“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”―Rev. 3:2020Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20).
THE words of Jesus! how sweetly they come to us over the troubled waves of the world! calming, and soothing, and comforting us when we are wearied and almost fainting in the great battle of life. O that we heard His words oftener! that we listened more intently and earnestly for the sound of His voice! that, in the words of Samuel of old, we cried more continually, “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth!” that in the every-day incidents of our life―in our joy and our sorrow, in our prosperity and our adversity—we had a greater realization of the Lord’s presence, and more and more distinctly heard Him speaking to us!
Mourning Christian! in the silent midnight of your sorrow, when every strain of gladness is hushed and silent, and no sound of earthly joy breaks the oppressive stillness of your heart’s affliction,―in that hour, when every earthly voice is silent, when you seem most utterly forsaken and alone, listen to the voice of your Saviour―listen to the voice of Jesus, saying unto you, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:1818I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (John 14:18).)
Dear sick one! thou whom Jesus loveth! in the lonely hours of your pain and weariness, which none but yourself and your God can fully realize, listen for the voice of Jesus. Listen during the long, weary day; listen in the still longer and more wearisome night, to the loving voice and tender accents of that One who “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” (Matt. 8:1717That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. (Matthew 8:17).) Listen to that same clear voice which spoke of old, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” Now saving, “Lo! I am with you always;” “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” In the night as in the day, in joy as in sorrow, in weakness as in strength, I am with you―with you always! Others must leave your side, the fondest and most loving must be absent sometimes; but I never leave thee! I hear your faintest sigh; I feel every fresh throb of your aching head; and the feeblest cry for help and strength I hear, and will answer. It seems as if He brought you into a “desert place apart,” that He might give you greater revelations of His everlasting love and faithfulness, and whisper these sweet words of comfort into your ear; and soon, like the Bride in the Canticles, you will come up out of the wilderness leasing on the Beloved. O that our ears were opened to hear the Lord’s voice oftener! that the constant cry of our hearts was, “We would see Jesus, we would hear His voice,” that whenever we opened His Word, in public or private, we might see written, before every verse, “Thus saith the Lord.” O may He keep us all, listening as well as watching and waiting for Him! Listening, to get clear direction and counsels as to our wilderness journey. Listening, to hear the voice of Jesus, comforting, and encouraging, and speaking very “words in season to Him that is weary.” Watching, that we may not be found idle, unprofitable servants, sleeping at our post when the Master comes. And watching, remembering the blessed word, “The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.” (Lam. 3:2525The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (Lamentations 3:25).) O that in the different trying scenes of our life, when the eye of faith is weak and cannot pierce the surrounding darkness and gloom, and see Jesus still beside us in all our trouble, nor see the “glory of that light” which He would ever have shining across our dim pathway,―then let us try to hear His voice, speaking sweet words of love to us from out of the cloud. Let us remember His own words― “If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” And let us echo the words of two who long ago heard the same sweet voice speaking to them― “Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:3232And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? (Luke 24:32).)