0477. 469. “I Will”

469. “I Will”

The late William Sloan, of Glasgow, a well-known Christian merchant in Scotland, once said: “I used to live under the ‘Thou shalt’s’ of the law, but now I live under the ‘I will’s’ of grace.” What a difference there is between the two. Under the former there is the effort of self and very often failure, but under the latter there is heart response and rest, with victory. Let the following seven “I will’s” of promise speak for themselves.

1. Rest. “I will give thee rest” (Mat_11:28). Responding to Christ’s “Come unto Me,” we find rest of conscience about our sins, and rest from fear of death and judgment, and rest of mind and heart.

2. Service. “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mat_4:19). Follow first, and then fish; even then, He must “make” us fishers, and He promises to do it.

3. Satisfaction. “I will pour water upon Him that is thirsty” (Isa_44:3). He alone can slake the thirst and satisfy the soul. The dryness of our need is the opportunity for the supply of His grace.

4. Upholding. In Isa_46:4, the Lord gives us four gracious I will’s: “I will carry,” “I will bear,” “I will carry,” “I will deliver.”

5. Guidance. “I will even make a way in the wilderness” (Isa_43:19). Where there is no track, He will make one, so that there may be no uncertainty in the path we should tread.

6. Strength. “I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness” (Isa_41:10). Here is a trinity of promise from the true God.

7. Victory. “I will contend with him that contendeth with thee” (Isa_49:25). When the Lord contends with our enemies we may cease to contend with them, for He can do better than we can.

By: DR. F. E. MARSH