Section Eight

“Yes, Father” (Matt. 11:26)

Why did the Lord so use Sister Barber? What was the secret of her work? Clearly her ministry corresponded to her life. Brother Nee later explained, “The Lord’s work is only the outflow of life. It is not a matter of working for the Lord, but of letting the Lord work in you.” She could work for the Lord because she allowed the Lord to work on her and mold her.

The Lord’s work is only the outflow of life.

 

She had a heart to love the Lord and to live unto Him. Once she was facing a situation that was difficult because the price it demanded involved everything she had. In this situation she lifted up her eyes with tears and said, “Lord! In order to satisfy Your heart, I am willing to have my heart broken.”

Another time, Brother Nee asked her about her experiences of obeying and doing the will of God. She said, “Whenever God delays in telling me His will, I find that I still have a disobedient heart and an improper motive within me.” She learned this through many, many experiences. She often asked Brother Nee, “Do you love God’s will?” She did not ask, “Do you obey His will?”

 


She did not want anything other than to please the Lord.

One time Sister Barber was disputing with the Lord concerning a certain matter. She knew what the Lord wanted, and in her heart she truly wanted the same thing, but it was too difficult for her. Brother Nee heard her pray, “Lord, I admit that I am not willing to learn this lesson. But please do not surrender to me. Lord, please wait! I will surrender to You.” She did not want the Lord to surrender to her and lessen His demands on her. She did not want anything other than to please the Lord. Several months after Sister Barber passed away, someone sent Brother Nee a box of her possessions. Among them was a note with these words: “Lord, thank You for this commandment: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind!’”


The secret to understanding the will of God is that 95% is a matter of submitting to the will of God, and only 5% is a matter of understanding.

 

She once said: “The secret to understanding the will of God is that 95% is a matter of submitting to the will of God, and only 5% is a matter of understanding.” She herself proved to be a person who truly understood the will of God and knew God.

Once Brother Nee brought this question to her: “All in all, did the Lord request more from His disciples than they requested from Him?” Brother Nee thought that the Lord requested more.

Sister Barber answered, “No! We see the outward failures of men; the Lord sees their hidden victories.” This kind of understanding must have been learned lesson by lesson before the Lord. No wonder she could be so confident in believing God and could stand so firmly in rejecting the enemy!

One time she was sick for four days in a row. She had no co-workers with her and no money, and even the cook had gone home. She asked God why she was sick. The Lord showed her clearly that the sickness was not from God, but was an attack from Satan. She told the Lord, “If I am wrong, then the sickness will continue. But if this is Satan’s attack, then I shall not continue to be sick.” She had already suffered with a high fever for four days, but she rose up immediately and wrote a hymn whose first line reads, “To the foe my word is always, ‘No.’” After finishing the hymn, she went out to work; the sickness was gone. However, God did not only teach her lessons through sickness; He also arranged many other environments to test whether she could always say “yes” to the Father.