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This
devotional is taken from the book: "Heart Talks" by Bro. C.W.
Naylor.
But
Jesus Sent Him Away
How natural it is for us to desire to be in the presence of the
Master, to walk with him, to talk with him, and to behold his
wondrous works! How pleasant to sit at his feet and learn of him!
How often we think of those who enjoyed walking with him over the
hills of Judea and wish for ourselves that glorious privilege! It is
our privilege, though our natural eyes cannot see him, to dwell in
his presence, to commune with him, and to learn the deep things of
God. In the secret closet we often seem to be very near to him, and
how our souls would love to remain there, but oft times, like the
man out of whom the devils were cast, we are not permitted to remain
with the Lord; he sends us away.
When we feel ourselves apart from him, it is not always because we
have wandered away, for often he finds it needful to send us away
for some purpose. Even those who were privileged to be his closest
companions while on earth were sent away from him from time to time
on various missions. Sometimes he sent them with the message, "Go
and tell." Obedience to this took them away from his presence. Their
eyes no longer saw his mighty works, nor did their ears hear his
gracious words. They did not have the support of his presence, but
found themselves apart from the Master. So we must often go out from
him with a message, and being apart from him in a sense, we shall
ofttimes find ourselves needy and seeming to go on our own strength;
but we must daily bear his message to the people, and while we are
bearing it, what wonder if we are lonely sometimes? Like the
disciples, however, when we have spoken our message, we may go back
again into his presence.
One he sent away for investigation, saying, "Go show thyself to the
priest." Sometimes we must go out among our enemies and be a
gazing-stock for them. We must be the object of their criticism, of
their scoffs, of their mockings, and all this apart from the Master.
But shall we not bear all these things and rejoice in them, that
when we have returned to the Master, and are sitting in the quiet
and silence at his feet, holding sweet converse with him, we may
know we have wrought his will and glorified his name?
Sometimes he sends us forth to perils. "Behold, I send you forth as
sheep in the midst of wolves." But he also gives us the sweet
assurance, "Nothing shall by any means hurt you." His messengers
now, as in the days of old, must face perils; and these perils must,
in a sense, be faced away from the Master's presence.
Sometimes he sends to suffering. He said of Paul, "I will show him
how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." Even Christ
himself was sent apart from the Father. He had to leave the glories
of heaven and all that those meant, sacrifice all the honor that he
had, with all his joys in the presence of the Father, and go to
earth to be despised, mocked, hated, scourged, and crucified.
Sometimes his spirit was heavy, and sorrow weighed him down, and at
last, in the most trying hour, he felt his separation from his
Father most keenly and cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?" If it was necessary for the Son of God to go apart
from the Father, to be sad and lonely and heavy-hearted, and at last
feel himself forsaken, should we think it a strange thing if we
sometimes have a similar experience?
How sweet to be with him in the secret closet and in the meetings
with his saints! How it warms our hearts and fills us with courage
and hope! But for our work's sake we must go apart and endure,
sacrifice and suffer. We cannot always see his smiling face. But
there will be a time when we shall forever be with the Lord. Until
the time shall come, let us be willing to obey him, even though it
takes all the courage and fortitude we have. If we find ourselves
apart from him, let us not accuse ourselves of wandering away, if we
are doing the work of God. Heaven will be all the sweeter because of
our having been, in this sense, apart from the Master here, and we
shall be the better prepared to enjoy his presence when he comes for
us.
-C.W.
Naylor |
