GOD IS

(A Meditation)

“He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”, Heb 11: 6. God is. This is not simply believing the fact that there is a God. Faith connects the soul with God, so that He becomes the great living reality to the soul, all-commanding, all-satisfying, thus superseding every other object, taking us out of ourselves, delivering from every other influence, removing all difficulties, delivering us from all fear. Apart from faith, there are many other objects which might control us or affect us, many obstacles and difficulties appall us, many enemies which might cause us to be terrified. Thus we might say, man is, the world is, the devil is, &c. But in the presence of God, all these become insignificant. We get many examples in the Old Testament. When God made promise to Abraham of a seed, looking at himself or at his wife, it would have seemed quite impossible. But Abram could say, “God is”. He believed God, he did not look at himself; he considered not, his own body already become dead; he looked at God, and said, “God is able”. Thus he found strength in faith; he staggered not at the promise through unbelief, Romans 4. So again with Moses, God was a greater reality to him than Pharaoh, so that he left Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king; he endured as seeing Him that is invisible, Hebrews 11. With Caleb and Joshua (when the ten unbelieving spies brought back a false report of the land and discouraged the people), they could say, If God delight in us, He will bring us in. To them God was a greater reality than the giants and walled cities, and the difficulties became bread for them, Numbers 14.

Many other examples might be cited: for instance, David when he went in the name of Jehovah to meet the giant of the Philistines who made Saul and all Israel tremble. David could say, “God is”. The giant became insignificant in the presence of God; for David he had no terror. See also the three men who could face the burning fiery furnace, rather than worship Nebuchadnezzar’s image; and Daniel, who could face the lions’ den; and all the martyrs who could face death. All such could say, “God is”; to them He was the great reality.

But to be able thus to confide in God we must know Him; “they that know thy name will put their trust in thee”, Ps 9: 10. It is our privilege to know Him as now revealed in Christ Jesus, in all the grace and love and almighty power expressed in Christ, in the gift, death and resurrection of Christ, His blessed Son. If we believe on Him as thus revealed, we can say, “God is for us”; “If God be for us, who ... against us?”, Rom 8: 31. Faith claims Him, and says, “This God is our God for ever and ever”(Ps 48: 14); He is our salvation, our Rock, our Fortress, our Shield, our all-sufficient Resource, so that to us not only “God is”, but He is for us. The moment we lose sight of Him through unbelief, then all kinds of difficulties, obstacles, and enemies appear. “The just shall live by faith”, Heb 10: 38. Hebrews 11 is the illustration of this principle.

From Words of Truth vol 8 (1940)