Chapter 101—To Banish Unrest and Doubt
O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Matthew 14:31
.
Christ came to this world to show that by receiving power from on high,
man can live an unsullied life. With unwearying patience and sympathetic
helpfulness He met men in their necessities. By the gentle touch of grace
He banished from the soul unrest and doubt, changing enmity to love, and
unbelief to confidence.
It is not wise to look to ourselves and study our emotions. If we do this,
the enemy will present difficulties and temptations that weaken faith and
destroy courage. Closely to study our emotions and give way to our feelings
is to entertain doubt and entangle ourselves in perplexity. We are to look
away from self to Jesus.
When temptations assail you, when care, perplexity, and darkness seem
to surround your soul, look to the place where you last saw the light. Rest
in Christ’s love and under His protecting care. When sin struggles for
the mastery in the heart, when guilt oppresses the soul and burdens the
conscience, when unbelief clouds the mind, remember that Christ’s grace is
sufficient to subdue sin and banish the darkness.
He will give you grace to be patient, He will give you grace to be trustful,
He will give you grace to overcome restlessness, He will warm your heart
with His own sweet Spirit, He will revive your soul in its weakness.... Then
stay your soul in confidence upon God. Roll all your burdens upon Him.
The soul that loves God, rises above the fog of doubt; he gains a bright,
broad, deep, living experience, and becomes meek and Christlike. His soul
is committed to God, hid with Christ in God. He will be able to stand the
test of neglect, of abuse and contempt, because his Saviour has suffered all
this. He will not become fretful and discouraged when difficulties press
him, because Jesus did not fail or become discouraged. Every true Christian
will be strong, not in the strength and merit of his good works, but in the
righteousness of Christ, which through faith is imputed unto him. It is a
great thing to be meek and lowly in heart, to be pure and undefiled, as was
the Prince of heaven when He walked among men.
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