Wrecked outright on Jesus’ breast

When Abraham was called by God, he went up by faith not knowing where he was going

(Heb. 11:8). In August 1970 I migrated with 40 or more saints from Southern California to Chicago. Although only one brother among us had a job waiting for him in Chicago, and no one had a place to live, we rented moving trucks, loaded our earthly goods in the trucks, and drove to Chicago. We did not know where we would live or how we would support ourselves when we arrived in Chicago. Although we initially had to rent rooms at the YMCA, we eventually had a place to live. Almost miraculously I got a job teaching at a city public school. Although the head teacher openly stated that he intended to give my position to another person, I felt at peace. I simply brought the report to the brothers and said, “let us stand with the Lord for what is of Him, I am not fighting for this job. ” However, the other person never came, and I stayed there.

Part of me longs for the days of not knowing. I am not suggesting that this becomes the pattern of migration. On the one hand, it is not wrong to plan ahead, on the other hand, part of me wishes that we could simply obey and go, knowing nothing but God. If we have never followed the Lord practically in the way of “not knowing, ” there is a considerable gap in our spiritual biography. Hymn number 637 by M. E. Barber mentions “little boats that hugged the shore, /Fearing what the storm may bring. ” If we go out by faith, not knowing, there will be storms but we will experience God in a way that we cannot when everything is secure.

It is up to the Lord as to how to apply this to each one of us, but it is when we go out, not knowing, that we truly need God. He will not give us a map. All we will have is God. It is impossible to describe how exhilarating and liberating it is to have only God and nothing else holding us. To risk everything in this way is crazy, but it is normal. This experience needs to be recovered among us. The Lord Himself decides the specific circumstances of how each one of us will have such experiences.

R. K. “ The God of Abraham (pgs. 38-39) The Ministry Magazine. Vol. 9 No. 9, October 2005.

Faith in God

'Twas purest gain

This is the place of the Believer's authority and victory! Nothing can separate us from the Love of God!

A friend’s Facebook post reminded me of this song I have enjoyed through the years. Sharing

Simply resting, there is nothing that a wreck can do but fling to the Loving Arms and simply cling.

This hymn describes with full poetically translated quality, the depths of human suffering, traversing the unpredictable intricacies of one's course in human life whilst "enbosomed" in the Lord's love. To "hug the shore" means seeking a "safe" course in life without abandoning the courses of our lives to the direction of the Lord's hand, taking Him daily as our Head. We escape suffering, mollify its effects by refusing to submit to the arrangement and discipline of the Spirit in ordering the trials of our lives (i.e. not being in spirit, but rather as Jacob struggling to have the comforts and security of life apart from Him). This hymn concerns not "heroes" but those who would see the "storm" as a "boon", whereby whilst suffering in trials we enjoy the Lord's "nursing" comfort to fully work Himself into us deeply and thoroughly, so that the "wreck" of our consumed outer man would under His renewing work be brought entirely under His "hand", under His full control, thus "anchored to Infinity"!