Take My Life!

"Take my life, Lord; I'm of no use to anyone..." (1 Kings 19:4).

Elijah thought he was used up; good for nothing. Little did he know that he was about to begin his most enduring work: shaping a young man whom God would use for the next fifty years to bring salvation to his nation.

And so it can be for you and me...

It's important to remember that simple fact, for we tend to lose heart as we grow older. Few motives are operative then. Our ambitions are sated, our strength has abated; we may feel useless and of no value to anyone, much less to God. Everything in us may say, "back off, take it easy, leave well enough alone," but that's old folk's talk. Those who think that way wither away. "No wonder awaits them," Byron said.

God has a better idea: invest your life, your heart, your time, your wisdom in a young believer. Knowledge, wisdom, and character are cumulative, all things considered. It follows, then, that those who have loved God and walked with him through time will reach maturity rich in wisdom and understanding of his ways. Everything that has gone before—all the questioning, suffering, and hard learning—has been mere preparation. Now you can begin. You can pass on the sacred truths and solemn secrets; you can declare "God's power to the next generation, his might to all who are to come" (Psalm 71:18).

Mathew Henry wrote in his final years, "If only I may be instrumental to make others wise and good, wiser and better, more watchful against sin and more careful of their duty both to God and man...more in love with the Word of God, I have all I desire, all I aim at."

Who can ask for anything more!

David Roper

3.20.18