"His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been
faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
Enter into the joy of your master!"
(Matthew 25:23)
In the Lord's parable about the three servants, two of which put to good use
and multiplied the talents given to them by their master, and the third, who
hid the single talent given to him out of fear of his master and buried it in the
ground, is a clear illustration of the distinction between genuine faith and unbelief.
The first two servants given talents, which some biblical scholars believe
were great sums of money, increased the amounts given to them, which they
knew their master had expected them to do. For this, the two men were
richly rewarded for their obedience and faith.
But the third man, the unfaithful servant, who buried his talent in the
ground for fear of his master, was later chastised by him for his
disobedience and cast out from his presence.
I often wonder why the third servant acted so foolishly when he had just as
much opportunity to increase the worth of his talent as the first two servants.
He confessed to being afraid of his master, whom he claimed was a hard man.
Perhaps this servant can be compared to Esau, who exchanged his birthright with
his brother Jacob for a bowl of lentils. In his case, this mighty hunter of the field's
indifference to the authority given to him as the firstborn son would cost him dearly.
He lost all the privileges of being the first-born son and later sought to murder
his brother who had betrayed him. Although later in life, Esau and Jacob
reunited as brothers, Esau, who had since become a wealthy man, must have
still regretted that one unguarded moment when he chose to be so careless.
I am glad that the three Christian ladies whom are the subject of this
post today did not succumb to anger or resentment, nor indifference
or unbelief due to unexpected affliction which changed the course
of their lives forever.
These three earthly missionaries were women of remarkable faith,
and knew well of the all-sufficient power of God's amazing grace
which sustained them, and which is reflected in the legacy of
encouraging poems and beautiful songs they wrote for future
believers, to be an inspiration to them in their own walk of faith.
"But He giveth more grace." James 4:6
Annie Johnson Flint was born on Christmas Eve December 24, 1866
in Vineland, New Jersey. As a young schoolteacher, she developed a
severe form of arthritis from which she never recovered, and spent much
of her life bedridden, propped up on pillows in order to write poems,
often while suffering the excruciating pain of her condition.
Before her death in 1932, Annie Johnson Flint had composed some
of the most beautiful and inspiring Christian poetry in the world.
Called, "The poet of helpfulness" one of my favorite poems she wrote,
"He Giveth More Grace" reminds me of the deep awareness which
Annie must have felt of the presence of God at work
in the circumstances of her life.
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, He multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing-
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For, out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth, and giveth again.
"Do not pass by Your servant." Genesis 18:3
When Frances Jane "Fanny" Crosby was an infant of six weeks, she was
tragically blinded by an incompetent doctor treating her for conjunctivitis.
Although she would be blind for life, Fanny wrote over 8,000 memorable
Christian hymns, sometimes under different names, and this includes the
familiar classic, "Blessed Assurance' as well as a lesser known hymn
entitled, "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior".
Fanny lived in an age when "evangelistic singing missions" were popular religious
gatherings and her beautiful hymns were always requested at these events. Once,
this petite poetess was asked to attend a singing service inside a state prison.
Although she was a bit intimidated at first, much was hoped for at this particular
venue. As Fanny stood trembling at the podium before a room full of criminals,
she could not see, she bowed her head in a moment of silent prayer. She felt the
sudden presence of the Holy Spirit with her on the stage and it was at that point
she was able to open her mouth and speak the message of salvation into the
human and spiritual darkness surrounding her in the room. As she progressed
in her speech, she was suddenly interrupted when one of the prisoners
cried out, "Don't pass by me, Lord!" followed by another prisoner
and then many more men.
Afterwards, Fanny was so moved by the cries for mercy from these
broken, desperate men, that when she later wrote the lyrics to the song,
"Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior" she recalled that she wrote the lines
"with the men's pleading wail still in my ears".
Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou are calling
Do not pass me by.
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou are calling,
Do not pass me by.
Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief,
Kneeling there in deep contrition;
Help my unbelief.
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou are calling,
Do not pass me by.
Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou are calling,
Do not pass me by.
Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in Heav'n but Thee?
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou are calling,
Do not pass me by.
"The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
English-born Christian hymn writer and poet Frances Ridley Havergal
was something of a child prodigy, reading by the age of four and writing
prose at the age of seven. Later, along with her brother, she would study
and learn the ancient languages of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.
Frances also loved to read and study the Word of God. She committed
to memory the words of the Psalms, as well as the Book of Isaiah,
and most of the New Testament.
Her great love for the Holy Scriptures undoubtedly was the inspiration
behind many of the beautiful songs she would compose during her lifetime.
My favorite of her hymns is the song, "Take My Life And Let It Be".
Frances claimed that the words for this song came to her during her time
at a religious retreat center called Areley House. She later wrote about her
visit, recalling in her memoir that there were ten persons,"... some unconverted
and long prayed for, and some converted but not rejoicing as Christians."
Frances believed that God gave her the prayer she sought for this situation,
asking, "Lord! Give me all this house! And He did just that.
Before I left the house, every one had got a blessing."
She also prayed, at the request of their governess, with the two distraught
daughters of the owner of the retreat, and was overjoyed when they accepted
Christ as their Savior. She remembered, "I was too happy to sleep and passed
most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration...and these
little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart, one after another,
till they finished with, "Ever! Only, All for Thee!"
Only five years after writing this song, Frances, whose health was fragile,
died from peritonitis at the age of 42. Yet, her lovely, soul-uplifting songs, which
speak of her love in serving God, and the power of redemption for lost sinners
through the blood of Jesus Christ, epitomizes the words of the apostle Paul:
"Having gifts-faculties, talents, and qualities-that differ according to
the grace given us, let us use them."
(Romans 12:6)
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow with ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.
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