Great is our inheritance in him. Great is that
security that we have in him. Knowing that underneath
are those everlasting arms. Overshadowed by his
love. The waters, the deep waters shall never
overflow. And he giveth grace when more grace
is needed. He giveth faith, his faith, when faith
is needed. Thanks, Heavenly Father, a million
thanks. Amen. beautiful portions of the Word
of God, to my way of thinking, the most beautiful
words spoken, all found in the Old Testament.
The third verse of the 31st chapter of Jeremiah.
The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying,
Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.
Therefore, with loving kindness, have I drawn
thee. How many times in the darkness of a midnight
hour I've been conscious of that love. How many
times in a moment of crisis I've been conscious
of that love. How many times have I stood without
a star in the sky and have been conscious of
that love? How often I have stood before the
open grave and have been conscious of that love.
I have loved thee with an Everlasting love. And
that love is my security today. And I'll stake
everything that I have. I'll stake my very life.
I stake my soul on that love. For I have confidence
in the one who's given that promise. I... I have
loved thee with an everlasting love. We talk
much of the fruit of the Spirit, but do you realize
that all the fruits of the Spirit can be summed
up in just one word, love? Pause with me just
a moment. Consider the word. Joy is love exalted.
Peace is love in repose. Long suffering is love
enduring. And gentleness is love in society.
Goodness is love in action. And faith is love
on the battlefield. Meekness is love at school.
Temperance is love in training. So when you speak
of the fruit of the Spirit, remember, all the
fruits of the Spirit can be summed up in just
the one word, love. His love. I know there's
someone who's asking this very moment. I can't
understand his love toward me. Catherine Kuhlman,
I don't see if Jesus really loves me so much.
Why he sends so many troubles and the afflictions.
Not merely one is asking that question. I think
there have been times in each of our lives that
we have questioned, we have wondered. And it's
just because we're human beings, just human enough
to want to go through life without trouble, without
problems, without sorrows, without afflictions.
And immediately, when these things come into
our lives, the first thing that we do, we question
God's love. But we forget the word. And the word
says, and every branch that beareth fruit, he
purges it that it might bring forth more fruit.
One day, a woman battled within herself, wondering
if God really loved her because of her many afflictions.
She wondered whether or not. He had forgotten
her. She went for a walk. Alone. In her walk,
she passed a vineyard in rich autumn glow. A
beautiful sight. A great wealth of leaves on
the vines. But no fruit. No fruit on the vine.
Just leaves. And in that moment, the heavenly
gardener whispered to her and said, Are you wondering
at the trials in your life? Are you wondering
at the afflictions that have come upon you? The
problems that... you're faced with. Remember,
child of mine, the gardener ceases to prune,
to trim, to harrow, to cultivate, when he expects
nothing more from the vine. Do you wish me to
cease my pruning? Do you wish me to expect nothing
but leaves from your life? Do you wish me to
leave you alone? I'll cease my pruning. I'll
cease my cultivating. I will cease my harrowing.
And expect nothing from you but leaves. She looked
up. brushing away the hot tears from her cheeks,
and she saw it. Oh, dear God, if only you and
I could see, as she saw in that moment. Instead
of tears of sorrow, they were tears of joy, and
she looked up and said, oh, heavenly gardener,
I see it, I see it. How could I have been so
blind, lo, these many, many months? Harrow me.
Cultivate me. If these trials will make me a
finer Christian. If the deep waters will make
me a finer child. If through these sorrows and
afflictions fruit can be brought from my life.
Please, I pray, cultivate my life. Rejoice, beloved,
though each desire, each dream, each hope of
thine shall fall and fade, remember something.
It is the hand of love divine. We talk about
faith. We talk about great faith. There may be
those who have even boasted of their faith, but
never forget. Great faith is to endure great
trials. Great faith, my friend, has perfect confidence
in the perfect knowledge and the perfect wisdom
of a perfect Heavenly Father. I repeat, great
faith is to endure great trials. Someone listening
to me this very moment who is just human enough
to say, Catherine Kuhlman, if only during those...
Long hours and days and months of going through
great trials and great suffering and affliction.
If for just one moment I could see his face.
If he would do something very definite. If literally,
actually, I could look upon the person of Jesus.
If I could literally feel his strong hands clasping
mine, some sign, something tangible, I could
go through anything. But had you ever considered
that the silences of Jesus are as eloquent as
his speech disapproval but of his approval. That's
right. Please consider a moment. A Christian
dreamed that she saw three figures kneeling in
prayer. Silently she watched. The master appeared
and he bent over over the first figure and with
great tenderness he caressed her face and smiled
into that face and he spoke words of comfort
to her and the one watching said oh he must love
her a great deal She must be a very chosen vessel,
set apart from all others. Did you see how he
smiled and how tenderly he touched her? And then
he saw the master go to the second kneeling figure,
and he just placed his hand upon her head. That
was all. He neither spoke to her, neither did
he stoop to smile into her face. He just gently
placed his hand upon her head and left. To one
watching said, oh, he must love her less. Surely
he must not love her as much as he loved the
first one. For he neither smiled in her face,
neither did he speak to her. Just gently laid
his hand upon her head. And then, as she thought,
she saw the master himself as he approached the
third kneeling figure. He just passed by her.
without even looking at her. Not a word did he
say. Neither did he touch her. He just slowly
passed by. The woman was so amazed. Oh, the master
did not speak to her. touched her. Neither did
he pause to smile into her face. Surely she must
have done something to have breathed him. And
then suddenly she became aware of the fact that
the master himself was standing by her side.
And then he began to speak and he said, child
of mine, you don't. understand. The first needed
all my weight of tenderness and care to keep
her feet in my narrow way. She needs my love.
She needs my thought. She needs my help. She's
weak in the faith. She's just a babe. She needs
all the strength that I can give her. The second
has stronger faith and a deeper love for me.
You see, I can trust her to trust me. She has
confidence in my wisdom. She has confidence in
my every direction. And the third, oh, if you
could only understand. If somehow you could only
understand. The third, to whom I neither spoke,
Or pause to lay a hand upon her head. Or to stoop
and smile into her face. If you could only understand.
That, my child, has faith and love of highest...
I'm training her for the highest and the holiest
service. Even as the father trusted me, even
as the father had faith and confidence in me,
as I walk this old earth, so does that precious
child of mine have confidence. and faith in me.
I can trust her under all circumstances, whether
the sun is shining in all of its glory or whether
the waters are deep. Regardless of the weight
of the cross, regardless of the crisis, The trying
hour, the affliction, the testing time. I can
trust her to trust me under all circumstances.
And that is the life that I am using in a greater
measure than... ever before. I am silent in my
love because I love beyond the power of words
to express or of human hearts to understand.
Beloved, wherever showers fall most, There the
grass is greenest. And wherever you find great
fogs of tears and mists of sorrow, you will always
find hearts that are full of the beautiful virtue
of the comfort and the love of God. Above all,
when thy god hides his face say not that he hath
forgotten thee he is but caring a little to make
thee love him