There are many things for which we may not know God’s time, in which case growing impatient and trying to force matters will grieve God and hinder us. Unfulfilled desire, patiently and submissively met, is often a powerful factor in character-building.
Have you prayed for things, yearned for them, reached out after them, and yet your prayer is not yet answered? Have you been tempted to believe that it was of no use to seek for them? If you are not seeking selfishly, or if God has not denied you, do not lose faith. God has said, “Ask, and ye shall receive;” and again He says, “...They shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” Isaiah 49:23. God is faithful; He knows what is best. As a loving Father He watches over you. His ear is open to your cry. We are told to “rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” Do not grow impatient, do not become wrought up, but while you must wait on the Lord, rest in Him. Jeremiah tells us how to wait for God to deliver—“It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:26. Think of that expression, “hope and quietly wait.” Do not these words mean confidence and soul-rest? Do they not mean assurance and trust? They do not mean, however, that we should be careless. They imply activity of faith and desire but they shut out fear and unbelief. The Psalmist says, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart....” Psalm 27:14. Keep up your courage while you wait, do not grow despondent. Be strong in faith; God will not fail.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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Can You Wait?
The king of a certain country was growing old, and he had no son to succeed him. He announced to his people that he would choose an heir to the throne, from among the young men of the country…the matter would be decided by a foot race. The course was marked off, the judges were at their places and all was ready. Just at this time a man came up to each of the contestants and said secretly to him, “The king is taking special note of you. Do not run, when the signal is given, until the king gives you a special signal.” The signal was given. One bounded forward quickly, then hesitated and stopped; then another sprang forward after him, upon which the first started forward again, and they ran for the goal with all speed. The third stood looking anxiously at the king and at the two runners, murmuring to himself, “I can make it yet, I can make it yet.” The king gazed at the runners and gave no heed to the one still standing. The waiting man thought himself forgotten and soon realized that it would be impossible for him to win the race. He felt that all was lost for him.
The two runners ran on at top speed, reaching the goal together. They were brought back and all three stood before the king. To the first he said, “Were you not told not to run until I gave you the signal? Why then did you run?”
“I forgot,” said the man.
Of the second he asked the same question. His reply was, “I thought it would be but a moment till you would give the signal and seeing the other running, I ran also.” To the third he said, “And why did not you run?” “Because you did not give me the signal, sir,” he answered.
“My son,” said the king, “I knew that you could run, but I did not know that you could wait.”
So the young man found that the test was not a test of doing but of waiting. This is the hardest lesson that many of us ever have to learn, but learn it we must if God’s will and His plan are to be fulfilled in our lives.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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Some people are always in a hurry about things. If they want to do something or to have something, they cannot wait, they must do it or have it at once. When they are compelled to wait, the time seems very long and their impatience grows with every delay. They cannot quietly and patiently wait for anything.
Such persons bring this same characteristic into their spiritual lives. When they pray, they want an immediate answer—they want God to hurry up. If the answer is delayed, they get all worked up about it. Sometimes they murmur against the Lord and feel very bad, like spoiled children. Sometimes they pray a few times for what they desire, and if the answer does not come, they conclude that God does not mean to answer them, so they give up seeking for it and sometimes question God’s faithfulness. If they see something that needs doing or something that is not going to please them, it must be remedied immediately, if it is not, they are much displeased. They cannot wait for a propitious time or till things have worked out so that they can be properly handled. Their motto seems to be, “Do it now.” That is all very well for some things, but quite frequently it is necessary to patiently wait on the Lord and upon others. We cannot hurry the Lord; all time is His. He works according to His own purposes and will, according to his own wisdom and plans. We cannot choose for Him; we must be willing for Him to choose for us. It must be His to say both as to “when” and “how.” Ours is to wait and trust, His to choose and do.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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Keep Your Eyes on the Lord
Watch! That is what our Lord commanded, but he did not say, “Watch the devil.” The thing that we need to watch most is where our own feet are going. If we allow ourselves to be occupied in watching satan, we may get out of the path and not know it. The Bible also says, “looking unto Jesus,” not, “Looking unto satan.” It is from God that our help comes. When we look at satan, he appears great and terrible. When we look to God, we see His greatness and realize how much greater He is than satan, and our courage rises, our strength is increased, our fears vanish and we become confident. Look to God and where your own feet are going, and let God manage the devil.
Ignore the devil. There is nothing satan hates so much as to be ignored. For us to calmly go upon our way unafraid and trustful, not dismayed by his roaring, is not at all to his liking. If we will keep our hearts and minds occupied with good things and pay no attention to his threats, we shall find that he will go off and leave us. He may soon return, but if you meet him in the same way he will not linger around you, as he will if he can hold your attention upon himself.
You have better use for your time than to let the enemy occupy it. Use it in active service for God. Jesus said he would give us “rest unto our souls.” Do you have that rest? God means for you to have it, but you cannot have it if you keep your attention on satan all the time. He will tantalize you if you will let him. While you are looking unto Jesus, you will not see the faces that satan makes at you and so will not be troubled. If you will listen to God, you will not have time to listen to satan. If he is constantly troubling you, it is because you are giving him opportunity. He is a conquered foe. The victory is yours if you will have it so.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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Do Not Run From the Devil
Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD. Exodus 14:13
A man from the East was once riding over a Western prairie with a party of friends when he saw an Indian walking along. While he was looking at the Indian, an angry bull, which had been bellowing and pawing up the ground, suddenly charged the Indian. Instead of his running, as the Easterner expected him to do, he simply turned about, folded his arms, stood stock-still and faced the angry animal. It came charging down till it was almost upon him then suddenly stopped, looked at him and ran around him. The Indian stood motionless. The animal bellowed and pawed and ran round and round him. He did not move, and the animal did not touch him but presently went off and left him alone, after which the Indian went on his way as though nothing had happened. There is a good lesson in that for us. There is no use to run from the devil, for he can run faster than we can. Our victory is often won by our standing still to see the salvation of God.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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First, do not be afraid of him. Have you not read these words, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world?” If you will just believe that, you will have no cause to fear the devil. Do you not know that God is in you? And if He is in you, is He not more than a match for your adversary? “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Satan may oppose us, but he cannot prevail against us. His opposition and his schemes will be brought to naught. Just add a little boldness to faith and you will overcome him. Do not be frightened at his roaring. He cannot touch you unless God permits, and if God permits him it will only be to give you the greater victory in the end. Are you God’s child? Will He permit anything that will do you permanent ill? Do not fear the devil; trust God. Give your attention and strength to pleasing Him. If you will keep busy doing this, you will not have so much trouble with satan. God does not want you to be shivering with fear. He wants you to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.”
Being afraid of the devil is much like being afraid of the darkness. When I was a boy, I was bold enough to go where I wanted to in the darkness, but when I started for the house again, I could imagine that dogs and bears and all sorts of frightful things might be anywhere about, so I would run at full speed. There might have been something, but if so I never really knew it; but I would get panic-stricken just the same. If you become frightened this way in spiritual things you may look upon it as only a childish habit. You will never be a “really and truly” grown-up man or woman for God until you get over your foolish fear of the devil. We are told to “resist him stedfast in the faith.” It is faith that counts. If you have a gun, a crow will not fly near you. If you have faith, the devil will be more afraid of you than you are of him. Try using this weapon on him. You will find it very effectual.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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Some people say there is no devil but I am convinced that he is very real. In fact, I have had some personal experiences with him that leave no room for doubt. He is right here in this world. Like a lion he “goeth about seeking whom he may devour.” What to do with him is the biggest problem that faces some Christians. They spend so much time thinking about the devil, fearing him and trying to combat him that they have little time for God. Their testimony is a testimony of the devil’s doings and their conflict with him. Their religion is a negative, not a positive, thing. It consists in not doing and not being, not thinking and not feeling or in trying not to. They are working on the problem from the wrong end. Our problem is to do and be, to live a positive life. Life is for accomplishment and for character-building. The overcoming of the obstacles that we meet is only incidental; it is not the main purpose of our lives. A great many persons think that they could accomplish great things and be wonderful Christians, if it were not for the devil. What to do with him is their problem. I shall tell you what to do.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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A good Christian is a good hater. “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.” This is an age of toleration. Almost any false doctrine may be preached, meanwhile many of the religious teachers of so-called orthodoxy plod on their way indifferently. Error thrives, a multitude of souls are deceived, but many seem but little concerned. Evil raises its head everywhere and sneers at the Christian people. Dens of vice…and a hundred other forms of evil are tolerated and even looked upon as “necessary evils” by religious professors. He who really loves God just as truly hates all evil. He so hates it in himself that he will give it no place in his heart or life. He hates it in others. He sees no pleasant thing in it. To him it is foul, vile and revolting. It is his enemy, and he is its bitter foe. The measure of his love for good is the measure of his hatred for evil. We cannot love the good more than we hate the evil. The two exactly balance in our lives.
A burning love, a burning zeal and a burning hatred will make your life as a beacon to the world; and if you would be a true example of what God means men to be, you must have this fervency in your life. It alone can keep you from coldness. It alone can make you a prosperous, victorious Christian.
Heart Talks by C. W. Naylor
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