" The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work." Titus 2: 11-15 and 3: 1.
It is interesting to notice in what setting the above exhortation is written. It follows the setting forth of the wondrous grace of God which has brought us salvation and now teaches us how to live here, bringing before us the bright hope which animates the soul and the precious Object to engage the heart. The thought of the love of the Savior, Who gave Himself for us that He might purify unto Himself a peculiar people, surely constrains our hearts to seek to be here for Him. But it may be asked " In what way can I be here for Him? " " Be ready to every good work." The Lord has placed us each just where we can be best fitted for His use. He knows our limitations, our weaknesses, as well as our usefulness, and the responsibility that is ours is just to be ready for every good work; in other words to be available for Him to use just where we are.
As we turn to the Scriptures we find many instances of how the Lord uses His own just where they are, and often in circumstances which are most trying. Think of Joseph in prison. He was there as under the Lord, taking the circumstance from His hand and then was ready to be of service for Him. And we read " The Lord was with him and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper."
In 2 Kings 5 we find another instance, and this time it is a little captive maid in the house of Naaman's wife.
She might have been pining under her circumstances. But no, she is there " ready to every good work " and her witness was not in vain as we all know so well. The Lord found her ready to do His work and being available He used her.
Do we not get a hint of this readiness which the Lord looks for, in His word to the demoniac who was healed and who desired to be with Him? " Return to thine own house, and skew how great things God hath done for thee." The Lord wanted him as a witness in his own home, and there by his ways to show what God had done for him. How often ways speak louder than words, especially to those with whom we live. Surely we can thus be of service to the Lord in our own homes.
We find in Timothy one whom the apostle could speak of as being " ready to every good work." The various references to him are most instructive. In Phil. 2. we read " I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I may be of good comfort when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded who will naturally care for your state." Here we have a true shepherd or pastor, one who cares for the saints. Oh! the need to-day for such! Oh, to be ready for this work! To care for the state of the Lord's people is very dear to the heart of Christ. How many lonely ones there are, how many depressed and sorrowing hearts! What a cheer to such is a word in season, directing their hearts to the unchangeable Savior, whose love never fails.
In Aquila and Priscilla we get another lovely example of those who were " ready to every good work." Living at Corinth, where they were tent makers, they lovingly opened their house to the apostle Paul who " abode with them and wrought." What a joy it must have been to them to serve the Lord in this way. And how sweetly the apostle refers to them in his epistle to the Romans saying of them, " Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles." Turning to another reference to them in Acts 18. we find them taking Apollos and expounding to him the way of God more perfectly. '" Ready to every good work " surely characterized these two devoted souls.
May the Lord just speak to our hearts that we may hold ourselves at His disposal to do His bidding, being, as it were, vessels ready to His hand, available for Him to use just where He will.