CHILDREN OF GOD

^[p. 129] CHILDREN OF GOD

Many and varied have been the mercies of the past year to each of us. When we take our place simply as children before the Father, it is amazing and most affecting the way He unfolds to us His interest and love for us. Many believers lose or waste much time in becoming assured that they are children. It is necessary and right to be assured, and there is great gain in the steps to this assurance; but there cannot be a cheerful, easy consideration and a laying up in one’s heart of all His ways with us, until we are with Him in the peaceful consciousness of children. We all accept this relationship in terms, and yet how little do we restfully sit before Him in the blessed calm, unvarying verity of it. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning” (James 1: 17).

I enjoyed my time with you much. The Lord was very good to me. Of course, beloved ————’s illness, etc., were reminders that we must be ever dependent on Him who loves our dependence, and rewards us for it. John, when — or before — he expressed his desire to the Lord, came nearer to Him than he was before; he then lying on Jesus’ breast. The more we know His love the more we like to receive from Him.

There is a time to work and a time to rest.

May the Lord greatly cheer your heart with the fulness of joy of His presence. I believe nothing pleases Him more than that we should be near Himself in perfect happiness of spirit — happiness which cannot be lost by the losing of any mercy here.