Wednesday

Related Verses
Rom. 9:18, 23
18 So then He has mercy on whom He wills, and He hardens whom He wills.
23 In order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He had before prepared unto glory,

Eph. 1:4-5, 17-18
4 Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love,
5 Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him,
18 The eyes of your heart having been enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Rom. 11:33-36
33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and untraceable His ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become His counselor?
35 Or who has first given to Him, and it will be repaid to him?
36 Because out from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Related Reading
[Romans 9] reveals the principle that everything depends on God’s mercy. The apostle applies this principle to the Israelites. He shows us that everything that happened to the Israelites was of God’s mercy. 

Romans 9:16 says that “it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” Zeal and pursuit are of no use…Waiting too long, not waiting long enough, being too quick, or not being too quick—none of these is of any use. Being in one place or another, hearing much or hearing little—none of these is of any use either. Everything depends on the mercy of God. Only the Holy Spirit is able to lead men to a proper standing…There must at least be one time when we see that everything depends on God’s mercy. Whether we see this matter all at once or realize it through a process, the minute we touch this matter, we touch the fact—not a feeling but the fact—that everything depends on God’s mercy. (CWWN, vol. 57, “The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry,” p. 3) 

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God’s mercy is a fact. A fact is not dependent on feeling…There must be at least one time when a person definitely touches God’s mercy. 

Three kinds of people need God’s dealings: those who are strong in their will, those who are strong in their emotion, and those who are strong in their mind…These three conditions…must experience God’s breaking…Man’s strong points often hinder him from spiritual progress even more than his weak points. Unless a man is dealt with in these three areas, he cannot know God’s mercy. 

After a man has been dealt with by God, he will be tempered in his spiritual life. In many things it is inappropriate to be either too much or too little. Some people wait too long, and others do not wait long enough…Some people are not strong enough in their inner man; their outer man is too strong…Some people are too strong in their mind. Others are too strong in their emotion or their will. Their inner man is not strong enough. These conditions require tempering. 

If we want our spiritual life to be well-tempered, we need to attune our condition to a proper balance. We must neither be too much nor be too little. This can be compared to shooting on a pinball machine; there are pins to the left and to the right, and the balls must be directed at the optimum angle before they can score. There are many pitfalls in our spiritual journey; our mind, emotion, and will can all become hindrances to us. If we are too much or too little, we fall into danger. 

Everything depends on God’s mercy. Before I was saved, I planned to go to America. If I had left two months earlier, I would not have met Sister Dora Yu, and I might never have been saved. Even if I had been given the chance later, I might not have believed. It was God’s mercy that I met Miss Dora Yu at that time. It was neither too early nor too late. 

Only God can do things in just the right proportion. We are prone to speak either too much or not enough. No one can preach a message that will meet everyone’s need. Even the apostle Paul and the apostle Peter faced the same problem. When words come out of a person’s mouth, it is difficult for the words to come out just right. 

The way of the church during the past two thousand years is a way of looking to the mercy of God. Only God’s mercy can temper us. I have often told the young people that they may have to wait for five years before they will realize that everything is of God’s mercy. (CWWN, vol. 57, “The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry,” pp. 3-6) 

Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 57, “The Resumption of Watchman Nee’s Ministry,” ch. 1