March 31st, 1990
"Moving Forward, Trusting in God"
Mrs. N. D. Daniel
Isaiah 45:2 & 3; 2 Corinthians 6:10
& 11
Isaiah 45:2 & 3, "I will go before thee, and make the crooked
places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder
the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden
riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that
I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel." 2
Corinthians 5:7, "For we walk by faith, not by sight:" 2 Corinthians 6:10,11 "As
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing: as poor, yet making many rich; as having
nothing, and yet possessing all things. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open
unto you, our heart is enlarged." We have been praying for important
matters, so that God may help us in these hard projects or problems. We are
waiting to see the fulfilment of promises and for
what we have been praying. God says, "Our minds are small minds." We
cannot understand His great mind. So slowly, carefully and little by little, He
reveals His plans and purposes. God says, "Your thoughts are not my
thoughts. Your ways are not my ways. Mine are higher thoughts, higher than the
heavens above." Our hearts also need to be enlarged by the love of God.
Our hearts are narrowed by our limited understanding. So God gives us promises
that the range of our desire and hope may be widened by them. As we claim these
promises our hearts are enlarged. In Isaiah 45:3 God says, He will give us
hidden treasures in secret places. We need to understand this promise, to know
where those treasures are and how to get them. God says, "I have got
treasures for you." God gave this promise to my husband. God says, He has got great treasures. When we came to the city of Madras,
God said to me, "You are Levites, you will not have possessions." So
I believed those words. We left everything and came to this city. But we came
with Christ. With my small mind I could not understand what my husband said to
me of the promises of God. So I went to the Lord and asked Him, "Lord, you
told me we were to have no possessions and now you say you have got treasures
for us in secret places." Then the Lord spoke to me and explained His
promise, "It is not for you, but for my work. There are hidden treasures
which I will give for my work. I want to tell you we have been praying that
this prayer hall’s construction should be completed. Another storey has to be
built. This is a big work. Today an engineer told me that the price of steel
has gone up four times since we halted our construction. I asked "How much
money is there in the bank?" Just now it is nil balance, she said. Then I
said, "We are now to exercise that kind of faith St.
Paul referred to, having nothing and yet possessing
all things, poor and yet making many rich." All the treasures we need are
hid in Jesus Christ. St. Paul
understood this truth. Colossians 2:3, "In whom are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." That is the treasure
God has given to us. Till now we did not tell our needs to others. We did not
borrow any money from others. Christ has been our inexhaustible treasure. That
is what we have seen. Though the bank balance is nil, we have Christ our
treasure. Having nothing, we believe, we do possess all things. Such faith
lives in the hearts where the love of God is dwelling. Looking to Christ and to
no other, we have gone forward these fifty-five years. Jesus Christ is the
author and finisher or perfector of our faith. And
the Lord has given us faith. And the Lord has helped us build this hall so far
by faith. We should look up to Him now for the construction of the next floor.
Let us weigh ourselves in the balances of God to know, how much our faith has
grown in the meanwhile. With faith we have to start the work.
Building another floor is an added responsibility. Maintenance is a big
work. We have to keep the place clean and safe from all unworthy people. We
have been seeing, Christ is victor. We want our prayers to be answered. To get
to understand God’s mind is not easy. God says, "I have thoughts of peace
and not evil for you." If we are failing when temptations assail us, it is
our mistake. If we are not able to see Christ as victor it is also our fault.
Our Fellowship is a poor Fellowship. But because we possess Christ we are rich.
Poor as we are, we also make others rich. The Word says, that in Christ are hid
all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Money for His work is also hid in Him.
It is good we have come to nil balance financially. In many places we have to
build prayers halls. In Ooty, in Rajahmundry, in Vishakapatnam and Chingleput. Even at Vijayawada, we have only a shed
for our place of worship. But we have the promise, that God has got treasures
hidden for us. We have to dig them up. When Jesus had to pay the temple tax, He
knew where to find that money. He said, "Catch the fish. In the mouth of
the first fish lies the needed coin." We do not have sufficient faith. But
Jesus will help us and increase our faith. Only if we are praying people we
will see victory. We do not have to be asking all the time, "Lord give us
money, give us money." We have to see there is no hindrance in us. God can
help us locate the hindrance and remove it so that our prayers are answered. Once
when there was no money for that day’s bread, we went to the Lord and asked,
"Have we sinned before Thee? Is this a test of faith planned by you? Do we
have to pray for a miraculous supply from you?" The Lord said to me,
"This is not my test. Your husband has got money in his box, but he has
forgotten." So we took the money and used it. So God will supply all our
needs. But we are often unwise people and cannot understand the wisdom of God.
Some run to this person and that person and borrow money and spoil their testimony.
But God gives us promises. If we are praying people, He gives us strength to
believe those promises. If all of us are praying people it becomes all very
easy. The next storey will soon go up. We can be of greater blessing to many
people. God has promised to make us blessings. He wants us to be builders of
His kingdom.