The lessons that have been brought to us by the brethren in our morning studies are all vital. The pleas that have been made are such that we need continually to think about them. I find myself in perfect agreement with every such call to a deeper spirituality, to more prayer, and more earnestness in our daily lives. And I am also thoroughly in accord with the stress that is put upon this need in these trying times. The days to which we have come certainly emphasize our need of God, emphasize the inability of human strength and power and wisdom to carry forward the work of God as it should be in times like these.
I cannot help wondering, however, why we need times of adversity to emphasize our need of spirituality. A brief passage of Scripture will illustrate, I think, a principle that is vital. "The Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken." 2 Chron. 33:10. Manasseh was the king, the leader. God spake to him and to his people, but they would not listen. "Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers." Verses 11, 12.
The circumstances change; Manasseh finds himself facing a crisis, and now he is ready to seek the Lord. Why could he not have realized that need before? "When he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto Him." Now, that was the right thing to do, was it not? When he found himself hopeless and helpless, he discovered in that day of adversity that he had been following a wrong course, and he did the right thing—he turned and began to humble his heart before God, to acknowledge his dependence upon his Maker, and to beseech Him for help.
And I am so glad for the rest of the verse: "He [the Lord] was entreated of him, and heard his supplication." Verse 13. Is it not comforting to know that however far we may stray from God, however heedless and careless we may be, when we do humble our hearts before Him and turn to Him with sincerity, He is entreated of us, and hears us when we pray? I thank God for that.
Just review the steps: God spoke to Manasseh, but he would not hearken; then the hand of affliction came upon him, and he was carried away into Babylon under grievous affliction; he turned and humbled his heart in prayer, and God heard him, and then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.
Are we like Manasseh? Does it take something like that to bring us to God and to keep us in that relationship to Him where He can trust us? We become very serious and earnest when we get into hard times. If the funds decline, and we face a cut in wages, we become very sober and thoughtful. Why cannot we be so without the experience of adversity? Why cannot we continually maintain that vital connection with God that will help us to understand that the Lord is God?
I think it is right for us to appoint days of fasting, days of prayer, and days of entreaty to the Lord to help us out of our difficulties. But I think it is far more dangerous for us to have a falling off in spirituality than it is a falling off in funds, and I do not know but that we ought to appoint days of fasting and days of prayer that the Lord will help us in times of spiritual depression as well as in days of financial depression. I do not wish to argue against the one. I believe it is right; but is not the other something we ought to think about? When everything goes well, we do not think so much about these special seasons, and these special needs; but when we get into some difficulty, we begin to think that perhaps we ought to humble our hearts before God, and entreat Him to help us out of our troubles.
If it takes a financial depression and hard times to make us more spiritual, we really ought to pray for that kind of experience to bring us nearer to God. But I trust it does not take that to bring us to God. I believe that, despite the times in which we live, we ought continually to seek to maintain that living connection with God that will help us to be a truly spiritual people.
If our spirituality rests only upon the outward conditions and circumstances that we face, rather than upon a sincere, abiding experience in our own hearts and lives, are we truly spiritual? I think what I need to learn is that the Lord is God. I need to understand that every day of my life. Whether we live in times of adversity or times of prosperity, we all need to know that the Lord is God. We need to learn that our only help, and our only hope, is in a vital connection with God.
Let us pray this morning that the Lord will come into our hearts and lives and experiences that we may have that active, abiding trust in connection with the Lord that will help us to move steadily forward, regardless of circumstances that surround us on the outside. Let us entreat the Lord to help us in these days of depression to learn that the Lord is God, and that He is the leader of this movement, ready to deliver us from the hand of oppression, from anything and everything that would hinder His cause, and also to learn to stay close to Him in days of prosperity if we should ever have such again. And Manasseh, after the experience he passed through, "knew that the Lord He was God." There is a wonderful lesson in that for us. I believe the more we think of it, the more strength and blessing we shall see in the realization of that truth.
[A season of prayer here followed.]
Mendale. Calif.
