Whispers of His Power – SEPTEMBER 7

Mark 3.5:  And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts,  He saith unto the man,  Stretch forth thine hand.  And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Mark 3.21-3:  And when His friends heard of it… they said, He is beside Himself.   And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils.   And He called them unto Him, and said unto them in parables,  How can Satan cast out Satan?

When our Lord had looked round on them with anger, being grieved for their hardness of heart, He said a loving word to a poor man who was probably a good deal troubled because of the excitement in the place.

What do we say when we are grieved and angry?  Do we speak a kind word to someone who needs it?

They said: ‘He is beside Himself. He casts out devils by the prince of the devils’  But He asked How can Satan cast out Satan?  There was not a word of indignant self-defence, just a quiet question.  It was the overflow of the sweetness and peace of His heart.  When we are unkindly and unjustly accused, perhaps just when we have been helping someone, how do we react?  Perhaps there is not time for a long prayer in that moment of quick temptation, but there is always time for a look up to Him.  ‘Thy sweetness, Lord. Thy peace, Lord.’

It will always be given.

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.