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Steps to Christ
discouraged soul is filled with darkness, shutting out the light of God
from his own soul and casting a shadow upon the pathway of others.
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Thank God for the bright pictures which He has presented to us.
Let us group together the blessed assurances of His love, that we may
look upon them continually: The Son of God leaving His Father’s
throne, clothing His divinity with humanity, that He might rescue man
from the power of Satan; His triumph in our behalf, opening heaven to
men, revealing to human vision the presence chamber where the Deity
unveils His glory; the fallen race uplifted from the pit of ruin into
which sin had plunged it, and brought again into connection with the
infinite God, and having endured the divine test through faith in our
Redeemer, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and exalted to His
throne—these are the pictures which God would have us contemplate.
When we seem to doubt God’s love and distrust His promises we
dishonor Him and grieve His Holy Spirit. How would a mother feel
if her children were constantly complaining of her, just as though
she did not mean them well, when her whole life’s effort had been to
forward their interests and to give them comfort? Suppose they should
doubt her love; it would break her heart. How would any parent feel
to be thus treated by his children? And how can our heavenly Father
regard us when we distrust His love, which has led Him to give His
only-begotten Son that we might have life? The apostle writes, “He
that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall
He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
Romans 8:32
. And
yet how many, by their actions, if not in word, are saying, “The Lord
does not mean this for me. Perhaps He loves others, but He does not
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love me.”
All this is harming your own soul; for every word of doubt you
utter is inviting Satan’s temptations; it is strengthening in you the
tendency to doubt, and it is grieving from you the ministering angels.
When Satan tempts you, breathe not a word of doubt or darkness. If
you choose to open the door to his suggestions, your mind will be
filled with distrust and rebellious questioning. If you talk out your
feelings, every doubt you express not only reacts upon yourself, but
it is a seed that will germinate and bear fruit in the life of others,
and it may be impossible to counteract the influence of your words.
You yourself may be able to recover from the season of temptation
and from the snare of Satan, but others who have been swayed by