A TIME OF BEING INDUSTRIOUS

R. J. Campbell

Judges 6: 11; Proverbs 31: 10–14; Acts 20: 29–31; 28: 1–3

The Lord has not come yet, we have sung of that moment when we will be taken to be with Himself. What a time it will be. It is the great hope of the believer to look on to the coming of the Lord Jesus Himself. What that will mean to the heart of the Lord Jesus we can scarcely think, but He is a Man of patience and He is waiting for that moment when He will have the assembly with Himself eternally. What an anticipation, beloved brethren, for our hearts to look forward to that moment when we will see that blessed Man face to face, to be like Him where He is and to have bodies of glory like unto His own body of glory. That is what we look forward to, the greatness of it, the wonderful moment when we shall be taken to be with the Lord Jesus. Not only that, but we look forward too to the time when He will be publicly vindicated in this scene. He has been rejected here, He has been cast out as worthless, but the time is coming when that blessed Man will reign from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth (Zechariah 9: 10). What a time it will be. We have that to look forward to, and the rest and enjoyment of being eternally with the Lord Jesus Himself. I wondered at this stage in the dispensation whether what is needed is for us to be industrious and active. The time will come when we will rest, but the present time is a time of activity, a time for being industrious. Think of the apathy and lethargy of the church publicly, slipping into all sorts of evil, all sorts of mixture with the world, no time for Christ, in fact heartless as to Christ. That is what Laodicea is but we should realise the sobriety of the moment and the need of the moment to be industrious and active.

I read of Gideon here, he was threshing wheat in the

winepress, a very unusual thing to do to thresh wheat in a wine press; but sometimes we have to work in restricted conditions in view of getting food for the brethren, in view of bringing in what would be for their upbuilding, and Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress. There were difficult days at this time when Gideon was operating in this way, and difficult times are with us, but Gideon did not give up, he did not retire, he did not settle down in things here.

He was constantly exercised to provide food for the people of God. I am sure it happens here as it happens in many many localities that there is a desire to find food for the brethren but it involves exercise. I believe it needs us to be here in the constant sense of the need of proceeding actively and industriously in view of the feeding of the people of God. Gideon takes a very lowly place in the verses following. What can we say about ourselves? We cannot lift our heads up at all, we are part of the breakdown, but there is an area where divine things are cared for and that is among the people of God. We should be increasingly thankful for the company that we have with one another, the active living links that we have with one another. There has never been a time like the present time; things are getting darker and darker but things are getting brighter within. That should be the case, that despite all that marks this world things are brighter within. Gideon had a desire that there might be food maintained for the people of God. May we be encouraged, may we set ourselves in this direction to provide food for the beloved brethren. I just feel the challenge of it, I am saying these things, and it applies to me very much, but I can see the need at the present time of thwarting the enemy in his attempts to disrupt and bring in what would be divisive among the saints. O that we might be preserved together actively and inwardly and livingly.

I have read of the woman of worth. This speaks of a time when the husband is absent, when the glorious Head of the assembly has left this scene, but He is Head

of another order of things and we are thankful for that. Christ is there installed in heaven but taking account of what is proceeding here, and there is that which corresponds to Himself proceeding in the local companies of the saints. Think of the industry that marks this woman here; her husband is absent but she is desirous of providing just what Christ would provide Himself, “She doeth him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands”. How diligent she is, this woman of worth. I would just encourage our hearts that we might be diligent. Think of what it says here, “She is like the merchants’ ships—she bringeth her food from afar; And she riseth while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and the day’s work to her maidens”. You sense the constant activity of what is proceeding in the assembly at the present time that relates to what Christ is, where He is, and what He would require in each local company. May we be active, beloved brethren, and I seek to stimulate my own heart, that we might be active and industrious in providing food and clothing. Think of this woman of worth, she thinks about everything. Think of her diligently working, bringing her food from afar, what exercise it needs. I believe this is what this woman of worth desired in the absence of her husband, she desired to bring warmth and food among the saints, and that should mark each local company in the absence of Christ. “She riseth while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and the day’s work to her maidens”. We can easily settle down in lethargy and coast along, be carried along, but this woman is not like that; she is active, she is providing something for her household; she provides food and she provides clothing, she provides warmth. May we be encouraged that in the absence of Christ these features are maintained.

I thought of Paul in Acts 20, saying, “these hands have ministered to my wants, and to those who were with me”. What a service Paul undertook, his hands ministering to his wants and those who were with him.

He was not just thinking of getting through himself, he was concerned about others, “those who were with me”. Those who were near Paul found the benefit of what he was in serving, in view of ministering to his own wants and to those who were with him. I thought of this verse, “Wherefore watch, remembering that for three years, night and day, I ceased not admonishing each one of you with tears”. Every day brought fresh exercise to Paul, and the indication is that he did not stop. Every day he was serving the saints, “I ceased not admonishing each one of you with tears”. You sense his feelings, his inward feelings about the saints, that “for three years, night and day, I ceased not admonishing each one of you with tears”. We know one another, we are near to one another; O that we might serve one another, that we might bring in this refreshment and this concern. Paul is concerned about them, “For I know this, that there will come in amongst you after my departure grievous wolves, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall rise up men speaking perverted things to draw away the disciples after them”. That is current, beloved brethren; there are brethren going back to a system that we judged, they were with us and they are going back. O

that we might sense the time in which we are, and seek to hold the brethren in relation to what is living and vital, that we might be active and industrious in view of what would be for the heart of the Lord Jesus. These things are extant at the present time, beloved brethren. May we be sobered, but may we be encouraged to bring in what is true and what is right, and what is for the upbuilding of the saints. Paul admonished each one of them with tears; you sense his feelings and what marked him inwardly in relation to these Ephesian saints.

I just read in Acts 28 where it says, “And Paul having gathered a certain quantity of sticks together in a bundle and laid it on the fire”. Think of Paul’s service here, you might say he was an apostle, he should be served, but here is this great apostle gathering a certain quantity of sticks. His desire was for warmth. The barbarians had kindled the fire but Paul was concerned that it might continue. O that we might continue to gather a certain quantity of sticks! O that there might be that with us which would foster and increase what there is in the testimony at the present time. Paul serves in such a lowly way, he collected a certain quantity of sticks; what a service Paul rendered, concerned about the warmth and the relations there were amongst these persons, and he would serve in this lowly way. In feet-washing too we have to get down to one another, we do not take any high ground, we serve one another in such a lowly way, but how necessary these things are. May we be encouraged to be more active! I am sure there is activity and industry, but may we be more active, and more industrious in view of carrying the people of God, and seeking to bring things through to a conclusion that would be for the heart of the Lord Jesus. For His name’s sake.

Word in meeting for ministry, Grangemouth
7 January 2003