"Our times are in Thy hand" (L.F. #209)
"Do not err, my beloved brethren. 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. Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" (James 1:16-1816Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17Every 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. 18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:16‑18)).
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:10-1710Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 11Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? 13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:10‑17)).
I read the opening two verses of this little epistle because it brings before us to whom the epistle is addressed. It's addressed to the twelve tribes that were scattered abroad and, as we know, it was because of the failure of the tribes that God had allowed them to be scattered. They might have been greatly cast down and discouraged because their own failure as a nation had led to them being scattered abroad. But it seems to me, in this epistle, that the Apostle would bring before them the blessed fact that, although they had failed and now they had even been guilty of crucifying their Messiah, that still the heart of God was toward them and desiring their blessing. So it says, "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." We often sing, "We change, He changes not"(Little Flock #84). How good it is, dear young people, to have this blessed confidence. We may have gotten into certain situations, perhaps even through our own failure. But isn't it a lovely thing to be able to look up this afternoon, and to know that the heart of God is toward us, with a desire for our blessing. What was on my heart in reading these passages and seeking to speak of them this afternoon is that we might lay hold of these precious things. I believe if we do, it will encourage us in our pathway and it will also give us to seek the mind and will of God in every step that we take. I remember hearing of a dear lady who used to work at washing in many rich homes. She worked in these beautiful homes, these homes of millionaires, so lovely and with such fine furniture. Someone said to her one day, "Don't you wish you were a millionaire too?" "Oh," she said, "I would much rather have a Father who was a millionaire caring for my needs. If I had a million dollars it would be a source of trouble how to handle it and look after it. But I have a Father who knows all my needs and His wealth is unlimited." Oh, what a sweet answer. Dear young people, isn't that the answer that we need for our souls too? Ambition is so liable to fill our thoughts and our minds with getting along in this world, obtaining a place, and having something that the world has to offer. That's the natural ambition of the human heart and especially while we're young. But isn't it a lovely thing to be able to look up and to know that God our Father is unlimited in His riches, in His wealth, in His love, and in His care for us. I was very much struck in reading that second verse. In the first verse he says, "The twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." What a sad picture of the nation presented at this time. Because of their failure they had been scattered abroad. A little remnant of the two tribes had been brought back but they now had been guilty of crucifying their Messiah. Was it all over with them? Oh, isn't this lovely, this second verse? "My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." That is, God uses the circumstances through which we pass to enable us to realize that which is our real wealth, and our real joy, and our real happiness. As a brother mentioned the other day, they speak of real estate and they speak of that which is houses and land in this world, but what is real to the Christian? Nothing here, because it all passes away, but that which we have up there, that's real to us. It's sure to us and moth and rust can't corrupt neither can thieves break through and steal and it's all been purchased for us by the work of the Lord Jesus upon the cross. So this verse says, "My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." Those of the nation who had placed their faith in the Lord Jesus found themselves in a very difficult and trying position. It was not easy. It cost them something to be faithful. Could they be happy in the midst of such circumstances? He said, "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." I've often said, someday I expect to meet Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego in heaven and I'd like to say to them, "Isn't it too bad Nebuchadnezzar ever made that decree that you had to fall down and worship that image?" Oh, I believe their faces will brighten and they'll say, "No, we see that God allowed that and that was the most wonderful experience of our lives. The Lord was with us in the midst of the burning fiery furnace." I would speak to Job and say, "Job, isn't it too bad that you had those three friends that spoke so unkindly to you?" "Oh," he would say, "The Lord used those friends to bring me to self judgment. I was a pretty proud man before that and God used those friends to help bring me down." Ah, dear young people, the circumstances of our lives, the people that we meet with, the assembly where we're gathered, and all that we have to contact in our daily lives is ordered of the Lord. Can we actually have joy in divers temptations? Can we actually find happiness when everything is against us? Yes we can.
When I was looking over the dear young people who were present, I had the thought that some of them were going to go home feeling quite happy because some of the desires that they had when they came here had been granted to them, friendships and things that they had enjoyed together. They were going to go home with happy and light hearts. But I thought there might be others who might be going home a little bit discouraged, a little disappointed. Perhaps a friend didn't speak to them, didn't treat them just the way they had hoped, and they're going home a little bit disappointed. Isn't this a nice verse for you, "My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." "How can you," you say, "when things that you want don't come your way and when your plans seem to be frustrated, can you really be happy then?" Yes, if we believe that the heart of God is the source of our blessings. If we really believe what this 17th verse says, then we know that that which God our Father allows and that which He sends is intended for our blessing. "Oh," you say, "Even though it was my own fault, perhaps. Can I still be happy?" Well, it was the failure of the twelve tribes that caused them to be scattered. Still the heart of God was toward them in grace. And isn't it a lovely thing? Can I read this second verse, "Dear young people" instead of "My beloved brethren"? "Dear young people, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations," and then connect that with the 16th verse, "Do not err, my dear young people. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." All we need for our pathway, where does it come from? Oh, isn't this grand to see that if we look up and see that One whose heart is toward us, we can go home from these three days of meetings happy and rejoicing. Nothing has changed our portion in Him and I believe the meetings have brought before our hearts in a new and fresh way the preciousness of the portion that lies ahead of us where we are going to spend eternity with the Lord Jesus up there in the Glory. Oh how blessed to have that before us!
And so it says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights." Why is He called "the Father of Lights"? Well we don't always see what's best. We look at things, as it were, in the dark sometimes. But the Father of Lights, He knows everything. He sees ahead and I don't. He knows what's in the future for me. He knows all about me, my makeup, everything. It's all known to Him. So it says, "From the Father of Lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning." Not a shadow of turning. That is, not the slightest bit of change or turning is there because He knows and He never makes a mistake. As a brother once remarked, "He's too wise to err and too loving to be unkind." Isn't this blessed? May the truth of this 17th verse be brought home to each of our souls. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." Let us learn to take all that God our Father sends as from the One who looks down upon us in love and perfect wisdom and orders according to that which He sees is best.
Let's read the 18th verse. "Of His own will begat He us with the word of Truth." I read that verse to show that the very fact that we're children of God did not originate in our own wills. No, of our own wills we would never have received Christ. There is not one of you dear young people who are saved here this afternoon who can say, "It was because of my own will that I accepted Christ." No it was of the will of God. Would we have chosen Him? No, of our own wills we rejected Him, but He pled with us in His grace. He drew us and brought us to Himself, and so, "Of His own will begat He us." Well, if we didn't have one thought toward Him and He looked upon us and picked us out and drew us to Himself and purposed us for eternal glory, can we not then commit the few short years of our lives down here into the hand of the One, "Who of His own will begat He us, with the word of Truth"? That brings in another point and that is, He's given us His word. And it's His word that He used to our salvation. How is it that we know we're saved? Is it some feeling we depend upon? No, we rest upon His precious, unchanging Word. If there's anyone here who's unsaved let me speak to you, dear young person. God wants to bless you. He wants to save you. He wants to draw you to Himself. He wants you to know what's in His heart toward you. Oh, you may long have rebelled against His grace and it's His word that He uses to this end. So this brings before us the importance of this blessed Book. It's used to our salvation, and then too, it's what's necessary for direction for our whole pathway.
Now, let us turn over to the 4th chapter and the 10th verse. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He shall lift you up." "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord." I didn't take time to read some thoughts in the intervening chapters but I might say that in the first part of this fourth chapter it says that "We ask and we ask amiss that we may consume it on our lusts." Isn't it often true that when we ask for something it's what we think is best, but perhaps it isn't. That's why we ought to always say, "If it be Thy will." So if God has not granted to us something that we desired, let us take the place humbly before Him, of bowing to His will and accepting the circumstance from the Lord. What will happen? He'll lift us up. He'll lift us up. I believe if we lay hold of these things, dear young people, every one of us will go away from these meetings happy. Because if we learn the blessed fact for our own souls that God purposed us for eternal blessing and that He is ordering the circumstances of our lives, then we'll count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations. The reason we're told to humble ourselves is because the natural heart resists the will of God. My heart, your heart, dear young person, resists the will of God. We find it very hard to submit, don't we? We'd like to cast our cares upon the Lord. But the real reason we can't cast our cares upon the Lord is because we have some desire and we feel we can't be happy unless that desire is granted. But we can be happy and the only real place of happiness is in submission to the will of God. We can only submit when we know with assurance that His heart is toward us in goodness and grace. His heart is toward us in riches, goodness and grace, I say.
So it says in the 11Th verse, "Speak not evil one of another brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law and judgeth the law." Why does this come in here? Well, I'm sure that whenever things don't work out the way we had hoped they would work out, we try to find somebody to blame. We try to find some person who is at fault. We look around and it's this person and it's that person. If that person hadn't done this, if the other person hadn't done that, things would have worked out differently. So, the next thing is, we don't submit to the will of God and we begin to speak evil. But, oh, how many sorrows we sow among ourselves, dear young people, by speaking evil one of another. When we get up there to glory and we look back on our lives down here and we do as it says, We "remember all the way the Lord our God led us...in the wilderness scene"(Deut. 8:22And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. (Deuteronomy 8:2)). Do you think we'll speak evil one of another there? Do you think there's one of us in that bright home above that will look at the other person and say, "Oh, he did me so much harm!" No, we'll all praise the Lord together and we'll see how He was using even the mistakes, even the unkind things, and all that took place to accomplish that which He desired in us. That is, that we might lean on one arm alone, the mighty arm of that precious Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us. As we sang in that little hymn, "The hand our many sins had pierced is now our guard and guide"(L.F. 209). Then in the other verse, "Jesus the Advocate, nor can that hand be stretched in vain for us to supplicate." So, if we have any bad thought in our mind toward any person, let us judge it right now. Let us get before the Lord about it, because if we don't, we're speaking evil of the law and judging the law. The Word tells us, "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose"(Rom. 8:2828And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)). If we believed that, we wouldn't speak the way we do very often of others. We would take the circumstances from the hand of God our Father. So, it says that when we speak evil of another, we're speaking evil of the law and judging the law. I might say that the law here is in a very broad sense. Perhaps we could turn, just for a moment to the 19th Psalm because I think there is a very precious portion there about this. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb" (Psa. 19:77The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7)). Oh isn't this lovely! What a wonderful book this is. Dear young people, the older I get the more I value this precious book and all its instructions. It has first showed us our need as sinners. It showed us God's grace in providing a Savior for us and now the little time that remains to us, it's written so we might have all things that pertain unto life and godliness. There isn't a question in your life or mine that we will not find in this blessed Book, the wisdom and instruction that we need for our whole pathway. So let us read this precious book, let us meditate upon it, and when circumstances arise that seem, difficult and make us uneasy let us look up and say, "Well God's Word says all things work together for good to them that love God." Let us also look up and say, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." It all comes down from His heart to us for our good and for our blessing.
So the 12Th verse says, "There is one lawgiver who is able to save, and to destroy. Who art thou that judgest another?" Oh, this is a very solemn verse. I'd like to speak to anyone here who is unsaved. Remember, you must have to do with this precious Savior as a savior or as a judge. You must have to do with Him. He is able to save. He is able to save. No matter who you are or what you have done, there is power in the precious blood of Christ to cleanse you from all sin. I say, He is able to save, but remember He's able to destroy too. I trust there won't be one person in this company who will be sent to a lost eternity. If you reject the Lord Jesus as your Savior, if you reject that heart that is toward you in grace, you'll go to a lost eternity. But dear young people, you who are believers, isn't it a strange thing that we can actually believe that God loves us so much that He saved us from Hell and doubt that He would be able to work things out in our lives for our good and for our blessing? Isn't it a strange thing? And yet it's so with every one of us. We know He's saved us for eternal glory and yet we find ourselves doubting as to the path in which He leads us.
We often say that great and important decisions are made in youth. Most of these decisions, I suppose we could say, are made before we're 25 years of age. Oh, how very needful that we should turn to the Lord for these decisions. I want to impress upon you the words in that 15th verse, "If the Lord will." "If the Lord will." May you write that across every plan in your life. May I write it across every plan in my life. "If the Lord will", because if it's not His will there can be no real lasting blessing in it. There are six things in verse 13 to which I want to call your attention. "Go to ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain." Now here are the six points, I'll just mention them. "Today", that's the present plan. "Tomorrow", that's the future. "Such a city", that's the place or city where you intend to live. "Continue there", is the residence you take up in that city. "Buy and sell", that's your occupation. "Get gain", that's your income. Isn't that what concerns most young people when they're starting out in life? Your plans for today, what are they? Oh, have you written across the plan for today, "If the Lord will"? That's the seventh thing. If the Lord will, then I'm sure you can say that you can count it all joy to fall into divers temptations. Because if it's the will of God that you be cast into prison like Paul and Silas you can sing in the prison, because that was the will of God for them. Oh, how lovely it is. I know I fail in this, but I say it for my own soul, this is the secret of happiness.
In the 13th verse we have the six things, the planning of the human, and when we come to the 15th verse, we have bringing the Lord into the plan. That makes the seventh. The man of sin, his number is 666. That is, six is man's number. It's what man figures he can do at his very best. But when we bring the Lord in we have perfection. We have Him working things out. So, again, I say, today, today, let us begin today. "I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God which is your reasonable (or intelligent) service"(Rom. 12:11I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)). Oh let's begin today. Don't say, "I intend, when I get through school, to set out to follow the Lord." Today, if the Lord will. Today, if the Lord will, and then tomorrow. Oh, that's the future isn't it? What's going to happen tomorrow? We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but the Lord does, the Lord does. "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world (eternity N.T.)" (Acts 15:2828For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; (Acts 15:28)). Men don't know the future. They can't tell what's going to happen, but we have a Father who does. He loves us and He gave His Son to die for us and there's "no variableness neither shadow of turning" with Him. So tomorrow, what about tomorrow? Well, it's in the hands of God my Father. How lovely the words of that hymn, "Our times are in Thy hand, Father we wish them there" (L.F. #209). Oh, isn't that the way for us dear young people? What peace it gives to the soul. What a grand thing to walk out of this assembly hall and be able to say, "Tomorrow, if the Lord will. Tomorrow, if the Lord will." Whatever He plans for me, "Pleasing or painful, dark or bright, as best may seem to Thee."
Then it says, "Go into such a city." I've heard many discussions. I've heard people, young and old, say, "Oh, I like that city. It's such a pretty city." Others say, "There's lots of opportunities in that city." We hear lots of comments about different cities, some that are considered pleasant to dwell in, some that are considered not so pleasant to dwell in. Well, such a city if the Lord will, if the Lord will. It will be a pleasant place if the Lord guides you to that place. Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi. Paul and Silas had bleeding backs in Philippi. But I'm going to meet them in heaven some day and I'm going to ask, "What about Philippi? Was it a nice city?" Oh, I think they'll say, "We had a wonderful experience there. Why, we met the household of Lydia and that jailer got saved that night and that assembly went on so happily. It was one of the brightest gems for our service for the Lord." The epistle to the Philippians was written to those who lived in Philippi, the place where they spent the night in prison with bleeding backs. "Such a city." Such a city. It was a happy place though, wasn't it? Dear young people, that little city or that town and that assembly where you are can be a happy place for you, if it is the will of God that you are there. So in choosing the place where we want to live, remember that nothing can be right, no matter how nice the city is if it's not the Lord's will. Jericho was a far nicer city than some of the others, but Jericho fell under the judgment of God. We might go to the finest city we could choose in the whole of the United States and Canada and have no end of sorrow in that place. But we should seek to be in the place where the Lord wants us to be, whether it's in this land or whether it's on some other continent. Such a city, if the Lord will. Isn't that lovely?
Then, "Continue there." "Oh," you might say, "I'd like to visit this city. I don't mind going around and seeing the sights, but I wouldn't want to live there." I've heard people say that, "I wouldn't want to live there." Well it says, "Continue there." How long? Well, however long the Lord says. Some of the places where Paul visited he continued there for a few days, some places a few weeks, others beyond a year, a year and six months even. But he continued there, isn't that lovely? I've heard people use a certain kind of expression, "Oh I couldn't stick it out there." Well, "continue there" if the Lord will, for He'll give you the strength for it, He'll give you the grace for it! Isn't that lovely? "Continue there."
Then, what kind of an occupation? Oh, I hear it so often. Oh, it's hard to choose isn't it? I feel sorry for you dear young people. I know it's not easy to choose the occupation that you should follow in life. There are so many problems. It's not an easy decision. There are many things to consider. But, oh, consider it well. That occupation that you have, can you write over it, "If the Lord will"? Is there something connected with it, is there some union or something you have to get mixed up in to fulfill that occupation? Then you can't write over it, "If the Lord will." Because if the Lord will you'd like to be out of that situation. How lovely it is to consider this while you're young, before you get into something where you find that you can't honor the Lord as you wish to. How lovely to consider this in your planning, to look forward to the future and say "if the Lord will." "Continue there a year and buy and sell." Buy and sell. Whatever the occupation is, can you write across it, "if the Lord will"?
Then the next thing, the biggest one of all, I suppose, to young people, "get gain." What's the salary per year? How much are you going to be paid? What benefits are there? Well, "get gain" "if the Lord will", if the Lord will. Better to be content with less and be able to honor the Lord, than to get a fine salary and not be able to write across your paycheck, "if the Lord will." Oh how lovely then, in all our planning, in all we seek to do, and we must look forward if the Lord doesn't come. We're looking for Him to come, but if He leaves us here, it's not wrong to look forward, providing those four words are written across every plan in our lives, "If the Lord will." "If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." Oh what a happy thing it is.
So it says, "Ye rejoice in your boasting." If we rejoice in anything that we can't write across those four words it's evil. It's evil. It's all going to pass away, and if it doesn't pass away in this life, it'll pass away when it's manifest at the judgment seat of Christ when it's all consumed in the flames. For, only that which is of Christ and in obedience to His Word is going to abide, only that which is for Him. It says, "The world passeth away and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever" (1 John 2:77Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. (1 John 2:7)). Dear young people, I say to you again, I know you are faced with situations that some of us who are older haven't had to meet. I realize that it's not easy for you, and we all enter into, in some measure, the disappointment when some plan is frustrated. But, oh may those words be brought home to each heart, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." And then to be able to write across every plan, "If the Lord will."
So it says here in this last verse, "To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin." If we know, in many things we're ignorant, we make mistakes, all of us. The speaker has made many mistakes. But, if we know the will of God, if we're seeking His will, if we're reading His word for our pathway, He has promised, "If any man will to do His will, he shall know" (John 7:1717If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17)). Oh may God grant, then, that each one of us may consider these things in connection with our choices in life and that we may go away from this conference happy because we know it's the will of God. I'd just like to quote the last verse of the 19th Psalm in closing. It says, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."
Shall we sing in closing the last verse of Hymn #15. "All that we are as saints on earth, all that we hope to be, when Jesus comes and glory dawns, we owe it all to Thee."
Toronto, Ontario April 1962