'He that believeth shall not _make haste._' The word is somewhat
obscure, and the LXX., which is followed by the New Testament, readers
it, 'Shall not be confounded or put to shame.' But the rendering of our
text seems to be accurate enough. 'He shall not make haste.' Remember
the picture of the context--a suddenly descending storm, a swiftly
rising and turbid flood, the lashing of the rain, the howling of the
wind. The men in the clay-built hovels on the flat have to take to
flight to some higher ground above the reach of the innundation, on
some sheltered rock out of the flashing of the rain and the force of
the tempest. He who is built upon the true foundation knows that his
house is above the water-level, and he does not need to be in a hurry.
He can remain quietly there till the flood subsides, knowing that it
will not rise high enough to drown or even disturb him. When all the
other buildings are gone, his stands. And he that thus dwells on high
may look out over the wild flood, washing and weltering to the horizon,
and feel that he is safe. So shall he not have to make haste, but may
wait calm and quiet, knowing that all is well.
Dear friends, there is only one refuge for any of us--only one from the
little annoyances and from the great ones; from to-day's petty
troubles, and from the day of judgment; from the slight stings, if I
may so say, of little sorrows, cares, burdens, and from the poisoned
dart of the great serpent. There is only one refuge for any of us, to
build upon Jesus Christ, as we can do by simple faith.
And oh! remember, He must either be the foundation on which we build,
or the stone of stumbling against which we stumble, and which one day
will fall upon us and grind us to powder. Do you make your choice; and
when God says, as He says to each of us: 'Behold! I lay in Zion a
foundation,' do you say, 'And, Lord, I build upon the foundation which
Thou hast laid.'