The Holiest of All By Andrew Murray

466 ftbe Dolfest of
In mentioning the great achievements of faith, our writer
gives three separate
trios. In the first we find mentioned what
the heroes of faith had accomplished. In combat with their
enemies, they subdued kingdoms; in ruling the people and
opposing evil, they wrought righteousness; in dealing with
God, they obtained promises. In the second, personal deliver
ance from wild beasts, from the powers of nature, from the
violence of men, is in the foreground. They Stopped the mouths
of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the
sword. In the third, we have the experience of the power of
faith for personal strengthening: From weakness were made
strong, waxed mighty in war, turned to flight armies of
aliens. And then there is added one thing more : Women
received their dead by a resurrection. By faith women con
quered the power of death. There is no power on earth that
can stand before the power of faith, because the
power
of faith
is the power of God working in us.
The memory of the heroes and heroisms of the olden time
may be most instructive, if we regard them in their true light.
One thing that impresses us is, how little God has promised to
faith that it will be freed from difficulty and danger. It would
be as easy to God to prevent the enemy coming as
to give the
victory over him. To do this would be infinite loss faith would
;
never be called into exercise ;
man would never learn to know
either his God or himself as His child. Every
plishes a double purpose. It gives us the opportunity of honour
ing God by the trust with which we wait on Him. And it gives
God the opportunity of showing how faithful He is in watching
over His child, and how truly He is
working for him and in him.
It is in trial that all the heart of the child is drawn out towards
trial accom
the father, in dependence and humility and trust. It is in trial