Listen and Obey

A portion of a letter from Rev. William Still to his congregation. This Presbyterian pastor of a church in Scotland, wrote a pastoral letter to his congregation every month. His letters are filled with sound doctrine and advice. Someone described his letters as, "sometimes stirring, or provocative, sometimes written with joy, sometimes with a deep anxiety for others." In this letter, Rev. Still touches on things simple that are difficult to accept. The letter was written in the month of June, 1970.

It is the simplest things that are most difficult to understand and accept, and one of those which seems in my experience to have been most difficult for people to understand and accept has been the fact that the Lord demands His servants, each and every one of them, to listen to Him only and obey His will implicitly, irrespective of what it costs.

The Letters of William Still, The Banner of Truth, 1984, pp. 108-09.

Make the Grip Stronger

A portion of a letter from Samuel Rutherford to Lady Boyd, a frequent correspondent. His letter directs her to be strong in the midst of trials and exercise faith in "a smiting Redeemer." A time of trial for a believer is an occasion to cleave to the Lord. The letter was written October 15, 1640.

What is wrath to others is mercy to you and your house. It is faith’s work to claim and challenge loving–kindness out of all the roughest strokes of God…

And, since you will not alter upon Him who will not change upon you, I do in my weakness, think myself no spiritual seer if I should not prophesy that daylight is near, when such a morning darkness is upon you; and that this trial of your Christian mind towards Him (whom you dare not leave, nevertheless He should slay you) shall close with a doubled mercy. It is time for faith to hold fast as much of Christ as ever you had, and to make the grip stronger, and to cleave closer to Him, seeing Christ loveth to be believed in and trusted to. The glory of laying strength upon one that is mighty to save is more than we can think.

That piece of service, believing in a smiting Redeemer, is a precious part of obedience. Oh what glory to Him to lay over the burden of our heaven upon Him that purchased for us an eternal kingdom! O blessed soul, who can adore and kiss His lovely free grace!

Letters of Spiritual Counsel: Taken from Samuel Rutherford's Letters (electronic edition), Simpsonville SC: Christian Classics Foundation.