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“Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.”

Song of Solomon 4:16

Anything is better than the dead calm of indifference. Our souls may wisely desire the north wind of trouble if that alone can be sanctified to the drawing forth of the perfume of our graces.

So long as it cannot be said, “The Lord was not in the wind,” we will not shrink from the most wintry blast that ever blew upon plants of grace. Did not the spouse in this verse humbly submit herself to the reproofs of her Beloved; only entreating him to send forth his grace in some form, and making no stipulation as to the peculiar manner in which it should come? Did she not, like ourselves, become so utterly weary of deadness and unholy calm that she sighed for any visitation which would brace her to action? Yet she desires the warm south wind of comfort, too, the smiles of divine love, the joy of the Redeemer’s presence; these are often mightily effectual to arouse our sluggish life.

She desires either one or the other, or both; so that she may but be able to delight her Beloved with the spices of her garden. She cannot endure to be unprofitable, nor can we. How cheering a thought that Jesus can find comfort in our poor feeble graces. Can it be? It seems far too good to be true. Well may we court trial or even death itself if we shall thereby be aided to make glad Immanuel’s heart. O that our heart were crushed to atoms if only by such bruising our sweet Lord Jesus could be glorified.

Graces unexercised are as sweet perfumes slumbering in the cups of the flowers: the wisdom of the great Husbandman overrules diverse and opposite causes to produce the one desired result, and makes both affliction and consolation draw forth the grateful odours of faith, love, patience, hope, resignation, joy, and the other fair flowers of the garden.

May we know by sweet experience, what this means.

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For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God
The devil's number one priority is to get you to think you are not measuring up to the Christian life. Brother Branham explains this in the sermon “Law” in 1955, “Now, it's a strange thing that this is so much thought of people; they say, ‘Well, I'm weak; my faith is not very much; I'm not a very good Christian.’ That's just what the devil wants you to say.” This imputed doubt from Satan happens to you on a daily basis. He tries to get you to think you are not measuring up.
 
You must remember in those times that it is by grace that you are saved. It is nothing that we do, it is what we accept in faith; then it is what He has and lives through us that matters. It isn’t that we quit smoking, it is that we accept His grace by faith, then receive Him in a new birth and He changes our desires and pushes the cigarettes right out from the inside outward. This is the beauty of living for Christ. This is something that is unique to the Christian faith, a God that gives grace and transforms the individual by His Word.
 
God is the one that called you, and by His grace and election has set your feet on a solid Rock. When we have accepted His Word and His death and resurrection, then we have stepped into His righteousness. Our righteousness is as rags before Him and our salvation could never be based on how you measure up to the Christian life, it is measured by His grace alone.
 
When you are having a hard time with Satan on your shoulder, flick him off and remember it is by grace.
56-0815 - “Faith”
 
And Abraham was called by the grace and by election. And when he was called—when he was received his call, he was given the covenant of God, not because he was a good man; but it was given unconditionally to him. Now, this is going to hurt legalist believers just a little bit now. I don't mean to pinch, but we want to know the truth. See? There's nothing that a man can do to save himself. You are already saved by grace. That's right. You can't stop eating meat; you can't stop doing this; you can't stop. There's nothing you can do. Christ saves you and that alone. And that's right. You can't even come to Him unless He chooses you first. He said, "You never chose Me, but I chose you. And no man can come to Me, except the Father draws him first. And all that comes, I'll give him Everlasting Life and raise him up at the last day." Amen. That settles it. Oh, my, that would make the Methodists get happy. Think of it. Why, it's not what we are, but what Christ is for us. Christ become you and I, that you and I might become Him. He taken our sins, that we might take His righteousness. So it's nothing in my arms I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling. Nothing I could do, nothing you could do. It's the grace of God.