Hold Fast

by Cathy Vinson

One of the hardest areas in which to forbear is an apparent denial before God. Yet, it is apparent that He at times responds like this, even with the most soundest of requests. Why would God require this endurance of us, who
already seem rather weak towards prayer?

"In our intercession we may find that there is difficulty and delay in the answer. It may be as if God says, 'I cannot give thee.' It is not easy, against all appearances, to hold fast our confidence that He will hear, and then to continue to persevere in full assurance that we shall have what we ask. Even so, this is what God desires from us. He highly prizes our confidence in Him, which is essentially the highest honor the creature can render the Creator. He will therefore do anything to train us in the exercise of this trust in Him. Blessed the man who is not staggered by God's delay or silence or apparent refusal, but is strong in faith giving glory to God." (Andrew Murray)

The following unknown poet has grasped God's heart in this dilemma:

Desperately, helplessy, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait!"

"Wait?" you say, "wait!" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!"
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By FAITH I have asked, and am claiming your Word.

"My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

"And Lord, you promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"

He seemed then to kneel and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun,
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

"All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be,
You would have what you want-but, you wouldn't know ME.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.

"You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save...(for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dreams for your loved ones overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss! if you missed what I'm doing in you!

"So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see
THAT THE GREATEST OF GIFTS IS TO GET TO KNOW ME.
And though off may My answers seem terribly late,
My wisest of answers is still but to WAIT."

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(Luke 11:8)