Spurgeon: May AM
* 05/02/AM
"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."