THE LORD'S INTERESTS

THE LORD’S INTERESTS

We learn more and more daily that the Lord is necessary to us. Christ is our life, but we lose much if we limit Him only to our need of Him down here. Our need draws us to Him; we cannot do without Him if we would live to His pleasure - but the greatest gain is when we are so relieved by Him from our own things that we can give our attention freely to His concerns; to be in concert with Him. This latter is communion with Him, the former His sympathy with us. The former acquaints us with His grace to us under our pressure and helps us out of the pressure, for He who sympathises with us is out of it - but He has been sensibly in it, and He helps us out of it that we may join Him in His own interests, and this is the fellowship or communion to which we are called.

Oh, how much we lose in being engrossed with our own interests instead of His!

We love the Lord first for His services (she loved much because she was forgiven much). Then, when His love is perfected with us, we love for His love, that is for Himself; and then His company is the one desire of our hearts. In this love we keep His commandments, that is, His will is our will. We are controlled by Him.