“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Prov. 25:11).
“A word spoken in season, how good it is!” (Prov. 15:23).
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth” (Isa. 52:7).
“The Lord God hath given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth Mine ear to hear as the learned” (Isa. 50:4).
These scriptures as applied to the Lord Himself, as He labored among men, come before us frequently in the way in which He met the needs of those of His day (see Luke 5:1). What eagerness they exhibited, oblivious of the nearness of the sea! They must not miss one word of what to them was so different from anything they had ever heard. Here was the Master Preacher Himself, and who could teach like He?
We are inclined to forget that He is even more approachable today to us, than He was then to them. Do we so hunger and thirst to hear Him? Are we not rather like Peter (vs. 5) who being a fisherman, thought the Lord must be mistaken in asking them to let down the nets for a draft; do we not know the conventional way to do what we have to do, and fail to wait upon Him for guidance? Well, the Lord was in Peter’s boat, and in charge of the business, and obedient; Peter will get the blessing. The Lord will bless all our efforts to serve Him in any way, He will not remain our debtor. They had a better haul that day than they ever had had before. So it is sure to turn out. It ended with Peter, John, James, Andrew being enlisted in the Lord’s work fishing for men.
“Come see a Man, which told me all things that ever I did! Is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29).
The story of how the Lord brought to the surface this dear woman’s need of blessing, is very simple, yet interesting. He had come a long, tiresome journey for this purpose (vs. 4); He had to meet that poor outcast, and make known the Gift of God! But not only her heart was reached that day, but (vs. 39-42), many and many more believed on Him because of His own word.
Service (Luke 10:38-42), if happily rendered as by the Holy Spirit, is very fine; but Mary who sat at His feet and heard His word, had chosen that good part which should not be taken away from her. What was it that she found at His feet, which gave her such happy feelings? The great Teacher, like the master musician touching ever so sweetly the strings of his harp, so played upon her affections, and her soul responded with sweet melody, and this was dear to His heart; He had found none of it where it should have been, and very few whose hearts really were in His keeping. O, may we know something of giving to Him the joy which flows from love reciprocated. To Mary might be applied, and to us too, the words in Song of Solomon, 1:2.
“Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth; for thy love is better than wine. Because of the savor of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.” Again 2:3:
“As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste.”
There is no happier service than the service we render to His own heart! Any other service should be secondary, for unless service flows from happy communion with Him, it is very inferior and in danger of being rejected altogether.
He alone knows how to speak to us the word in season, fitly; because He alone knows all the path we have to tread, seeing He Himself completed that path (Heb. 12:2). And because He took upon Him our nature (that is our physical) (Heb. 2:16-17); And because He is the Eternal Life which was with the Father (1 John 1:2), and thus God and Man; and the union of both joined in one, form the fountain of love in His heart.