HH, Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div

And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Genesis 20:6

As we review our lives, we can see many occasions on which our feet had well-nigh gone – our steps were on the very brink of the precipice. Another inch or so, and we should have brought shame on Christ and lasting remorse to ourselves. To what can we attribute our escape but to the grace of God, which withheld us, even though we failed to recognize it?

There are times you found yourself to the very edge of failure or to do that thing which is not right and somehow we have pulled away without an explanation. Looking back to see what could have happened can only be the saving grace of Almighty God that saved us. We have a testimony of that saving grace in the past and it is still the same today.

He does not withhold us from temptation. – He could not do so without serious and permanent loss. The waves of ink will surge up against the white marble palace of the soul. To us, as to our Lord, fresh from under the opened heavens, the tempter will come. What the fire is in fixing the colour on the porcelain vase, that temptation is in rendering permanent the lessons and impressions made by God’s providence and grace.

He does not withhold us from occasions in which it would be easy to transgress. – Abimelech was not hindered from taking Sarah into his palace. The door of occasion and opportunity stood open before him, but he was withheld from the fatal act. We must never infer that occasion confers license. The fact of an opportunity being present does not warrant indulgence in wrongdoing.

If God withheld Abimelech, who did not seek His special help, how much more those that seek Him! – You are not insensible of the perils of your life but wait earnestly and persistently on God. Are you more eager to be kept than He to keep? Did He not implant that desire? Will He not do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or think? Is not the good Shepherd strong enough to keep one poor trembling sheep? Begone, unbelief! My God whom I serve is able to deliver, and He will! (Daniel 3:17).

Let us try God and take Him at his word and see what the Lord will show us or what He can do for us.