1362. A Result and Not an Effort

A Result and Not an Effort

"His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay" (Jer_20:9).

The life of the overflowing waters is not an effort, but a result. Sometimes people say, "I will try to preach, to sing, to pray, to serve," but oh, what a failure it all is!

The Lord Jesus on that last day of the feast said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scriptures hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of Living Water" (Joh_7:37-38). It is not "may" flow, but "shall" flow. When saints are in touch with the risen Christ, and they drink of Him, the result will be flowing waters.

1. This was true with the Old Testament Prophets. They spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. On one occasion, Jeremiah was discouraged because the people would not hear. Then he said, "I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name;" but the Word of God burned in him like fire and he could not stay, and. he was weary with his withholding (see Jer_20:9).

2. This was true of Peter and of John. The priests and the captain of the Temple dragged these Apostles before the council. The next day they threatened them, and commanded that they should not speak any more in His name. Immediately Peter and John said: "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Act_4:20). And they preached Jesus.

3. This was true of the Apostle Paul. When it pleased God to reveal Christ in Paul, Paul said, "Immediately * * I preached the Gospel" (see Gal_1:15-16).

We may not approve of Sam Jones in all of his methods or in all of his sayings, but Sam Jones was a man with a tremendous burden. We have sat with him on the platform; we have seen a passion for God burning within him such that he could not stay. One day when asked if it was a task for him to preach, in his quaint way he said: "No, preaching with me is like the old syrup barrel when it begins to work in the summer time. You pull out the bung, and the syrup will do the rest." What he meant was, that he had a message throbbing within his soul, seeking for deliverance. It is no effort for the river to flow.

Christ said, "Abide in Me, and I in you" (Joh_15:4). What was the result, "fruit, more fruit, much fruit"? The branch never tries to bear fruit. Fruit is the result of abiding in the vine–it is not an effort. Thus as we abide in Him; or, returning to the original figure, as we drink of Him then–the life of blessing is sure to follow.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR