To those who have a sincere desire to be used of God for the blessing of others, it is important that their own souls should be in a right condition. They should be in such a spirit that God can use them in fruitful ministry.

Many Christians assume that they have no responsibility to minister to others in spiritual things, but Scripture teaches that there is one body, and every member ministers to the body, even though it be in a hidden way. "Those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary" (1 Cor. 12:22). Every true child of God, then, should minister to the body of Christ, and everyone should be deeply concerned that his or her ministry be not hindered.

This ministry is not only in public speaking (for which comparatively few are adapted), but also in pastoral work, in exhortation, in comforting those in sorrow, in prayer for others, in showing hospitality, and in other ways by which the needs of Christians are met, while the need of a sinful world is met by the gospel.

Let us inquire what manner of spirit it is which God owns with blessing and fruitfulness. We can get much light on this question by attentive observation of two of God's most honored servants in times of crisis-Moses and Elijah. These two men are similar in a number of striking aspects. They both viewed the glory of God in Horeb. They both fasted forty days in the consciousness of Jehovah's glory. They were both in a place of special relationship with God in connection with Israel. They were both present in the scene of Christ's glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, and talked of His decease.

There are also striking contrasts in the ministry of Moses and Elijah, which are full of instruction for those who would serve God. Let us look at the ministry of these devoted men.

The crisis of Moses' life was perhaps when he stood on Mt. Sinai before the Lord, pleading for Israel when they had sinned against God in the making of a golden calf Let us notice four graces of brilliant luster in Moses' conduct at this time. The account is found in Exod. 32.

1.-Love for the people of God.

Notwithstanding the terrible rebellion and idolatry of the people, Moses does not waver in his love for them. He places himself between God and the guilty nation, and offers himself as a victim to cover their sin. "And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold! Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin-and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of thy book which Thou hast written" (Exod. 32:31,32). The depth of love that could say this has few parallels in human history, and is possible only to one who had caught the spirit of his Master, of whom it is written, "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

There is no doubt that this love for the people of God was the underlying principle governing Moses' words and action. God could well trust His people in the hands of a shepherd like this.
2.-Care for God's glory.

Not only did Moses love the people of Israel, but he was jealous for God's glory. When Moses saw the idolatry of the people, he called to him all who were on the Lord's side, and executed judgment on the sinning people; then he returned to plead with God to avert their utter destruction. Moses' view of God's glory, and his remarkable estimation of its value, is shown by two things. First:His chief argument for God's mercy to the people is that the destruction of the people would give God's enemies an opportunity to question the sincerity of His purpose in leading them out of Egypt (vers. 11, 12). Second:God had sworn to their fathers that He would bless and multiply their seed, and Moses pleads the dignity of God's own name to keep His promise (ver. 13). These two principles laid hold of God's very nature. They appealed for the maintenance of God's glory in the eyes of the world, and in the eyes of God's people, and the pleading is successful, for it is immediately said, "And the Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto his people" (ver. 14).

3.-Faith in God.

Moses assumes, all through, God's power to forgive and bless the erring people. This is due simply to his unwavering and childlike faith, that it was in God's power to find a way to save and to bless. No matter how terrible the departure, Moses believes that there are still some who will come out on the Lord's side, and whom God can use to mitigate the judgment on the sinning nation. Moses' confidence is in God. Not one condition or promise does he make in behalf of the people, but God's grace is laid hold of, with a splendid persistency of faith.

4.-Humility.

A very beautiful trait in Moses at this time is his real humility. What a temptation to self-exaltation was the dignity with which he was invested! He was as God to Aaron and to the people. He humbled Pharaoh, the greatest king of the earth, and he was called up on the mount of God to talk with Jehovah face to face, as a man talks with his friend, while the people in the valley below trembled to draw near. All this does not seem to tempt Moses to pride; in fact, pride cannot live in God's presence. Moses' humility is seen in his unwillingness to lead the people into the Land except Jehovah's presence went with them. He pleads for this condition and God grants his request.

I think we may say that the four principles mentioned in Moses' behavior indicate the spirit of fruitful ministry-Love for God's people; care for God's glory; faith in God's purpose and power to bless; and humility as to himself. This was the spirit in which Moses stood before God as a successful mediator. God's answer to this beautiful condition of soul in His servant is to entrust him afresh to lead the nation to the land of promise (ver. 34). God gives him a new and wonderful proof of His approval and fellowship:"The Lord spake unto Moses, face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (chap. 33:11).

A spirit such as we see in Moses cannot fail to be an instrument of blessing. God cannot deny Himself, and when we plead God's love, His glory, and His power in behalf of His people, or in behalf of a sinful world, we may surely expect His abundant answer.

The Ministry of Elijah
Elijah had been a very faithful servant of Jehovah. Living in a time when Israel's unfaithfulness had become chronic, he had a sad lot in the necessity of prophesying of judgment, as well as blessing. Israel had turned from Jehovah to the worship of Baal, and to Elijah's eyes the worship of Jehovah had died out of the land.

In 1 Kings, chapter 18, we have the account of the apostasy, when on Mt. Carmel Elijah, single-handed, challenges all the prophets of Baal to a contest as to who was really God. The prophets of Baal cry to their god without the slightest answer; while Jehovah answers Elijah's prayer with fire from heaven that consumes the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal, 850 men, are taken and slain at the brook Kishon. The judgment against idolatry having been carried out, Elijah tells Ahab of an abundance of rain coming upon the drought-stricken land.

In chapter 19, Elijah having triumphed over the prophets of Baal flees for his life from the murderous anger of Jezebel, and sits down under a juniper tree, requesting that he might die. The prophet, who had braved the opposition of 850 prophets of Baal, flees from this wicked woman and asks the Lord to take away his life. Elijah's spirit sinks into complete despondency. He may have expected a great moral revival in the nation as a result of the destruction of the prophets of Baal, but he has not the patience to wait on God for results.

God, in His goodness, does not take away the prophet's life as he had requested, but sends him food at the hands of an angel, which so marvelously strengthens him that he goes in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights unto Horeb, the mount of God. It was in God's heart not to take away his life, but to translate him without seeing death into heaven itself. But Elijah did not know at this time the gracious purpose of his God.

To clearly understand the prophet's position at Horeb, we must have in mind verses 9-18 of the 19th chapter;

"And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts:for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

And He said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind:and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire:and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts:because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus:and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elijah the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay:and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.- Yet, I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him."

When the Lord asks His servant, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" he tests His servant's spirit and finds a very disappointing result. Elijah vindicates himself and accuses his brethren in Israel. His faith seems to have suffered almost total eclipse.

The Lord then reveals His glory and power in the wind, the earthquake, the fire, but the Lord Himself was in none of these. Then comes the still small voice, and Elijah instinctively knows it is the Lord. Now, the second time, the Lord asks His servant the same question, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" But there is no change in the prophet's answer. He fails to rise to a sense of God's gracious character, and consequently his ministry is ended.

We cannot but be astonished at the contrast in the spirit of Elijah at this time with his behavior on Mount Carmel. On Mount Carmel, he labored for the recovery of the people. He says, "Why halt ye between two opinions?" and by pleading for God's visible manifestation, he gets the people's confession, "Jehovah, He is the God; Jehovah, He is the God!" He pleaded the glory of God, and fire came from heaven to consume the sacrifice; the people were convinced, and the idolatrous prophets destroyed.

Elijah then prophesies abundance of rain, carrying with it blessing for the nation. He goes to the top of the mountain and prays earnestly until the rain clouds appear. His attitude at this time is taken by James as a great example of faith; his very posture, his head between his knees, tells of his fervent pleading and humility. We see in Elijah's attitude at Carmel the same lovely character that Moses displayed on Horeb, and the same result in God's blessing on the people.

Elijah's spirit at Horeb was not characteristic of his life, but should serve as an example and a warning lest we fall into something of the same departure from the spirit of fruitful ministry. Let us note the absence of the four characters that we have seen in Moses, and in Elijah on Carmel.

1. In the first place instead of love for the people Elijah seems to be both discouraged and embittered toward them. He could only condemn them; yet God could say, "I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him."

2. God unfolded before Elijah the glory of His power in the wind, the earthquake, and the fire; and Elijah had ample proof of the grace of God in the cruse of oil and the barrel of meal which did not fail, and in the raising from the dead the widow's son; yet his faith fails to lay hold of God, or to catch the spirit of this vision; his answer to Jehovah's question is word for word the same as before.

3. Elijah's faith in God seems to have suffered eclipse in so far as restoration and blessing are concerned, yet he had just been the means of bringing abundant rain to the thirsty land. Baal's prophets had been destroyed, but Elijah does not see any hope for blessing, and therefore cannot be used further.

4. The humility of Moses is sadly wanting in Elijah at this time, "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts:. . . and I, even I only, am left." How passing sad to see how far a faithful and godly man may fall away from the spirit of his Master; and after a devoted life pass out of service in such disappointing fashion.

Let us not for one moment think that Elijah's faithfulness was forgotten, or that one courageous deed done for the Lord would fall to the ground. It is very touching and very encouraging to see how graciously God deals with His discouraged servant. His usefulness being over, He charges him to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, Jehu to be king over Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his stead. This accomplished, He leads the prophet beyond the Jordan, sweeps him away to glory in a chariot of fire, there to dwell in the presence of that glory which he had so lately viewed. Elijah transported – body, soul and spirit-into the presence of God, is seen again on the Mount of Transfiguration talking, we doubt not in a very different spirit, with his Lord about His death, which He was to accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:31).

But what is the result of Elijah's failure to plead for Israel and lay hold of God for blessing? God's judgment falls upon the nation. Jehu would sweep over Israel, and destroy every descendant of Ahab's dynasty, like the strong wind which rent the mountains. Hazael, king of Syria, would descend later upon the nation and break it up like an earthquake. Still God had a remnant, and Elisha, the prophet, would be used of God to seek out and minister to His people in a time of failure and of need. Surely the contrast between the conditions of these servants and the results of their ministry should be a warring to us as well as great encouragement.

It will be remembered that Moses also failed in a moment of anger, when he struck the rock twice and said, "Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" and for this momentary lapse from his gracious spirit, he was refused entrance into the land; he must allow another to lead the people in. How jealous is God of the welfare of His people! He will not allow another to curse nor to execute judgment, and how greatly He appreciates the love, the faith, and humility that pleads for blessing.

Someone has said, "An unhappy man cannot be a useful man." This is true in all human circumstances. A parent who is angry or unhappy cannot control or guide the children, and it is perhaps doubly true in ministering to God's people. Whatever the service may be, there is danger in discouragement; there is safety in the encouragement of faith. God is a God of encouragement. There is danger in self-occupation; there is safety in laying hold of God, and pleading His name and His glory. In our own day we sometimes see faithful men who have been much used of God lose their faith and hope in reference to the people of God; then they lose their usefulness.

When a servant of the Lord loses a gracious spirit, stops pleading for God's people, and begins to accuse them, his testimony is halted. God will allow no one to condemn His people. May the Lord grant us a heavenly optimism, based on the love and faithfulness of God Himself. Let us look for recovery, for revival, for blessing. Let us pray earnestly for these things, and labor for them, and we may be assured that God will be with us in it.

In these days of manifest failure in the Church of God, when evil has so largely triumphed, and when some would see nothing but discouragement, let us, while recognizing the fact of general departure, realize that God has His faithful remnant-many more perhaps than we know, and more widely scattered. Let us have faith in God's love for His people, and wholesome humility as to ourselves, and God will give us open doors for service, filling our own hearts with gladness and making us channels of blessing to others. A. S. Loizeaux