Many talents are being hid “in the earth” today. And it is not alone the one-talent men and women who are doing it. “Afraid” of being considered peculiar and unwilling to be reproached for Christ’s sake, countless numbers are letting the “earth” have their ability. Living for the things of this world, which must end with time, is as surely hiding talents in the earth, as it would be literally to bury them far beneath the surface of the ground.
WORK FOR THE LORD
If God has given us one work more important than another, it is to hold fast the Lord’s name and His Word, and to bring before others—saved and unsaved—the many precious truths He has so wonderfully and blessedly made known to us. This can be done by sending out tracts—written ministry—and this work is within the reach of us all.
Let exercised souls first get the names of all in their immediate neighborhood the unsaved in one list, and believers in the Lord Jesus in another.
Arrange the names alphabetically in a book. This will call for labor, diligent, persevering quiet labor, and with it, much looking to the Lord, and dependence on Him; but the object is worthy.
The names thus brought together are the souls committed to your special care. The blessing of these is what you are to pray for, live, and labor for. The one object before you is to make Christ and His preciousness known to all these souls, and, by this means, call forth the affections of their hearts towards Him.
How can this be done? You perhaps could not visit them all. There is no better way of doing this than by systematically, continuously and unobtrusively, sending to such a gospel tract, or to the Christians a tract about the blessed Lord Himself. Every child of God has the Holy Spirit and the divine nature, and the Spirit of God delights to minister Christ to that nature. By that alone is a soul nourished and built up, and separated from evil. It is by gazing on the glory of the Lord, His holiness, His meekness, kindness, gentleness, love, that we become changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Lord, the Spirit.
Minister the perfection of the work of Christ. Among the many Christians about us. it is seldom one meets with peaceful, happy souls, having assurance of their salvation. They know not God’s side of Christ’s work; they are ignorant of Christ as the righteousness of God. Minister Christ as rejected by the world, though glorified by God. They do not understand that the rejection of Christ has brought the whole world under judgment.
Especially seek out afflicted ones, and there are many of them. Sickness, sorrow, poverty, death, trying circumstances are thick around us. Remember Him whose loving sympathies are ever towards the tried ones.
May this, then, be your work for the Lord. As often as you are able once a week, month, or quarter send a little tract to as many as possible. It is little things God delights to own. Let it be a work between you and the Lord. He knows the exact state of each soul, and surely, as far as possible, you would wish to have fellowship with Him. What a call this is for faith, and prayer, and real dependence on the Lord! We believe in God, and know that He can give us in every case the tract exactly applicable to each soul.
Think of how little clear gospel of the grace of God in Christ Jesus is preached from the pulpits today. How little is said of the precious blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin; of Christ the one and only way of salvation.
Think of how little Christ, and His blessed Word are ministered to Christians. They know little of His meek, lowly sympathizing ways, when down here; or of Himself as the glorified Christ; as the One still lovingly watching over them at God’s right hand.
Let them know that He has said, “Surely I come quickly,” that they, too, may be waiting and watching for their Lord.
Above all, think of the joy of Him who loved you and saved you, to see your heart constantly thinking of, and praying for, the unsaved hurrying on to destruction, and His own sheep and lambs.
Such a work as this will need money; but if the Lord stirs us up, surely He will provide for this, as He sees is best.