In the beginning God created the sun, moon and stars and also prepared the earth and populated it with plants and animal life and created man in His own image for it. "And God saw everything That He Had Made, And Behold, It Was Very Good." Genesis 1.31.

We are told that God will have all His work on earth fully in harmony with Him. We know that this will be so for He is able. We are told in Malachi 3.6 "I am the LORD, I change not." He will not break His promise. He has said "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the deep." Isaiah 11.9. What God has finished in His intentions must also be finished in reality, for His word does not return to Him void. He is able.

But the mighty God has also revealed to us that "the LORD hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it." Psalm 132.13-14. John was shown a vision of this Zion. Revelation 21.9-11 says "Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away…to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God." John was shown this vision at the very beginning of the Gospel Age when the preparation of the heavenly Zion was only commencing. John saw the fulfillment of God's word or intention.

God's attentions are not limited to one field. He works continuously in many ways at once, but His own special family in Christ is the great desire of His heart. "They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my special treasure." Malachi 3.17 (margin).

It was surely Paul's full realization of this his Father's fondest desire, after many years of close fellowship with Him, that called forth the words in 2 Timothy 1.12 "I know in whom I have trusted, and am confident that He is able to keep what I have entrusted to Him until that day".

"He is able". We all know He is able in the sense of being All-seeing, All-powerful and Everlasting. But Paul's words to Timothy speak of a rich personal relationship—something that was his very own.

We want to share the same fellowship and also say with absolute conviction, "He is able to keep what I have entrusted to Him until that Day". And we will know He is able through daily experience of His dealings with us.

There would be nothing for Him to keep if something had not been entrusted to His keeping. And so there must be a continual presenting of our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service. Romans 12.1.

The scriptures show that nothing is left to chance in the selection of the members of Christ. It is not a matter of our waking up one morning and resolving to follow Christ or of being suddenly converted at a moving service. These may indeed play a part, but only if the Lord has worked first in us to that end. We can probably all testify to the fact that the Lord carefully prepared our hearts for consecration long beforehand.

The Lord caused David to write in Psalm 22.18, "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." The fact that this very thing happened to Jesus' clothing hundreds of years later is not only one of the prophesies that convince us that He was indeed the promised Messiah; it also tells us of the foreknowledge of God. God's foreknowledge is obviously not a vague and general thing. We surely cannot help concluding that there is not any small detail or happening which has ever or will ever occur that our Father did not know of from the very beginning of time. So, not wishing to limit His foreknowledge, we have to admit that He is able to foreknow which individuals will become members of the Bride of Christ.

So our Father knows all beforehand. The plagues on ancient Egypt were a spectacular example of this. God was not working on the spur of the moment. He had from the beginning intended to manifest power in this way as we read in Exodus 9.16 and Romans 9.17. It was said to Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth." We would have difficulty in drawing the line between where the Lord actively interferes with the course of events concerning individuals or nations and where He lets things proceed uninterrupted. It is encouraging to remember what the angel said to Mary in Luke 1.37. "With God nothing shall be impossible:" He is able.

However we are not forced to become or remain Christians against our will. But that does not mean that the Lord does not arrange that the case for becoming a follower of Christ is put before us in such a manner that we shall find it wholly acceptable. Similarly when He has brought us to the point where we henceforth desire only to live a life of dedication to His will, He does not force us to do it; though things would become very uncomfortable for us if we took a mistaken course. If ye are without discipline, training, instruction or chastening whereof all sons are partakers, then ye are not truly sons. Hebrews 12.8.

However, it is the love of Christ which constrains us to walk the way He walked that we which live, should not henceforth live unto ourselves, but unto Him that died for us, and rose again. 2 Corinthians 5.14-15.

Let us see what the scriptures say about our Father's ability to keep that which we have committed unto Him against that Day.

He is able to keep us humble. In Daniel 4.25-27, it had been prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would be driven out as a wild beast. Daniel advised the king to break off his sins in righteousness, and his iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it might be a lengthening of his tranquillity. Twelve months later he boasted of his achievements; not giving glory to God. The decree of the Most High was executed. But it had the desired effect when Nebuchadnezzar returned to his senses for Daniel 4.37 contains the words of a humble man. "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the king of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase." So how much more is He able to make and keep us humble and teachable also, for "the proud He knoweth afar off." Psalm 138.6.

In Hebrews 2.18 we have another aspect. He is able to succour us in time of need. Our Father has vested in Jesus the full power to help us in temptation. The verse reads "In that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted." Hebrews 4.15&16 elaborates further. "We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

Yes, He is able to succour us in time of need.

In Romans 14.4 we learn that He is able to strengthen faith. "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand." So if you feel your faith is weak, fear not. Wait trustfully, for God is able to make you stand". Remind yourself of Isaiah 40.29&31. "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength." "They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint."

He is abundantly able to strengthen faith.

Sometimes we need to remember that He is able to save from all trouble. In Daniel 6.21-22, poor King Darius had spent a sleepless night while Daniel was in the lion's den. Daniel's answer to his cry must have deeply moved the king. "O king, live for ever. My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt."

There is of course another spectacular example of physical deliverance in the book of Daniel. In chapter 3 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were delivered from the burning fiery furnace which was heated seven times more than usual. God is indeed able to deliver us as He did them.

But there is another lesson in this portion. Daniel 3.17 says "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace." We must always remember the "If it be so". The three Hebrews knew God was able to deliver them, but even if He did not, they still could not worship Nebuchadnezzar's golden image.

This brings us to the lesson that God is able to give strength to go through the severest trial if the need arises.

Matthew 20 describes how the sons of Zebedee were brought by their mother with a petition regarding their position in the kingdom. In verses 22 and 23 Jesus says "Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They say unto Him, "We are able." And He saith unto them, "Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father." There is no doubt that these two disciples found later that their answer "We are able" was only possible in practice because their Father gave them strength sufficient. Paul had something to say on the strengthening power of the Lord in 2 Timothy 4.16 to 18. "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever."

The Lord is able to give strength for the severest trial.

Our Father is able to keep us all through our pilgrim journey.

John 10.27 to29. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand". He is able to keep us.

Romans 8.38&39, "I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Since "creature" has the sense of created thing, we are reminded that God who is the Creator is superior to every other nameable thing. We are loved with an everlasting love by Him who is able.

And Jude 24 speaks of "Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy."

Yes, God is able to keep us all through our pilgrim journey—and what an end—faultless before even His glorious presence.

We all know that in keeping that which we have committed unto Him against that Day, God is able to pay us back unsearchable riches in return. Keep thinking of it—presented faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. He is able to do this. 1 John 3.2 says "When He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." He is able to make us like Him. Peter had this in mind when he wrote 2 Peter 1.3-4. "His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

He is able to make us partakers of the divine nature. Let us make the precious promises our very own that our hope in Christ may be fulfilled for He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.(Eph. 3.20-21)

DL