Whispers of His Power – MAY 18

Ps. 36.3:  He hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

The LXX says, He is not inclined to understand how to do good.  That is one of the signs of what God calls wickedness.  He does not treat it lightly, and to act as though He would is dangerous.  It is taking advantage of His patience.  It is to flatter yourself in your own eyes (see verse 2) and that is a deadly thing to do.  God has set a terrible until to that:  For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.

In Psalm 32 David tells of what life was to him all the time he covered his sin and went on as usual, hoping that God did not notice it.  The LXX of verse 4 says, I became thoroughly miserable while a thorn was fastened in me.

Are you thoroughly miserable?  Then that means that His hand is heavy upon you. 

But if you have yielded to the pressure of God’s heavy hand upon the thorn within, then take comfort, because with Him is pardon.

But do not hasten away from His Cross.  Think of the hands that were pierced with iron thorns because of that thorn in you;  think of the pierced feet;  think of the crown of thorns.  Have not your hands sinned?  Have not your feet walked in sinful ways?  What have the thoughts you have thought been?

Do not hurry past these questions.  Do not think it is enough to say to the One whom you have wronged, ‘Please forgive me and forget what His forgiveness cost.  There is far too little sense of sin among us, too little ‘thorough misery’, too easy a repentance.

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.