The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Church Within the Churches, #13

So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these [the pile of 153 large fish]? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. (John 21:15)

Rebekah's heart and her mouth said, "I will go"! God grant that our heart and our mouth will cry "I will go"!

So it is that we believers in Christ do not realize the enormous consequences of the choice that has been placed before us as we are laboring in the plainness of our surroundings. The Lamb has invited us to be His bride. But then we look at our pots and pans and are not certain how we should respond.

As we were reminding a man who had his own sewer installation business, of the Divine calling that rests on him, he responded by asking, "But what will I do with all my shovels?"

Sometimes our "shovels" take on so much importance that it is difficult for us to realize the sublime significance of the invitation of Christ. The Lord asked Peter which he loved the most—the fish or Himself.

The heart and mouth of the true Bride, the Church within the churches, say, "I will go"!

The remainder of the believers are fascinated with the pots and pans and shovels and fish of the world. They are not comprehending what is being required or the consequences of acceptance, or of hesitation and halfheartedness, or of rejection.

If we, like Joash (II Kings 13:19), could see the consequences of our actions, we would be much more diligent in the manner in which we are serving the Lord.

And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. (Genesis 24:61)

Scholars are not in agreement as to how long this journey was. But one thing is certain: it was long enough to bring Rebekah to Isaac. Rebekah was willing to set out on an adventure into the unknown. She had never seen Abraham or Isaac or the country in which they lived.

Every member of the true Church undergoes a "camel ride." After we say "I will go," there is a journey to take. It is a journey into the unknown. Many things happen to us that we do not understand.

The Bride must be prepared, and the work of preparation is not always pleasant or of our choice.

She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: (Psalms 45:14)

Sometimes the needlework is painful.

But what about Isaac? He too was entering a change. He was about to lose his individuality. A stranger was coming who would become a permanent part of his personality. Isaac no longer would be alone.

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. (Genesis 24:63)

What was the subject of Isaac's meditation? It was his bride. He was wondering what she would be like. He was waiting anxiously for her.

So it is that the Lord Jesus is waiting for us. We may imagine there are all sorts of things on the Lord's mind. There is one thing on the Lord's mind—His Bride. Human love is but the merest flicker when compared with the blazing inferno who is God Himself, the holy Fire from which our feeble life was ignited.

To be continued.