Today, I simply want to share a wonderfully inspiring message to the believer from Andrew Murray’s book, The Master’s Indwelling. I read it for the first time just last week and I was encouraged to remember how small and insignificant I am. Yet I have all access to the life and power of God to make me something great for His glory. I hope your heart is encouraged today.
Think of an oak tree that is a hundred years old. How was that oak born? The acorn was planted in the ground, a grave was made for it that the acorn might die. It died and disappeared. Then, it cast roots downward and
PINIMAGEshoots upward, and now that tree has been standing a hundred years. Where is it standing? In its grave. All the time it has been in the very grave where the acorn died. It has stood there stretching its roots deeper and deeper into the earth in which the grave was made. Yet, all the time, though it stood in the very grave where it had died, it had been growing higher, stronger, broader, and more beautiful. And all the fruit it ever bore and all the foliage that adorned it year by year, it owed to that grave in which its roots are cast and kept.
Even so, Christ owes everything to His death and His grave. And we too, owe everything to that grave of Jesus. Oh! Let us live every day rooted in the death of Jesus. Don’t be afraid, but say, “To my own will I die. To human wisdom, human strength, and to the world, I will die. It is in the grave of my Lord that His life has its beginning, its strength, and its glory…”
Christ lost nothing by giving His life in death to the Father. And so, if you want the glory and the life of God to come upon you, it is in the grave of utter helplessness that the life of glory will be born. Jesus was raised from the dead, and that resurrection power, by the grace of God, can and will work in us. Let no one expect to live a right life until he lives a full resurrection life in the power of Jesus.
cindy - Hi, I just want to say, thank you for sharing this…
After I had my firstborn 4 years ago, I’ve been struggling with terrible depression and anxiety. I felt so physically tired everyday and could not cope with the responsibilities of being a full-time working mom.
I wanted so much to quit my job and stay at home to care for my child full time, and also so I could ‘catch a break’. But it was not possible due to our financial constrains and my husband told me I couldn’t quit. I started to feel resentful towards him, because I felt he was stopping me from doing what I want. Childish and wrong, I know, but I was so tired and depressed, I just wanted OUT. I started to feel angry and resentful towards God too, because I felt He did not answer my prayers or save me when I needed Him to.
I’m now in the process of coming back to God… just meeting Him early in the morning, drawing strength from Him before I start my hectic day. And although some days I feel like I could die, some days I really want to die, I am still hoping on Jesus.
Sorry that I’m being so long-winded about myself 🙂 I guess what I really want to say here is THANK YOU for sharing, thank you for writing this. It is a timely reminder for me.