All the strength supplied to us by our gracious God is
meant for service, not for wantonness or boasting.
When the prophet Elijah found the cake baked on the
coals, and the cruse of water placed at his head, as he
lay under the juniper tree, he was no gentleman to be
gratified with dainty fare that he might stretch himself
at his ease; far otherwise, he was commissioned to go
forty days and forty nights in the strength of it,
journeying towards Horeb, the mount of God. When
the Master invited the disciples to "Come and dine";
with Him, after the feast was concluded He said to
Peter, "Feed my sheep"; further adding, "Follow me".
Even thus it is with us; we eat the bread of heaven,
that we may expend our strength in the Master's
service. We come to the pass over, and eat of the
paschal lamb with loins girt, and staff in hand, so as
to start off at once when we have satisfied our hunger.
Some Christians are for living on Christ, but are not
so anxious to live for Christ. Earth should be a
preparation for heaven; and heaven is the place where
saints feast most and work most. They sit down at the
table of our Lord, and they serve Him day and night in
His temple. They eat of heavenly food and render
perfect service. Believer, in the strength you daily gain
from Christ labor for Him. Some of us have yet to
learn much concerning the design of our Lord in
giving us His grace. We are not to retain the precious
grains of truth as the Egyptian mummy held the wheat
for ages, without giving it an opportunity to grow: we
must sow it and water it. Why does the Lord send
down the rain upon the thirsty earth, and give the
genial sunshine? Is it not that these may all help the
fruits of the earth to yield food for man? Even so the
Lord feeds and refreshes our souls that we may
afterwards use our renewed strength in the promotion
of His glory.
From Spurgeon's Morning & Evening
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