If we think we are undervalued, let us weigh ourselves in God’s balances, and we shall easily bear the slight.
The vauntings of self-exalting man are but the trickery of his pride, to hide his native vanity from his own eye and his neighbour’s.
Man without God may seem something at a distance. Come near him; be familiar with him; you find him to be nothing. But “blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; they will be still praising Thee.” Even now, while yet in the earthly house of this tabernacle, we find that growing acquaintance with God brings with it increase of reverence and love. Oh, blessed hope! we shall know as we are known; see face to face and be satisfied; waking up in the likeness of the Lord.
Many there are who can talk well of the truth of the gospel, but who, when called to self-denial, taking up crosses, suffering for Christ’s sake, prove sounding brass and tinkling cymbals: knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.
Absalom’s vanity let his hair grow long; and his long hair did the service of the hangman’s rope. Let parents hear the warning voice, and teach their children from earliest days to reckon the fear of God their best ornament.
Faith
If we act only because our path is clear of difficulty, this is not Faith. Faith acts upon God’s Word whatever the difficulty; and to walk by faith brings highest glory to God; but it is a crucifying the flesh.
To be strong in Faith two things are needful,—a very low esteem of ourselves, and a very high esteem of Christ.
The chief excellency of Faith is that it brings us into fellowship with God. Abel—the first spoken of in Heb. 11.—is commended, not because of any great deed in man’s account, but because he worshipped God acceptably. Nevertheless, if we trust God, there is no limit to the power of Faith, whatever the thing to be done.
God shelters the weak in faith from many a storm, whereby the strong in faith must be proved. (Gen. 22.)