THE SERVANT MUST BE SEPARATE TO LEAD OTHERS INTO SEPARATION

^[p. 142] THE SERVANT MUST BE SEPARATE TO LEAD OTHERS INTO SEPARATION

Conscience may be a very good guard, but is not a true guide. One must be very near the Lord to be guided by Him.

A servant must have a very separate place, because you cannot lead any one beyond where you have been yourself. It must be the Nazarite for the day of weakness. I rejoice greatly that ‘the Lord Himself and the prosperity of His people’ are, as you say, the one thought before you; the Lord increase this to you more and more, and my whole heart will go out for your blessing and that of all yours.

I see Moses was many years in the back side of the desert before he was fit to lead the people out of Egypt. I cannot ask any one to leave anything that I have not left myself. Elisha was altogether cast on God before he could be a help to the people of God. It is not the man that sees defects, but the man who, like Nehemiah, removes them who is doing the Lord’s work. You might be exposing the rags of the prodigal long enough before you could do the servant’s work of putting the best robe on him.