And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he
was very rich.— Luke 18:23
The rich young ruler went away expressionless with sorrow; he had not
a word to say. He had no doubt as to what Jesus said, no debate as to
what it meant, and it produced in him a sorrow that had not any
words. Have you ever been there? Has God’s word come to you about
something you are very rich in – temperament, personal affinity,
relationships of heart and mind? Then you have often been
expressionless with sorrow. The Lord will not go after you, He will
not plead, but every time He meets you on that point He will simply
repeat – If you mean what you say, those are the conditions.
“Sell all that thou hast,” undress yourself morally before God of
everything that might be a possession until you are a mere conscious
human being, and then give God that. That is where the battle is
fought – in the domain of the will before God. Are you more devoted
to your idea of what Jesus wants than to Himself? If so, you are
likely to hear one of His hard sayings that will produce sorrow in
you. What Jesus says is hard, it is only easy when it is heard by
those who have His disposition. Beware of allowing anything to soften
a hard word of Jesus Christ’s.
I can be so rich in poverty, so rich in the consciousness that I am
nobody, that I shall never be a disciple of Jesus; and I can be so
rich in the consciousness that I am somebody that I shall never be a
disciple. Am I willing to be destitute of the sense that I am
destitute? This is where discouragement comes in. Discouragement is
disenchanted self-love, and self-love may be love of my devotion to
Jesus.
On this day…
- Jeremiah 36 – 2024
- Jeremiah 35 – 2024
- Do You Know This Confidence? – 2011
- This Is the Judgment: Light Has Come into the World – 2011
- God So Loved the World, Part 2 – 2011
- God So Loved the World, Part 1 – 2011
- God Wrote A Book – James Macdonald – 2009
- Isaiah 33:17 – 2008
- Isaiah 33:17 – 2008
- John 14:26 – 2007
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