Into whatever position He places us, for that He undertakes to give us the needful strength. If He calls us to be still and suffer, He will give strength for suffering; if to go forth in His name and labour in His service, He will give strength for activity; and in the holy warfare which we are all called to wage with indwelling sin, strength to overcome. And you must notice that, when He promises to strengthen, He describes an imparted power. He does not speak of Himself as acting for you externally, as when He accounts you righteous; but within you, imparting power, and so enabling you to act for Him. The promise of God in Scripture is that He will strengthen us, or, in other words, that He will impart a power of action in His service. (2) “I will help thee.” The same lesson respecting man’s activity is taught when He promises to help. There is a great difference between strengthening and helping. To strengthen is an inward work, the gift of an inward power. To help is an external work. I may help a lame man to walk, though I cannot strengthen his limb. But help implies activity on the part of those who receive it. God does not help us to do nothing. He helps us to be patient, loving, gentle, sweet-tempered. He helps us to be diligent and active in His service; but He does not help us to sit still and be passive. Help implies exertion. If He strengthens us by the Holy Ghost in the inner man, and if He undertakes to help us in every struggle against sin, it is our privilege to accept His promise, and press on, assured of victory. (3) “I will uphold thee.” These words appear to convey the idea of danger. We are walking in slippery places, and with fearful falls on every hand, so that we require not merely a clear eye to guide us, but a strong hand to hold us. In every step of our way we require to be upheld. In every moment of our lives we require to be held up by one who sees all our danger, who knows the path perfectly well, who can hold us with so strong a grasp that nothing can pluck us out of His hand, and who, according to the language of St. Jude, is “able to keep us from falling.” {89a} It is this perpetual and final preservation that is secured to us in the third promise; and I would have you most particularly observe that it is not with the right hand of His mercy, or the right hand of His love, or of His compassion, or even of His power, but the right hand of His righteousness. And why is this? Because this grace is the result of the covenant. By that covenant His people are given to the Lord Jesus that they may be saved. In fulfilling that covenant He has shed His own most precious blood for us, to make atonement for our sin. And the result is, that as, according to St. John, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,” {89b} so, also, is He faithful and just to uphold us against a fall.