WAITING UPON GOD (CONCLUDED)

WAITING UPON GOD (CONCLUDED)

An earnest, faithful Methodist preacher, while attending a Holiness camp-meeting, had light flashed across his pathway until he saw his privilege in Christ Jesus and rushed into the fountain and was gloriously sanctified. The joy was great, the blessing had burned up the "old man" (we mean that the cleansing had destroyed the "old man"), and there was a haven of rest in his soul. He went home praising God for such a work of grace, but his wife flew into a rage and said, "You have ruined your future and we will starve or be sent to Hard Scrabble Circuit." The faithful man of God flung himself before the Lord in earnest prayer.

Sure enough, they were sent to a poor circuit and things, seemingly, went bad and the clouds were black, not one ray of light, All the flour, all the meat, and in fact everything was at a low ebb. His wife had completely backslidden and was making it very hard for this faithful, sanctified husband. She said to him one night, "If you will get your God to send in one big ham, fifty pounds of flour, three or four dozen eggs, eight or ten pounds of lard, twenty-five pounds of sugar, then I will believe in your holiness. I must see. You are not to speak to a living soul about it. You say that He will answer, now let's see. You can certainly get a prayer through by morning and I can make some good biscuits for breakfast and we will have good, red ham gravy too."

The earnest man of God went to his knees in soul agony. He plead His word. He stepped out on His promises and would never let go until He answered by fire. He got into soul travail about midnight, and about three went to bed knowing that his Lord had heard his heart-cries and would answer. In retiring, he woke his wife, and she said, "Now, good red ham gravy for breakfast?" He said, "Oh, yes, and more too. There will be two hams." "Oh! my dear, do you tell me so?" "Yes," he said firmly. In a few minutes she said, "I do believe that I heard the dogs dragging that ham under the floor." He said, "You rest assured the ham will be here." He fell asleep, but she awoke him saying, "The dogs are fighting over the hams." He quoted some promises, but she laughed heartily. He found out that it was impossible to get any sleep, so he got up and went to earnest prayer. Soon the same gentle witness came whispering, "I have heard your cries, and a surprise awaits your wife." He leaped, he cried, he shouted. His wife came in saying, "The hams must be here the way you are taking on; start me a fire in the stove, it is daylight."

The faithful preacher went at it in a hurry, for he knew his Lord was about ready to start His delivery wagon. While he built the fire, his wife prepared her toilet. Just as the fire was burning well she said, "If you will be so kind as to set that flour and ham on the cook table, I will begin breakfast." Just then a knock at the kitchen door. The preacher opened the door, and there stood a grocer with a ham in one hand and fifty pounds of flour on his shoulder, saying, "I could not sleep at all last night, and something kept saying, 'Take hams and flour to the Methodist preacher's early in the morning.' And there is more coming as soon as my boy gets out the wagon." The preacher turned to his wife and said "Now!" By that time the wife had fallen full length on the floor, calling to her husband to pray for her, and saying, "Do pray in earnest, or I will soon be in Hell." She confessed and repented and was powerfully saved.

Waiting before Him prepares one to stand still and see the salvation of God. It qualifies us to stand the testings, too. It strengthens our faith, It will rift the clouds and give us a grip on Him that will bring the needed victory. It gives one deep satisfaction. It brings the witness. It puts one in constant telephonic connection with the skies. It makes us more than conquerors, victors on every battlefield.
Waiting before Him gives us the assurance before the battle is fought. This renews us, makes us stronger. There is no need of our depleted condition, There is strength for us and waiting gives it to us. We must wait, or we will lose. Altars should be crowded all the time, and this is all done by much waiting before Him. Hours are needed here, for us to be qualified for the great work He has called us to do.

God needs giants today, and we get the giant strength by waiting before Him, Oh, the beautiful soul rest, the strong faith we would have if we would wait on Him. I have been gloriously healed this year. Doctors said I could never be well again, but I am, and it was done by waiting in earnest prayer. I am a stout man today. I weigh 191. I am fat. Amen! I tell you God will hear and answer today, and heal too. Glory to His holy name! I am on the mountain. Amen! He is so good to me. Oh, praise His holy name! Dare to trust Him and your case in His hands, and see if He will not answer by fire. Amen! Well, I am having a great time, This is a great summer. Altars are full. Souls are being saved and believers are being sanctified. Let's wait. Get still. Get quiet before Him. Give Him time. Don't be in a hurry. Take time, plenty of time, to wait; more waiting will make your work lighter and you will be rested when the task is done. More waiting will make you better able to do more, and you will have more power to work. First, wait, then work. Wait three hours, and then you will do more in half the time, and be rested, too, when done. Waiting oils the machinery until there isn't a jar or friction. Waiting puts fire in the box, water in the boiler, and steam in the chest, and the old train flies down the track. Waiting draws out the latent facilities, toughens the muscles, and gives one ballast and roadbed. Waiting makes us masters of every situation and so qualifies us that we enjoy doing things for Him.