The Spiritual Meaning of Service # 8

The Belovedness of Christ (continued)

And then he is after something more - he is after your ministry. You see, on that day when the Lord Jesus stepped out to His ministry, the devil stepped out too, and said, 'Not only will I raise a question, if I can, about His relationship with God and God's relationship with Him, but by raising that question I will destroy this ministry, if I can, right at its birth.' You and I are no use to God if we have a question about either His love for us or His love for that to which we are committed. If we have any doubt about that, we are finished. This sense of what I have called "belovedness" is essential, not only to life, but as an assurance and rest in service. It gave encouragement to the Levites to go quietly, assuredly and restfully about their work, and so they did. Day after day, by day and by night, they went on quietly with their ministry. To go on quietly persistently, assuredly, in peace, all rests upon this - the recognition that that into which I have been called by God is of infinite value to Him, and because I am called according to His purpose, I am beloved of God.

That is a simple word with which to begin, but it is basic to everything. May I just sum it up like this? The Lord is calling us to something which is not comparative thing, but an absolute thing: which is not just something that, well, the Lord likes and will bless, but is that upon which all His heart is set, which means more than anything else to the Lord.

MAY OUR HEARTS REACH OUT FOR THAT IN THESE DAYS, AND MAY THE LORD SHOW WHAT IT IS.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 9 - (Levitical Priesthood)