1.04.03. Book 4: Numbers 42-62

42 THE HEALING OF THE TONGUE His thoughts said, Nothing that I have been able to say to those whom I have tried to help seemed to do much for them. What is the use of saying anything? Perhaps it would be better to say nothing. His Father said, The healing of the tongue is a tree of Life. Hast thou ever seen a tree bear fruit in a day?

43 IS IT MY CUSTOM TO FORGET? In the late evening the son looked back over the day and was discouraged. But as one whom his mother comforteth, so did his Father comfort him. He said to him, Didst thou not in the early morning bear upon thy heart thy beloved ones, as Aaron bore the jewels on his breast? Didst thou not offer to Me every hour of the day, every touch on other lives, every letter to be written, everything to be done? As the hours passed over thee perhaps thou didst forget; but is it My custom to forget?

44 CONCEAL NOT MY LOVINGKINDNESS His thoughts said, If it were anyone else I should not feel so doubtful. His Father said, Because thou art what thou knowest thou art and what I know thou art, the glory will be all Mine when anything is done. Look not at thyself at all; let thine eyes be ever looking unto thy Lord.

Then in grateful wonder the son said, Thy lovingkindness is ever before mine eyes. And his Father said, Conceal not My lovingkindness.

45 WHO IS THIS THAT COMETH UP FROM THE WILDERNESS? The son knew that his Father’s desire was to deck His priests with health and joy and vigour. A wilderness experience did not seem to be His choice for them, and yet for many the wilderness was appointed. The son was perplexed about this. Then the Spirit, the Comforter, brought to his mind words from the Gospels about his Lord’s sojourn in the wilderness, and the figure of the true in the Song of Songs: Who is this that cometh out of the Wilder­ness? And he saw that no child of the Father was asked to walk where the foot­steps of his Lord were not clear on the road. But he saw also that always there was a coming out of the wilderness: Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her Beloved? No dwelling-place was ever built in any wilderness for any child of God.

46 NOT A NEW WORD TO THEE The son said, The children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bows turned back in the day of battle. I am armed. I have no excuse for a single backward look. O make my spirit stedfast with Thee. His Father said, Thy help standeth in the Name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth. The son answered earnestly, Stablish the thing, 0 God, that Thou hast wrought in me. And yet his thoughts persisted, But if I slip? The God of all patience answered, Then Love, travelling in the greatness of His strength, will gather thee up. There is nothing that Love will not do for thee. "When I said, my foot slippeth, Thy mercy, O Lord, held me up," is not a new word to thee.

47 WOULD IT MATTER? His thoughts said, My work is not im­portant. Would it matter very much if a floor were left unswept or a room left un­tidied? Or if I forgot to put flowers for a guest, or omitted some tiny unimportant courtesy? His Father said, Would it have mattered very much if a few people had been left without wine at a feast? But thy Lord turned water into wine for them. And the son remembered the words, Jesus took a towel.

48 SOME CROPS MUST BE HANDPICKED His thoughts said, When I hear of wonder­ful things done elsewhere I am glad, and yet with the gladness is unsettlement of mind. There is a strange allure in all I hear. There are days when I fly from the place where I am to the place where souls are flocking to Thee. There is a wavering in me which I do not understand. His Father said, This wavering is a temptation. Many have known it. Thy times are in My hand. Thy time today is in My hand. Would I waste My servant’s time? Remember thy Lord’s hour by the well. He who sent thee is with thee. Not all fields are reaped with the sickle. Some crops must be hand-picked.

49 DWELL DEEP His thoughts said, My longing is to heal the broken and the weak, to defend the maimed, and to lead the blind unto the sight of the glory of the Lord. My choice is to be a corn of wheat and fall into the ground and die. Then why these waver­ings? His Father said, Too much of thy surface is exposed to the breath of every wind that bloweth. Thou must learn to dwell deep. And the son who had wavered answered humbly, Renew within me a settled spirit. Establish me with Thy directing Spirit. My heart is fixed, 0 God, my heart is fixed. I will sing and give praise.

50 I AM THE GOD OF THINE EXPEC­TATION AND THY HOPE His thoughts said, It is too much to hope that such a one as I should truly please my Lord. His Father said, But it is written, "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." In My servant Paul I wrought an earnest expecta­tion and a hope, that in nothing he should be ashamed, but that always Christ should be magnified in his body. I am the God of thine expectation and thy hope.

51 THOU ART MY SHELL The son said, But, my Father, Thou knowest that I am not St. Paul. His Father said, Hast thou watched a wave fill a shell on the shore? Thou art My shell. Wave upon wave I will flow over thee, poor empty shell that thou art. So shalt thou be filled with the fullness of the sea. For I am able to give thee an overflowing measure of all good gifts, that all thy wants of every kind may be supplied at all times, and thou mayest give of thine abundance to every good work.

52 ASHAMED ON MY ACCOUNT The son said to his Father, If this new campaign to which I am committed come to grief, then some who trusted me, believing that Thou wert leading me, will be ashamed. Let not them that wait on Thee, 0 Lord of hosts, be ashamed on my account. The Father said to His son, They shall not be ashamed that wait on Me. And the son said to himself, Return unto thy rest, 0 my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. I will sing of the Lord because He hath dealt so lovingly with me.

53 IF ANY LACK, LET HIM ASK His thoughts said, Suddenly a question is asked, suddenly a decision must be made. The answer and the decision affect the lives of others. In me is no wisdom at all. Sometimes it is as if I could not even pray. His Father said, A breath may be a prayer; I hide not Mine ear at thy breath­ing. But be a simple child with Me. Ask for the thing that thou needest most. I will not upbraid thee. If any lack wisdom, let him ask. And as thou goest on thy way thou shalt do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee. Dost thou lack strength? The Lord of hosts shall be for strength to them that turn the battle at the gate.

54 FENNEL AND CUMMIN The son felt that if the matter were one of warfare he would not be anxious. There are great promises for warriors. The matter just then on his mind was smaller than that, and yet a mistake might injure a soul. And he mourned over past failures.

Then he remembered, fennel and cum­min, wheat and barley and spelt, each a small grain, but not forgotten in his Father’s counsel to farmers. He found comfort also in the assurance, He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee. And he believed that he would be taught how to train aright each of those committed to his care, for his God would teach him; for this also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. Thus, casting his burden upon the Lord, he was nourished, and received from the God of Hope all joy and peace in believing; that he might abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.

55 STAND STILL IN JORDAN The son felt that his days were becoming a breathless rush. His Father searched him with questions: What of the minutes before the rush of the day is upon thee? Art thou filling them too full? Thy day may indeed be as Jordan that overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest; but when thou comest to the brink of the water of Jordan dost thou stand still in Jordan? Rise from thy knees and stand. Stand still and know that I am God. Stand still and know that I am Peace. Give Me time to bathe thee in peace. Then, as the brim­ming hours pass by thee, give Me time to renew thee in peace.

56 PEACE ALWAYS IN ALL CONDITIONS His thoughts said, If only things con­tinued in a regular order I should find it much easier to maintain a restful spirit, but as it is, there is no continuance in anything, ever. His Father said, Think it not strange if it be so. Thou hast here no continuing city, thou art seeking one to come. These changes are merely the changeful landscape of thy life as thou travellest to the City which hath foundations. But thy journey may be restful; if thou art inwardly at rest nothing outward can disturb thee. Peace always under all conditions-that is my word for thee. Do not let it slip. Do not drift away from it. Hold it fast; for it is not a vain thing for thee; because it is thy life.

57 INTERRUPTIONS The son wondered how it could be pos­sible to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus when life was so full of interruptions. Hardly an hour was without something that broke its ordered flow.

One day as he sat by a mountain stream he noticed the lovely way of water when interrupted by the boulders that broke its ordered flow. The river turned each into an occasion for beauty. And he understood that it was possible to live the river’s way if only he took the interrupting things, not as interruptions, but as opportunities, and indeed as very part of life. And while he sat there by the water, his dear Lord said to him, As the ripples of the river glance up to the light, let thy heart glance up to Me in little looks of love very often through the day.

58 EVEN MINE The son said, Every day my enemy seeketh my soul to destroy it; 0 God, my Saviour, overlook me not. His Father said, Saul sought David every day, but I did not deliver him into his hands. I will not overlook thee. Am I not mightier than ten thousand Sauls? And the son remembered the words, They that be with us are more than they that be with them. There is a greater with us than with him. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. And he said, The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer, even mine.

59 THY REREWARD There was a time when the thoughts of the son saw the foe as a pursuing host. His Father said, Am I not thy Rereward? The Angel of the Lord which went before the camp of Israel removed and went behind them. It shall be again as it was long ago when I blew My wind and the sea covered the pursuing host. Fear not therefore. Thou shalt know whether My word will overtake thee or not. And the son knew that long before the foe could overtake him, the Power of his God would overtake and enfold him. And he said, My soul trusteth in Thee; and, under the shadow of Thy wings shall be my refuge until this tyranny be over-past.

60 WITH YOU EFFECTUALLY But again his thoughts said, Terrific powers are set in array against me. His Father said, And thou art as a little child who knoweth not how to meet them. But with thee is a Stronger than they. Do not forget to sing: When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambush­ments. Because the hand of Amalek is against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Therefore be not afraid nor be discouraged by reason of this great multitude. The Lord thy God, He shall fight against them together with you effectually.

61 TO-MORROW His thoughts said, But what of to­morrow? His Father said, Thus saith the Lord to thee, even thee, Fear not. Fear not, neither be afraid to go forth tomorrow. No evil shall be sent to meet thee. But the son knew that trouble might be sent to meet him. His Father said, Before the trouble can meet thee it must pass through the bright­ness of My encompassing Presence, and passing through that brightness it loseth its darkness. It hath no more any power for evil. Also, as thou knowest well, I will be with thee in trouble. On this word the son stayed his heart, saying, The Lord will take care of me. I will trust and not be afraid to go forth to-morrow. I will praise Thee, 0 Lord, for it is a good thing to sing praises to Thee, yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful. And he marvelled that he had ever been afraid.

62 I DREAMT His thoughts said, I dreamt a distressing dream last night. I was threatened with torture for Christ’s sake, but I escaped it. I did not endure. His Father said, When did I promise to give strength and grace in a dream of the night? My grace is for that which is, not for that which may never be.