How much blessing is lost by souls from being occupied with some action, or blessing, from Christ, instead of making Himself the aim and object of the heart. Now, in John 14, in a striking and beautiful way, he, pre-supposes that nothing can cheer the heart here during His absence but Himself—that the blank caused by it never can otherwise be filled. He therefore promises to come for us! No sweeter word in parting could be than this, “I will come again!” It was a promise pregnant with every joy to the widowed hearts of those he was leaving behind. But there is more—He adds (v. 18), “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.” He promises to come for us; and while we await this moment He will come to us. What more could the heart desire? It is very precious “I will come for you,” and, “I will come to you.” One in person, the other by the Holy Ghost He was about to send. But “Come” is the word by which he would cheer and sustain the heart. The heart which knows most of His coming to us, will most truly desire and look out for His coming for us.
O, for more personal affection for Him. One may admire and feel their need of Him without the sense of leaving everything here, out of personal love to Christ Himself. This is devotedness—it is the heart seeing such worth in Christ, that it lays aside as weights those things which hinder the soul’s enjoyment of Him. Ex. 16:1414And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. (Exodus 16:14).
There was no strength necessary in gathering the manna. A strong right arm was of no use the thing was too delicate for man’s strength to come in and destroy. To gather it delicately, with the weakness of man, was needed. So that the soul can say, that which I have gathered up of Christ today, I found it to be strength made perfect in my weakness. It was “when I am weak, then I am strong.”