishop Paget can help us:

The grace of God may be turned at a particular time to a particular task, but its true place is at the centre not the circumference of life.  Our failure, even if we have really tried to conquer a special sin, may be because of a lack of desire, or will, or watchfulness in other directions far removed, perhaps, in apparent character and sphere from that particular trial in which defeat and discouragement is undergone.

For instance, it is not strange that moods of sullenness should brood relentlessly over the heart that though it hates its own gloom is not prepared to forgive wholly some by-gone wrong;  it is not strange that tempers should be uncertain when appetites are undisciplined.  We cannot tell where the soul may find itself betrayed if anywhere, at any point of its defence, the will is treacherous.  For the spiritual combat is one;  and the Spirit of Discipline comes to sanctify us wholly;  and to desire victory at one point while we are contentedly failing at another may be to court disaster and repulse at both.

oooOOOooo

These words are from ’Whispers of His Power’ a collection of writings that Amy Carmichael wrote for her ‘children’ and others associated with the Dohnavur Fellowship. and are Copyright © The Dohnavur Fellowship 1982

Unless otherwise stated, biblical quotations are from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.

The following abbreviations are used to refer to other versions and sources:

BCP:               Book of Common Prayer, the Great Bible of Coverdale

Conybeare:       W. J. Conybeare, The Epistles of Paul (a translation)

Delitzsch:        F. Delitzsch, Notes on Job and the Psalms

Kay:                W. Kay, The Psalms (a translation)

LXX:              The Septuagint

Moffatt:           J. Moffatt, The New Testament: a new translation

Rotherham:      J. B. Rotherham, The Emphasized Bible Revised Version

RV:                 Revised Version

Way:              A. Way, The Letters of St Paul (a translation)

Westcott:         F. Westcott, Notes on the Gospel of St John

Weymouth:      R. F. Weymouth, The New Testament in Modern Speech

Young:            R. Young, A Literal Translation of the Bible

Verses of poetry without quotation marks were written by Amy Carmichael.