Do What You Can

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                                           "She hath done what she could."  Mark  14:8

     Mary of Bethany had just shown her love for Jesus by anointing Him with precious ointment.  Some objected to her actions, but Jesus commends her and sets her up as an example for us to follow.  Each must give in his own way the best he has!  Someone has rightly said,  "I am only one, but I am one, I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  That which I can do, I ought to do, and by the grace of God I will do!"

     To every Christian, God has given some task whereby he may glorify the Savior.  D. L. Moody tells a story that illustrates this truth:  A passenger crossing the Atlantic was sent to his bunk during a storm because he was terribly distressed by seasickness.  A cry of "man overboard" was heard.  "May God help the poor fellow, but there is nothing I can do the way I feel,"  said the sick passenger.  Then he thought to himself, "Wait, there is something I can do; I can at least put my lantern in the porthole."  He struggled to his feet and hung the light so it shone out into the darkness.  The man who was drowning was rescued, and in recounting the story the next day said,  "I was going down for the last time when someone put a light in a porthole.  It shone on my hand, and a sailor in a lifeboat grabbed it and pulled me in!"

     Everyone holding forth his own light, or using his one talent, no matter how small, will help accomplish God's purpose on this earth, and will thus glorify the Savior.  What a joy it will be when the Master looks into our eyes in that future day and with a loving smile of approval says,  "Good and faithful servant, you did what you could - enter now into the joy of the Lord!

"Bread For Each Day"

New Brooms

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

             ". . . here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin."  Luke 19:20

     This unfaithful servant had certainly been "faithful (?)" in watching over his pound.  He had carefully wrapped the precious gift in a clean cloth and placed it in a safe place.  But the pound had been given to him to invest and make additional pounds for the donor.  It was not to be merely preserved, but used as well. The pound represents the gift of salvation, and is given to us to use, not to hide.  Yet, how many prize their salvation for themselves, but never use it to help others.  Our salvation must be utilized, our faith must work. We must not spare it but set it to work.  It reminds one of the silly proverb,  "A new broom sweeps clean." But this is utterly ridiculous, for a new broom never sweeps at all.  How then can they sweep clean?  The moment you sweep with a broom it is not new any more - it is secondhand.  You will never get your house clean by putting a plastic bag over it and then setting it in a corner.

     May I compare your conversion experience with a broom.  God did not save you just to save you.  He saved you to be used in His service and to share your experience.  God gave you your mouth, your hands, your feet, to bring the precious gift to others.  Keeping it to yourself will stunt you and deprive others of the blessing.  You can be so enamored with a new tool that you hesitate to use it.  A woman may be so pleased with her new dress she hesitates to wear it for fear for damaging it.  The Bible says,  "Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it."  What does this mean?  To be concerned with your own comfort and ease is to lose the very essence of life - service to others.

     NO!  A new broom does not sweep clean - it will even get dirty by standing in the corner.  What gifts has God given you?  Use them, brother and sister!  Use them today - or lose them!

"Bread For Each Day"