The Raymer enterprise., 1916-10-05

believer steals
''A''s'' away his peace
and power. Decision expresses itself
In the "if'' Of action which deepens
the conviction ana destroys the doubt.
The "lf" OF Doubt.
We are constantly tempted to doubt
the Lords Word. When Peter was
told that what he thought was spirit
upon the water that stormy night was
the Lord himself he said, IF it be
thou" There is the hint of doubt
in that "if." The doubt fingered and
took shape in Peters mind. Trans
lated it said to Peter, "Did / hear
Alright? Is 1t really the Lord? Was
1t, and is it, the Lord?' The ''if''
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 "if' rises up, and doubt
If his word comes in, and we begin
to sink. Again we doubt his power.
The father of the delnonized boy is
an illustration. He brought the boy
to the Lord and said, "If thou canst do
anything" The poor man had "if' in
the wrong place, for he was told. "lf
thou canst believe" As in Mark 1927,
"With God all things are possible"
Not "to' God all things are possible.
tbnf unoc ,vithnut avipV hut s,vitht
God. This links man with God. The
machine is dead, idle and helpless
thing until linked with the engine,
when 1t becomes dynamic with COM
mnnicated power. "If thou canst do?"
"If thou canst believe" And we doubt
his willingness. The cry Of the lener,
"If thou wilt" is still being heard.
We ale constantly dcrhting his will
Ingness because of our condition. Con-
stantly forgetting that 'He that
spared not his own sen, but delivered
him up for us all will, with him, also
freely give us all things" We hear
Of him healing TIE deaf. making the
| tuiie W VAIN, yeh, CNcu iaisihs lHU
lead, but when 1t 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 condl-
ton we are tempted to doubt, saying,
IF thou wilt"
Again. we doubt his providences.
When the Lord by Elisha had prom
!sed In the midst Of famine to make
Hour 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 bel" 1t was such new, I'm.
heard-of thing-so sudden. Is 1t pos:
sible he would make the grain to grow
In night? The "if" Of rationallsra
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 it we
admit the doubt aad find ourselves on
dangerous ground, losing our peace
and missing the blessing.
Once more we doubt his presence
We are told he will never leave us
nor forsake us, but In spite cf that
when circumstances which hurt and
distress surround us. we are tempted,
like Gideon Of old to say. "If the
Lord be with us why then Is all this
befallen us?" He knows all the why
of our circumstances.
The "If" Of Faith.
In Romans s.31 is written "What
shall we say then to these thingsi
If God be for us, who can be against
us?' The very next verse tells how
we may know that God is for us. "He
that spared not his own Son, but de-
livered him up for us all, how shall he
rot with him also freely give us all
thlngsf" If he gave the greater he
will give the less. If he gave his Son
would he not give all things? If he
has given Christ he will withhold no
good things. How this 'if' should
awaken our faith in his word, his
willingness. his power, etc.
The az" Of Decision.
This Is found In Elijah's exhortation
to Israel, 'sIf the Lord be God follow
him, but If Baal followed him." Is.
rael must make decision between
them. We. too. must decide between
Satan's "if" Of doubt and the Lords
IF" Of faith. We have glimpse Of
what 1t 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 was with him and
for him, made the decision. May II
be ours to meet the ''if'' Of decision
and say:
Then into his hand went mine
And Into my heart went he