Wesley Walk Part 6

All in Him

"When we have received any favour from God, we ought to retire, if not into our closets, into our hearts, and say, 'I come, Lord, to restore to thee what thou hast given; and I freely relinquish it, to enter again into my own nothingness. For what is the most perfect creature in heaven or earth in thy presence, but a void capable of being filled with thee and by thee; as the air, which is void and dark, is capable of being filled with the light of the sun, who withdraws it every day to restore it the next, there being nothing in the air that either appropriates this light or resists it? O give me the same facility of receiving and restoring thy grace and good works! I say, thine; for I acknowledge the root from which they spring is in thee, and not in me."  John Wesley

 

“Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.  Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.  God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.  As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.”  (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). 

 

It all comes from Him.  It all returns to Him.  He is the one who fills every void with beauty, blessing and bounty.  God forbid that we might, for one moment, think that something great has derived its existence from our genius or ability.  The truth is- “It has not.”  But, it is amazing how far and often we will stray from the well that supplies.  Fasting, prayer, acts of worship and devotion can become squeezed out, like lunch on a very busy day.  That just cannot be permitted.  We have received all from him.  We owe him all.  We have been graced with what we enjoy.  We should surrender whatever we enjoy in return, with gratitude so that it is clear to all that it is God alone who has graced us. 

 

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