| The Joy of Service |
Chapter 9 |
Page 7 |
However small the influence of any Christian may be, or however little he can do, the Master needs him and his little piece of work well done, and something will go wrong if he fails to do his duty. The humblest of us dare not fail ever; for God needs us and our gift, however small it may be, and our not coming to His help will make disaster to some cause or to some other life.
Or even if it should make no difference to the cause of Christ whether we do our part or not, it makes infinite difference to ourselves. The consequence of the one talented man’s failure to use his talent was that he lost it. The penalty of uselessness always is the loss of power to be useful. We cannot neglect the most insignificant duty without harm to our own spiritual life and hurt to our character. The battle was won without Meroz, but Meroz never got back what it lost that day.
Or it may have been self indulgence that kept the inhabitants of Meroz away from the battle. They had their own little affairs to attend to – their vineyards, their gardens, their fields. They were comfortable in their pleasant homes among the hills. Of course the were interested in the saving of their country; but, as almost everybody was hurrying to the field, victory was certain without their help. So they self indulgently kept out of the conflict, and stayed quietly at home. They seemed to be saving their lives, sparing themselves much cost and sacrifice. Yet, but when it was all over, and the victory had been won, a curse rang out against them because they had not come to the help of the Lord. This was the result of their self saving.
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