The Faith to Persevere

From "My Utmost for His Highest," May 8:

"Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says - "I cannot stand any more." God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. For what have you need of patience just now? Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. "Though He slay me, yet will I wait for Him."

Faith is not a pathetic sentiment, but robust vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. You cannot see Him just now, you cannot understand what He is doing, but you know Him. Shipwreck occurs where there is not that mental poise which comes from being established on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the heroic effort of your life, you fling yourself in reckless confidence on God.

God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us, now He wants us to venture our all in abandoned confidence in Him. There are spots where that faith has not worked in us as yet, places untouched by the life of God. There were none of those spots in Jesus Christ's life, and there are to be none in ours. "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee." The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we take this view, life becomes one great romance, a glorious opportunity for seeing marvellous things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power." - Oswald Chambers

I am especially drawn to the first paragraph--what a wonderful example of an archer with the bow and arrow. God as our archer and us as the arrow. Should the arrow choose where to shoot and at what angle? No, only the archer can see the target and has the skill to direct the capable arrow where it needs to be. What a great picture of part of our relationship with God.

In reaction to the thought that we might resist saying, "I cannot stand anymore," we might be inspired to hold on a little longer, to learn a deeper patience and faith in God. I hope that is your reaction! But within that, beware the part of your reaction that says, "yes, I can wait a little longer for that thing I want, the thing I've been waiting for and may give up on." That could be what God has planned, but more likely, as O.C. mentions, "the saint cannot see" what God is aiming for until He hits the target. Take this opportunity to decide to have more patience, to grow your faith, to stick it out longer...not for the things that you can see that you want to be patient for, but for the things that you cannot see. This is the true patience and faith that I believe O.C. is focusing on here. Patience for something we see and desire right now is a good thing, but patience and faith that says that we will wait on God and follow His perfect aim, knowing that we cannot see what He aims us for, abandoning all that we might aim for ourselves--that is a righteous faith and patience that leads to joy in knowing our loving God and celebrating His perfection. When we let Him, He lets fly of a strong and true arrow of Christianity with the truest aim and with the greatest impact.