The Signs of the Times, vol. 11

April 15, 1885

“‘Be Strong and of a Good Courage’” The Signs of the Times 11, 16, pp. 249, 250.

“BE strong and of a good courage” was the word of God to Joshua as the children of Israel were about to cross Jordan, and to enter the promised land, and this is his word to every one who enters his service. “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.” And then he gives the reason, “For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” “I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” SITI April 15, 1885, page 249.1

There is nothing more certain than that the Most High rules in the affairs of men, and in the lives of those whose endeavor is to serve him, there is nothing more insisted upon than the unqualified recognition of this fact. The Saviour says the Father feedeth the fowls of the air. “Are ye not much better than they?” And the lilies of the field he clothes with more glory than all that in which Solomon was arrayed in the height of his wealth, grandeur, and power, then, “How much more shall he clothe you.” One sparrow, worth less than a cent, “shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” “Fear not ye therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” We need not multiply these strong assurances of the Lord’s care for his people, except to assert the all o’ershadowing one given by Paul “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32. If God’s care for men led him to give his only begotten Son, for his enemies (Romans 5:10), having given him, how shall he not with him freely give all things to his friends? (John 15:14.) Will he freely give the greatest possible gift, and withhold the least? No, no! “All things are yours; and ye are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.” 1 Corinthians 3:23. SITI April 15, 1885, page 249.2

It is plain therefore that to be without courage is to be without faith for the Christian to become discouraged is simply to lose confidence in the goodness, the care, the love, and the promises of God. Yet how often we hear the plaint, “I am almost discouraged,” expressed in a tone that plainly shows that the “almost” part of it is superfluous. But to all such the Lord says, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; ... I will be with thee; I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.” Christ is our example in this as in everything else. He was despised and rejected of men, he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, the faces of men were hid from him, and by them he was not esteemed. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” Yet in full view of all this it was written of him, “He shall not fail nor be discouraged.” Isaiah 42:4. And having passed through it all, his last words to his disciples before going over the brook Cedron were, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. SITI April 15, 1885, page 250.1

This is the direct consequence of not being discouraged. If we yield to discouragement we never can overcome. If Satan can only succeed in turning our attention away from the Lord and his goodness and ever-ready help, and so get us into doubt and distrust and thus into discouragement, he knows that his part of the battle is won. Our privilege is therefore to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. To put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. And it is with the shield of faith that we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Of faith, not of doubt; and if faith, then courage; and if faith and courage, then victory. “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage.” And “thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” who never was discouraged. SITI April 15, 1885, page 250.2

From the scattered, lonely ones how often there come such expressions as follows: “It is hard to be a Christian alone.” “It is hard to live out the truth alone.” “It is hard to keep the Sabbath alone.” “I love the truth, but I cannot do much alone.” Now we have strong sympathy for these persons, and in our prayers we make mention of all such, but at the same time we are perfectly satisfied that there is a different, and much better way of looking at the matter than to always consider it a “hard” thing to do this or that, in the circumstances which surround us. Wherever you are, that is the only place in which you can serve the Lord. If you are alone, the only possible way for you to serve the Lord, is to serve him alone. And if you be alone, and the providence of God does not ordain otherwise, is it not best to accept the situation cheerfully and me the most of it? Because we repeat, that is the only situation in this wide world in which you can obey the truth, and if you obey it at all you must obey it there; if you be a Christian at all you must be one right where you are. SITI April 15, 1885, page 250.3

Now a few words in regard to the idea that a great many have, and which is often expressed as above: “I love the truth, but I cannot do much alone.” You can do your duty, and that is all the Lord asks you to do. And that you must do alone, for no person can do it for you. And doing your duty is all that you can do for yourself, or for the cause of God. Many a time it happens in the life of a Christian that the greatest honor, and the greatest service, that he can possibly do his Lord is done singly and alone. To illustrate: After the battle of Waterloo, as the allied armies were marching to Paris, Blucher determined, against the will of Wellington, to blow up the bridge of Jena, because it stood as a monument of the defeat of the Prussian arms. When he had actually begun to mine the bridge, so as to lay his train to blow it up, Wellington placed an English sentinel on the bridge and went ahead. “A single sentinel. He was the British nation; and if Blucher had blown up the bridge, the act was to be held as a rupture with Great Britain.” SITI April 15, 1885, page 250.4

Suppose now, that soldier had made the plea that is made by some professed soldiers of the cross of Christ—I love my king, I love his cause, but I cannot do much alone. Would it not have been a miserable plea? He was placed there alone, and if he did anything at all he must do it alone. More, in that place, alone though he was, he represented the kingdom of Great Britain, and he was to stand in his place on that bridge as the representative of his sovereign and his kingdom. So it is with the Christian. He represents his Sovereign and his kingdom. And if his Sovereign chooses him, and puts him in a certain place alone, in that place he is the kingdom of God, and what greater honor can his King bestow? And cannot the soldier of Christ stand in his place, as well as did this English soldier in his? Cannot the representative of the kingdom of God prove faithful to his trust, as did the representative of the kingdom of England to his? Is it not more important that he should? Are you a soldier of Christ? Are you alone? Then put on the whole armor of God and stand faithfully. SITI April 15, 1885, page 250.5

It is recorded of Abraham that he was the friend of God. But how did it come about that God could speak of Abraham as “my friend”? It was because Abraham when left alone was faithful to God. The world had proven false to God. Even Abraham’s own father and relatives were idolaters. It came to pass that God wanted friends in the world, and Abraham alone was found keeping the commandments of God and obeying his voice; and thus proving himself faithful when all around him were recreant, the God of Heaven and earth calls him “Abraham, my friend.” Now, once more the Lord wants friends. His word is despised, and his law is trampled under foot. Who now will walk in the steps of that faith which our father Abraham had? Are you alone in the midst of those who will not keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus? Then show yourself a friend of God by keeping them so much the more faithfully for being alone. Yea, let all of us be faithful soldiers of Christ. Let all of us be friends of God. Let all of us be strong and of a good courage. SITI April 15, 1885, page 250.6

A. T. JONES.