God never complains about the power of his enemies but rather the impatience of his own people. God wants us to rely on his love because love is the principle he constantly acts from and from which he never swerves. When he frowns with his brow, rebukes with his lips, or strikes with his hand\u2014even in all this, his heart burns with love, and all his thoughts toward us are of peace and goodness.<\/p>\n
All hypocrisy lies in distrust, and the soul that cannot rely on God cannot long be true to him. Once we start to question his faithfulness, we begin to live by our own wits and care for ourselves. Like the backslidden children of Israel, we are saying, “Come, make us gods…we do know not what has become of [Moses]” (Exodus 32:1, NKJV)<\/em>.<\/p>\n How can love for God be preserved in the heart that grumbles? The Word calls it \u201ccontending with God.\u201d Only a foolish person dares find fault with him. He will challenge such a person to lay his hand upon his mouth or else be consumed with bitterness.<\/p>\n The Holy Spirit within us groans with that unutterable language of heaven that prays according to the perfect will of God. However, the fleshly grumble that proceeds out of the heart of the disenchanted believer is poison. Grumbling kept an entire nation out of the Promised Land, and today it is keeping multitudes from the blessings of the Lord. Groan if you must, but God forbid that you should grumble.<\/p>\n God’s promises, which he says will hold us, are like the ice on a frozen lake. The believer ventures out on it with boldness but the unbeliever with fear, lest it should break under him and leave him floundering.<\/p>\n If God is delaying, it simply means your request is gaining interest in his bank of blessings. The saints of God were so assured of his faithfulness to his promises that they rejoiced even before seeing any conclusions. They went on joyfully, as if they had already received. God wants us to pay in praises before we receive the promises!<\/p>\n The Holy Ghost assists us in prayer, and is he not welcome at the throne? Will the Father deny the Spirit? Never. That groaning in your soul is no less than God himself, and God will not deny himself.<\/p>\n