Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 3260
“And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in His name, says the LORD.” Zechariah 10:12.
ACCORDING to our own natural conceit, we are very strong—it is as hard for us to part with our belief in our own strength as with our trust in our own righteousness! It is a very painful cut which severs us from confidence in ourselves. But when the Spirit of God performs that most necessary operation, then we discover that our supposed strength is utter weakness and that our righteousness are but filthy rags! If our eyes have been opened to see ourselves as we are in God’s sight, we know that we are weak as water and that from us, unassisted by Divine Grace, there can never come any good thing. Our past experience might have been sufficient to teach us this lesson. The feeble way in which we have performed any duty that devolved upon us, the sad manner in which we have met any temptation that assailed us, the impatient and murmuring spirit in which we have endured any affliction that has come upon us—all these must have shown us that even after we are renewed by Divine Grace, though “the spirit indeed is willing,” yet, “the flesh is weak.” And though to will is present with us, yet how to perform that which is good we find not. We are not now like a stone which lies on the ground and cares not to stir, but we are like a bird with a broken wing which longs to soar into the clearer air above the clouds, but which is quite unable to reach that higher atmosphere. We know something of our weakness, but we probably do not yet know how weak we are and, I suppose, it will be one of our life lessons to learn by experience how great our weakness is.
Perhaps some of you have been discouraged by the consciousness of your weakness and, in looking forward to the future, you have been greatly distressed. You are anticipating some important duty for which you feel quite unfit, or it may be that the shadow of some impending trial is just beginning to fall upon you. Possibly you have come to the verge of the Valley of the Shadow of Death and you know that the way to the Celestial City lies thought it and you intend to press through it—but you are half afraid of what will happen to you, there, for you know how weak you are. And, perhaps, just at this juncture, Satan may have whispered in your ear, “It is no use for you to try to get through! You have started on a wild-goose chase and look how you already limp! Your arm is so weak that you will be no match for the giants you will have to fight. Give it up, Man—how can a poor timid creature such as you are ever pass by the lions’ dens and the mountains of leopards? Such weakling as you are should not go on pilgrimage—leave that task to those who are stronger and braver than you are!” Well, if such a temptation as that has come to you, the message of the text is peculiarly timely to you! It does not deny that you are weak—it implies that you are—it would not have you for a moment forget your weakness, it even reminds you of it! There would be no necessity for this promise if you were strong! “I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in His name, says the Lord.”
There are three things for us to notice in the text. First, Divine strengthening promised. Secondly, Christian activity predicted. And, thirdly, both blessings Divinely guaranteed.
I. First, then, is DIVINE STRENGTHENING PROMISED—“I will strengthen them in the Lord.”
Observe the discrimination of the promise, or what is not promised in it. It is not said, “They shall have no work to do. I will take them out of the vineyard in the middle of the day and bid them sit down in the cool arbor and rest and refresh themselves.” No, there is no such promise as that! The Lord does not say, “I will take you away from your labors,” but, “I will strengthen you, so that you will be able to perform them.” I do not remember any promise that the waters of trouble shall be dried up! But you all remember this one, “When you past through the water, I will be with you; and
through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.” I have no recollection of any promise that the fires of trial shall be quenched, but the Lord has said, “When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you.” If you had not to trudge along the pilgrim way. If you had not to carry your cross and fight for the crown, you would not need this promise. The Lord would not strengthen you in order that you might sit still, or put “the everlasting arms” beneath you so that you might lie down in blissful laziness. Oh, no! But as you are bid to “put on the whole armor of God,” you may be certain that there is stern fighting before you—and as the Lord promises to strengthen you, there must be no relaxation of watchfulness and no cessation of activity on your part! So, Christians, seek the promised strength, for you are sure to need it! Seek it now, for you may need it tonight! Seek to get as much of it as you can, for when you have the most of it that you can get, you will find that you will need it all!