Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-08-10
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.


beginning Aug. II.
Topic.-obeying when obedience is hard.
Gen. xxi. Is
There are times when obedience is
easy and times when to obey is a Sc
rious strain upon the physical mental
and spiritual life Nor do the most
faithful children Of God always have
the commands that are easiest to obey.
Abraham had hard test placed before
him, yet be was faithful to God and
was called "a friend of God" Enoch
faced great trials. yet il was said Of
him that he walked with God" Noah
was righteous man, yet burdensome
command was placed upon him. Divine
commands involving hardness are
therefore not the signs of divine dis
approval They are rather the signs
of the opposite conditions. God expects
and exacts the greatest things FROM
those who love and serve Him best
This principle holds good among men
The father gives the most difficult task
10 the son who loves him most and not
To the Indifferent and untrusty one The
general intrusts the command that in
wolves the greatest hardship and dan
ger TO the best and most patriotic OF
his soldiers. Is God less wise than
man? When. therefore. called 10 per
form a difficult duty or TO obey. when
pbedience is hard let us look upon II as
m honor and privilege that God has
bestowed upon us. The obedience of
Abraham should be an inspiration to
NIL to obey when obedience is hard. Ne
man ever had harder call to obey.
abraham. take thine only son Isaac
- and offer him for a burnt offer
ing" Look at the facts here which
made obedience hard.
/. Isaac was Abraham's only son.
thine only SON" To have given one
cut Of ten OF twelve would have been
hard, but how much harder to give one
out of one, But Abraham did II in
vii II not in deed God actually did If.
Hence when we are called upon to give
ne very. dearest thing for Christ we
should obey, though obedience be hard
2 Gods command must be kent
secret. Abraham did not tell Isaac. and
Ne are sure that he never told Sarai
ne boys mother. For three days Abra-
lam walked beside Isaac with this aw-
Rul secret in his heart. So God com
nands US to suffer secret sorrows and
trials.
= A sorrow shared
Is but half sorrow.
But these sorrows cannot be told to
others. But like Abraham we should
obey.
g. Abraham himself had to perform
me act commanded by God. He must
sfer up his son, His hand must sts.ze
The blow and place Isaae's body upon
the wood as a burnt offering. But he
was willing to obey God acu.ssty per
formed such a datys In offering Christ
scr the, ,ysse,G So when commands
come TO us the performance of which
require great personal hardship we.
600, should obey.
4. Isaac was child Of promise. God
had given him in accordance with his
promise and had further promised that
through Isaac all the nations OF the
earth should be blessed. If Isaac was
now sacrificed this promise could not
be fulfilled. If God broke this promise
how could he trust him in any otheF2
Obedience here would perhaps shake
Abraham's faith in God, and yet In
haith that somehow God would solve
ne difficulty Abraham went on TO
ebey. Some commands may tend to
make our faith in God. but still we
should obey. with the assured con-
Science that God will so direct the issue
Nat our faith win be increased instead
- diminished, as it was with Abraham.
BIBLE READINGS.
Gen. vi, %: Eek xix, 10; Deut. xi.
oB2s; 1 Sam. XIV. 2o-29; lisa vi 1-12;
Matt. V. %, 80; Rom. V, 10; Phil. ii,
1-12; Heb. xi, s; xii. /, 2.