NOTES OF A MEDITATION
In Matt. 26, when the whole current was going against Christ, there was a woman who showed her love for Him in a remarkable way, and her commendation was that wherever the Gospel would be preached this that she had done would be spoken of as a memorial of her. She was in the current of His mind, and though what she did was in all human weakness, the Lord took notice of the spring of her action.
There is no power in corporate action, unless the individuals are personally strong. The strength of a chain depends upon its weakest link, and therefore we must be strengthened by the personal love of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Epistle to the Ephesians with all its height finishes with the words, "Grace with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." If this is right, everything else will be secured.
Do you love the Lord to take you by the hand and lead you? Peter, in his first Epistle, speaks of Him as the One "whom not having seen, ye love."
Deut. 6:4, 5 shows that the Lord our God, Jehovah, requires the affection of the whole heart. The reason is found in chap. 10:12. Chap. 11:13-15 shows if they would only love the Lord with all their heart, everything they could wish for they would have. Thus the important thing is to love the Lord. Deut. 30:1 shows the backsliding heart finds the power of the world too strong, but He is faithful and just to forgive. If reality of heart is there, the Lord is ever the same. He allows chastening to come in that we may be restored. Then in the 15th verse of the same chapter, life is spoken of and contrasted with death, and good with evil, and then we are exhorted to choose life. That is the antidote. Again in Ps. 18:1, "I will love Thee, O Lord." It is David's autobiography, his own history. Solomon also loved the Lord, and he could speak of Him as the chiefest among ten thousand. He is easily first against 9,999 rivals, and then the writer becomes lost in the sense of His love, and takes Him out of all comparison by saying, "He is altogether lovely." If we realize this then it will be easy to serve Him. It is not naturally easy to be insignificant, but if we become such we shall be glad to sweep a crossing in His interests.
His dealings with men are all in order that His will may be accomplished. Jacob's thigh was put out of joint. Saul became Paul. Self becomes pulverized in order that He may use us. We are so apt to look at the object or result of ministry rather than the source from which it springs, and so are apt to place first our instrumentality in the conversion of many souls rather than the doing of His will. The branch of the apple-tree is never fruitful, unless it abides in the stem. There is no effort on the part of the vine, and there should be no effort on our part either, except that of exercise. The sap of the new life must pass clean through us. T. Oliver (Galashiels)