"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
What a joyful invitation to walk with Christ Jesus! We have no excuse but to join the race, and so journey with this “Hero” to the very end. No matter the struggles, it remains the better way and the best option. Matthew knew it so perfectly well, as he boldly acted as a Christ-messenger in this warm welcome – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest...” Matthew 11:28-30
It doesn’t matter your rank, your race, your age, your career, or anything that may define you humanly – it’s these spiritual qualities which define Christly individuality, and the results of walking step by step with Jesus.
In our estate in Kenya we are frequently visited by a mother and her son (who is dumb) who live in a nearby village. His mother always holds him by the hand as they walk from house to house seeking for manual jobs like gardening, baby sitting, and many other house chores, in exchange for food and their upkeep. People love them so much for their effort and contribute generously to their support.
The biggest challenge is that the boy, being dumb, has never been accepted to go to any of the neighboring schools. At any school he is taken to the administration always complains of his violent character to other pupils. So when anyone talks to him about school, you hear him murmuring a sign of “No, no!” and at times crying uncontrollably. When he feels hungry he lets go of his mother’s hands and runs to anywhere he can get something to eat. Those who sell by the wayside must either give him what he needs, or he grabs the food by force.
Deep inside me I always knew that there was a solution for these sweet loved ones. I uplifted them in my thoughts. I started seeing them as God’s children, perfect, good and well cared for. Any moment I saw them, to me it was a witness of our Mother, God, holding Her son. We can put our hand in God’s hand, and let Her lead us. How many cannot do that? There was this deep, deep love, and in return the mother was blessed through this love of her son. This is how it happened.
One day the son got out of their house without his mother knowing. It was on a Sunday. She found him and went into a nearby church. It was his first time to be in a big, quiet congregation. During the service, he heard his name being mentioned. His name was Peter and one of the service selection reading was from the book of Peter. When he heard ‘Peter’ he thought he was being called! He moved straight from his seat and went up front to the man who was reading.
Some people who were near tried to force him sit down, but the pastor said, “Leave our guest in peace.” He lovingly embraced him and gave him a kiss, and then led him to sit near him.
After the service a man stood up who had come from far to visit one of his dear friends. He requested for a moment to greet the congregation. He took the opportunity to express great interest and a heart full of love for the wonderful boy. He inquired about him, and he was told everything. He said he needed to take the boy to a special school for the dumb, and straight away promised to employ his mother in the school as well. Oh, what a blessed thought!
Truly God knows his own. He joyously journeys with them, uplifting them until they find rest. I felt error fall away, being replaced by the unspeakable peace of God’s presence in our lives – the place where “fetters fall and the rights of man are fully known and acknowledged.” Science and Health 227:1