Read: Psalms 37:3-7
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him (Psalms 37:7).
When The Witness Is Delayed
If the witness of the Spirit is delayed, we must never give up without being satisfied. It does not indicate a lack of faith to keep on seeking until we are assured. In fact, a continuing, persistent pressing of our claim is proof of our faith in God’s promise. If we do not find clear assurance in our first trip to the altar, we need not be embarrassed. We ought not feel frustrated, and above all we dare not surrender to discouragement. It is far better to do more extended seeking than to hurry through to an unsatisfactory experience.
If after earnest prayer and honest efforts to consecrate and to believe, we do not yet have inner assurance, we may leave the altar without spiritual defeat. We are never defeated while we continue our search.
If we do thus leave the altar we must be sure that we are not stopping — only changing the location of our tarrying. If we are thus sure that we do not consider leaving the altar as a stopping point, we can go without discouragement to ourselves and to those who are praying for us.
It will be helpful to us and to them if we put ourselves on record to the effect that we are seeking, that as far as we know our consecration is complete, that we are believing the promises of God, but that we do not yet have the assurance of the Spirit. Let us then commit ourselves to seek privately and publicly until that assurance comes.
Prayer For Today
How long, O Lord? Wilt thou forget me for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? But I have trusted in thy steadfast love; My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalms 13:1-2, 5-6, R.S.V.)