The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1916-10-05


in the "ff' of action which deepens
the conviction and destroys the doubt.
The "lf" Of Doubt
We are constantly tempted 10 doubt
the Lords Word. When Peter was
told that what he thought was spirit
upon the wnter that stormy night was
the Lord himself he said, "If II be
thou" There is the hint OF doubt
In that "lf." The doubt fingered and
took shape in Peters mind. Trans
lated It said TO Peter. "Dld ] hear
nright1 Is II really the LOrdf Was
It, and Is 1t, the LordT The "ifN
rose up and Peter went down. We
step out on the stormy water and the
first steps are so brave and true when
suddenly the "lf' rises up, and doubt
Of his word comes In, and we begin
to sink. Again we doubt his power.
The father OF the demOnized boy is
an illustration. He brought the boy
to the Lord and said, 'If thou cnnst do
anything" The poor man had 'if'' in
the wrong place, for he was told, "If
thou canst believe" As In Mark 0:27,
with God nll things are possible"
Not "to" God nll things are possible,
that goes without saying, but with"
God. This links man with God. The
machine is a dead, idle and helpless
thing until linked with the engine,
n.h,r q hooovnno d,uu,ufa With opun-
municated power. "lf thou canst dor
"If thou canst believe" And we doubt
his willingness. The cry Of the leper,
"If thou wilt" Is still being heard.
We nre constantly doubling his will
ingness because Of our condition. Con-
stnntly forgetting that "lle that
spured not his own son, hut delivered
him up for us all will. with him, also
freely give us all things" We hear
Of him healing the deaf, making the
lame to walk, yea, even raising the
dead, but when II comes to our own
case we get our eyes filled with our
desperate condition and forget his
goodness and grace, Others may be
blessed, our friends may be helped,
we may have his word. we may know
his power. but because of our cOndi-
ton we are tempted to doubt, saying,
"If thou wilt"
Again. we doubt his providences,
When the Lord by Elisha had prom
ised In the midst Of famine to make
-four cheaper than the refuse Of the
street. one high in authority sarcas-
tically asked: "If the Lord would
make windows in heaven. might this
thing be7" II was such new, un-
heard-of thing-sO sudden. Is II pos
sible he would make the grain TO grow
In a nlghtl The 'if'' OF rationnllsm
comes in and casts doubt on the prom
ise of God. He has promised that all
our needs will be supplied, but because
we do not see how he can do II we
admit the doubt and find ourselves on
dangerous ground,
Once more we doubt his presence.
We are told he will never leave us
nor forSake us, but In spite Of that,
when circumstances which hurt md
distress surround MS, we nre tempted,
like Gideon of old 10 say, "1f the
Lord he with us why then is all this
befnllen us?" He knows all the why
Of our circumstances. He saw them
on the way long before we met them.
He tried and tested everyone Of them
before ever we thought OF them. But
the moment the road grows hit
rough and things seem 10 60 q bit
wrong the old douhting 'if'' rises up
and we question whether he really IL
with us. He has not promised rosy
paths for every day the Christening
and the discipline will be there, hut
never any reason really for asking, III
the Lord he with us why has this
hefallen usT' But the way OF doubt
Is natural. The putting an 'if'' to
his word, his power his willingness,
presence. everything, Indeed, con
nected with the Lord we nre tempted
10 doubt.
| nc " pI Faims
In Romans s:o1 is written "what
shall we eay then to these thngsi
II God he for us, who can be against
usr' The very next verse tells how
we may know thdt God Is for us. "IIe
that spared not his own Son, but de-
llvered him up for us all, how shall he
not with him also freely give MS nll
thingsg" II he gave the greater he
will give the less. II he gnye his Son
would he not give nll things7 II he
has given Christ he win withhold M
good things. How this "if' should
awaken our faith In his word, his
willingness, his power, etc.
The "l~ Of Decision.
This is found In Elliah's exhortatlon
TO Israel, III the Lord be God follow
him. but n Baal followed him. Is.
rael must make decision between
them. We. too, must decide between
Satan's IF" Of dOuh and the Lords
ar OF faith. We have a glimpse OF
what II means In the Apostle Paul. He
counted the cost. faced the toll And
hardship. saw the dark road ahead OF
him, but looked also at the presence
and power Of the Lord, and, assuring
his heart that God wns with him ant
for him, sade the decision. May n
4 n aMna b