"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10
Earlier this week, I read a little book by T. Austin-Sparks (actually it's more like an article and it can be found at http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/000447.html ) called “Attaining Unto the First Three” about David's mighty men and specifically those that were referred to as the first three. Brother Sparks emphasized that there is clearly some level to be attained in our usefulness and effectiveness for the Lord. It's really good, but I'm not going to go into the details of it. I just want to tell a little of what the Lord is teaching me through it.
I feel like I've been seeing for a while that God has a thought, a desire on His heart. I can't exactly express it, and I know I need more revelation of what His heart is. I know He wants Christ to have the preeminence in all things. I know He wants a pure bride for His Son. I know He wants a body that is joined and knitted together in love by what each joint supplies that is in submission to the Head who is the Lord Jesus.
So, I've seen that there is a desire on God's heart that has not yet come to fulfillment, but now I'm seeing that I am to partner with Him. I am to give myself to bringing about this desire, this full thought of God. David's mighty men saw that God's full thought was not for Saul to be king. They had a vision of what God's desire was: David. These men did not simply think about how God wanted David to be king, they did not help David when it was convenient for them. They gave themselves to this.
Brother Sparks brought out that Paul had this “spirit of the first three,” and that made me think of this verse in 1 Corinthians: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” It is absolutely only by God's grace that I can do anything. But I MUST recognize that it is possible for His grace toward me to prove vain. Paul could say that he had labored even more than all of his companions. This was not said in competition or in pride. He had clear revelation that in his flesh was no good thing. The grace of God with Paul enabled him to do what he did, but Paul had to make a choice. He had to say yes.
I so often am consumed with selfishness. What is going to make me feel good? What is going to make me look good? And too often I put that on the Lord. I begin to think that His goal is to make me happy, to make me feel good. But that is CERTAINLY NOT His goal. He loves me, He is for me, He chose me, He wants me. He desires for me to agree with these truths, but He has more that He is looking for. I am seeing that it is important for me to agree with the truth so that I can walk confidently in the good works He has planned beforehand for me. But all of this is to the end that the Father and the Son would receive glory.
Brothers and sisters, I exhort you to seek the Lord and ask for a revelation of His heart, His full thought, His desire. And as you receive vision of what the Lord is looking for, give yourself to it. May we not be a people who God's grace proves vain toward. Spend your time, money, and energy to see God's desires fulfilled.
Earlier this week, I read a little book by T. Austin-Sparks (actually it's more like an article and it can be found at http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/000447.html ) called “Attaining Unto the First Three” about David's mighty men and specifically those that were referred to as the first three. Brother Sparks emphasized that there is clearly some level to be attained in our usefulness and effectiveness for the Lord. It's really good, but I'm not going to go into the details of it. I just want to tell a little of what the Lord is teaching me through it.
I feel like I've been seeing for a while that God has a thought, a desire on His heart. I can't exactly express it, and I know I need more revelation of what His heart is. I know He wants Christ to have the preeminence in all things. I know He wants a pure bride for His Son. I know He wants a body that is joined and knitted together in love by what each joint supplies that is in submission to the Head who is the Lord Jesus.
So, I've seen that there is a desire on God's heart that has not yet come to fulfillment, but now I'm seeing that I am to partner with Him. I am to give myself to bringing about this desire, this full thought of God. David's mighty men saw that God's full thought was not for Saul to be king. They had a vision of what God's desire was: David. These men did not simply think about how God wanted David to be king, they did not help David when it was convenient for them. They gave themselves to this.
Brother Sparks brought out that Paul had this “spirit of the first three,” and that made me think of this verse in 1 Corinthians: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” It is absolutely only by God's grace that I can do anything. But I MUST recognize that it is possible for His grace toward me to prove vain. Paul could say that he had labored even more than all of his companions. This was not said in competition or in pride. He had clear revelation that in his flesh was no good thing. The grace of God with Paul enabled him to do what he did, but Paul had to make a choice. He had to say yes.
I so often am consumed with selfishness. What is going to make me feel good? What is going to make me look good? And too often I put that on the Lord. I begin to think that His goal is to make me happy, to make me feel good. But that is CERTAINLY NOT His goal. He loves me, He is for me, He chose me, He wants me. He desires for me to agree with these truths, but He has more that He is looking for. I am seeing that it is important for me to agree with the truth so that I can walk confidently in the good works He has planned beforehand for me. But all of this is to the end that the Father and the Son would receive glory.
Brothers and sisters, I exhort you to seek the Lord and ask for a revelation of His heart, His full thought, His desire. And as you receive vision of what the Lord is looking for, give yourself to it. May we not be a people who God's grace proves vain toward. Spend your time, money, and energy to see God's desires fulfilled.
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