We may envision a minister of the Gospel sitting at his walnut desk in his comfortable study surrounded by several commentaries and reference works. Picture rather a weary Jew, chained to a coarse Roman soldier, cold, hungry, wondering every morning he awoke if this was the time of his execution. And one early morning it was!

But the letters of this Jew, written from the desperation of his heart because of self-willed teachers going around behind him and corrupting the minds of the believers from the simplicity of Christ, have governed the history of the world from that time. We of today in our "civilization," unless we are acquainted with history, have little idea of the influence of the letters of this prisoner of the Romans on the lives of the mass of ordinary people both in the Western and Eastern hemispheres.

Paul consented to be the chariot of God. God rode through Paul and worked His will in history.

So then death worketh in us, but life in you. (II Corinthians 4:12)

Do you wish to serve your generation according to the will of God? Then consent to be the chariot of God. You can do absolutely nothing of eternal Kingdom worth in your natural man. Your natural mind is the enemy of God. Lay down your life that you may be raised into newness of life. It will mean eternal life to unnumbered multitudes if you do. God is always looking for another chariot. Why shouldn't it be you?

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (II Corinthians 12:7)

The Lord does not want His chariots to be exalted!

Paul had just been given a remarkable vision, or experience, whatever it was. He had been carried up to Paradise. He was now willing to declare to one and all what he had seen and heard.

But God saw how ready Paul was to "come to life." God permitted Satan to attack Paul's eyes, apparently, leaving him with a disfiguring and perhaps blinding disease in one or both of his eyes.

Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. (Galatians 4:15)

It does not require a major physical affliction in order to humble most of us and keep us in the condition where we are working in God's strength and not in our own. One can have a vision of Heaven and God. But if it is followed by even a threat of physical impairment we soon find ourselves humbly praying for strength to continue. Have you found this to be true?

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (II Corinthians 12:8)

Three times Paul asked the Lord to remove the affliction from him. It is always correct to pray for God to heal us, and we are to keep on praying until we have the Lord's assurance that He has heard us and His will is being done. Usually we are healed! But not always! Yet we always have peace and joy when we bring our concerns to the Lord. There is no place for gloom and dread in the palace of God, so let us drive all fear away from us in the name of the Lord Jesus.

To be continued.