"FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH"
J.C.Evershed
Our brother has just mentioned in prayer those who would like to be here but are not able. This Psalm was written by one such. He would like to have been in the place where God's service was going on. It was already going on in his heart, but the very deprivation of it made it all the greater to him. I just carry this thought from our brother's prayer, that we should value more than we do these times of assembling, when there can be not only a flow of things from God to us but a return flow to Him. We have already had a sense that a highway has been made in the desert for our God. He could have made it for Himself and He did in one sense; but then He has used persons to make His highway in the desert. I think that is one of the very few passages - that from Isaiah 40: 3 - which is quoted in each of the four gospels. It shows the essential importance of it, that a highway has been made for Him. But then these persons of whom this psalmist writes are those in whose heart are the highways and I take it that this suggests a responsive system going on in power towards God, because he speaks of persons going from strength to strength. I feel we need to concern ourselves more with this, that there should be an adequate answer from us. If a man who was not in the circumstances where God's service was going on collectively could have these longings and could say these things, how much more then should we be able to answer in a collective way!
I had not much to say as to detail but the thought of rest comes in with God, in His mercy, having made a resting-place for the commonest bird and a nestingplace for the most restless bird. But then the psalmist's thoughts go immediately to the altars where, as I have read in Mr Darby's writings, the worship of God is the true rest of the soul. So if we want to know what rest of soul is, it is found in worship. A further feature of the part of the Psalm that I read is that things are magnified: it is not one tabernacle but tabernacles; not one court but courts; not one altar but altars; not one highway but highways. I think that means that the whole matter, a whole system of response, has become magnified before the psalmist in his going over these matters and considering for the service of God. We have light and understanding of things, in God's ways, beyond what men in that dispensation had, even though we be not so great morally as they were; but nevertheless he says "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee", so that we can each come into that; and then he immediately says "they, in whose heart are the highways". Now that is a concern for us in our localities as walking together in the truth, that the highways should be in our heart. We can speak of righteousness and other moral requirements as being highways, and also all that has come out in ministry as to separation, but I would think that the great highway would be that of responsive service to God.
But then the writer contemplated that we should not always be in the highways as to our experiences we may be in the low ways, so he says "Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a well-spring". We all know what it is to pass through the low ways of this valley: there are those who mourn the loss of dear ones and we share with them sympathetically; there are those who suffer in body; there are various limitations and sorrows that cause weeping; but there seems to be power with these very persons to make it a well-spring. I wonder if we know much about the fact that the Spirit residing in us would enable us to draw some refreshment even in circumstances such as those. Then God adds His early rain covering it with blessings in view of a fruitful crop for Himself. Therefore persons are able to go from strength to strength. As we know, Scripture speaks of "faith to faith" and "glory to glory"; and this "from strength to strength" is obviously not from weakness to strength. We have been much edified and strengthened by meetings in America, in the book entitled 'Strength out of Weakness'; but to go from strength to strength was evidently a matter that the psalmist here had in mind as going on, as it were, from one peak to another, having in view that each one would appear before God in Zion. I take it that means that there is a response according to what is pleasing to God's mind and what He has set His heart upon. Zion represents what He has chosen and there are persons appearing before Him in relation to that system of responsive praise such as we sang of. It is just the simple Christian who does this I think, because it is he who is responsive and says "Amen", according to the letter to the Corinthians (see 1 Cor 14: 16). I think that the simpler we are in divine things the better, in order that we may be in this strong upward movement of appearing before God in connection with His rich and great thoughts. In the Name of the Lord Jesus.
BUCKHURST HILL
27 December 1974