Streams in the Desert January 27 Daily Devotional

Stablish, strengthen, settle you (1Peter 5:10).
In taking Christ in any new relationship, we must first have
sufficient intellectual fight to satisfy our mind that we are
entitled to stand in this relationship. The shadow of a question
here will wreck our confidence. Then, having seen this, we must make the venture, the committal, the choice, and take the place just as definitely as the tree is planted in the soil, or the bride
gives herself away at the marriage alter. It must be once for all, without reserve, without recall.
Then there is a season of establishing, settling and testing,
during which we must "stay put" until the new relationship gets so fixed as to become a permanent habit It is just the same as when the surgeon sets the broken arm. He puts it in splints to keep it
from vibration. So God has His spiritual splints that He wants to
put upon His children and keep them quiet and unmoved until they pass the first stage of faith. It is not always easy work for us,
"but the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after that ye have suffered awhile,
stablish, strengthen, settle you."--A.B. Simpson.
There Is a natural law in sin and sickness; and if we just let
ourselves go and sink into the trend of circumstances, we shall go down and sink under the power of the tempter. But there is another
law of spiritual life and of physical life in Christ Jesus to which
we can rise, and through which we can counterpoise and overcome the other law that bears us down.
But to do this requires real spiritual energy and fixed purpose and a settled posture and habit of faith. It is just the same as when
we use the power in our factory. We must turn on the belt and keep it on. The power is there, but we must keep the connection; and
while we do so, the higher power will work and all the machinery will be in operation.
There is a spiritual law of choosing, believing, abiding, and
holding steady in our walk with God, which is essential to the
working of the Holy Ghost either in our sanctification or healing. --Days of Heaven upon Earth.