God as the Life of the Body 717
others might lose peace, grow despondent, become worried, and
desperately seek some remedial measure; but we quietly exercise
faith and live by God, for we know we henceforth live not by eating,
drinking, sleeping, and so forth, but by the life of God. These things
cannot hurt us.
Understanding now that the Lord is for his body, the Christian is
able to appropriate all the riches of God for his needs. For every
urgent requirement there is always His supply; his heart is
accordingly at rest. He does not request more than what God has
supplied, but neither is he satisfied with anything less than what He
has promised. He refuses to use his own strength in any matter to
help God ahead of His time. While worldly people are anxiously
running for help because of the suffering and pain of the flesh, he can
wait calmly for God’s time and God’s riches due to his union with
Him. He holds not his life in his own hand but looks for the Father’s
care. What peace this is!
During this period the believer glorifies God in every respect. He
takes whatever may happen as an opportunity to manifest His glory.
He does not use his own ways and thus interfere with the glory which
is due God. But when the Lord stretches out His arm to deliver, then
is he ready to praise.
The aim of the child is no longer the blessing from the Father.
God Himself is far more precious than all His gifts. If healing would
not express God then he does not want to be healed. Should we
merely covet the Father’s protection and supply, should we cry out
only for deliverance from temptation, we already have fallen. God as
our life is not a business proposition. Those who genuinely know
Him do not beg for healing but always seek the Father. If health
might lead him astray and take away from God’s glory, he would
rather not be healed. Believers continually should remember that
whenever our motive is to covet God’s gifts rather than God Himself,
we already are beginning to falter. Should a Christian live perfectly