Morning, May 2
Go To Evening Reading
“I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world.”
John 17:15
It is a sweet and blessed event which will occur to all believers
in God’s own time—the going home to be with Jesus. In a few more years the Lord’s soldiers, who are now fighting “the good fight of faith” will have done with conflict, and have entered into the joy of their
Lord. But although Christ prays that his people may eventually be
with him where he is, he does not ask that they may be taken at once
away from this world to heaven. He wishes them to stay here. Yet how
frequently does the wearied pilgrim put up the prayer, “O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at
rest;” but Christ does not pray like that, he leaves us in his Father’s hands, until, like shocks of corn fully ripe, we shall each be gathered
into our Master’s garner. Jesus does not plead for our instant removal by death, for
to abide in the flesh is needful for others if not profitable for
ourselves. He asks that we may be kept from evil, but he never asks
for us to be admitted to the inheritance in glory till we are of full
age. Christians often want to die when they have any trouble. Ask
them why, and they tell you, “Because we would be with the Lord.” We fear it is not so much because they are longing to be with the
Lord, as because they desire to get rid of their troubles; else they
would feel the same wish to die at other times when not under the
pressure of trial. They want to go home, not so much for the Saviour’s company, as to be at rest. Now it is quite right to desire to depart
if we can do it in the same spirit that Paul did, because to be with
Christ is far better, but the wish to escape from trouble is a selfish
one. Rather let your care and wish be to glorify God by your life
here as long as he pleases, even though it be in the midst of toil,
and conflict, and suffering, and leave him to say when “it is enough.”