HelpfulnessWhether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it — 1 Cor. 12:26.
Every Christian in proportion as he is in harmony with the Head and His spirit of love, will be prompt to act. Sometimes in our human bodies the hand may stretch forth assistance to an injured member so quickly that it seems impossible to conceive that the message first went to the head, and that our hand was subsequently directed by the head to assist; and so it is with the disciples of Christ. Those who are in full touch and sympathy with the Head, the Lord, are to so large an extent of "one spirit" with Him, so anxious to do His will, and so well informed with respect to what His will is, that they sometimes seem to act almost automatically, in respect to rendering help by word or deed, or otherwise, to those with whom they are in contact—Z '02, 103 (R 2984). This text treats of sympathy in the full sense of the word. Such sympathy means to feel with others; to feel one with them in condition, experiences, sentiments and purposes. Thus we sympathize with God and Christ in that we feel one with Them in character, plan, work and triumph and in the mistreatment that They receive from Satan and his servants. In our sympathy with the brethren we not only feel with them as we do with God and Christ; but additionally we feel with them in their mistakes, lacks, faults, failures and weakness well knowing that we are encumbered with like infirmities. God and Christ being free from these do not call forth our sympathy for these. We do not sympathize with, but pity the world for their disharmony with good principles and for the mistreatment that they receive from Satan and from his willful and deluded servants—P '33, 164. Parallel passages: Psa. 20:2; 46:4, 5; 84:1-10; 102:13-15; 111:1; 132:16; 133; 134; Prov. 3:27, 28; 11:25; 22:9; 25:21; Isa. 40:11; 52:7; 58:6-11; 61:1-3;01 Acts 20:28; 11:29, 30; Rom. 15:15-27; 1 Cor. 12:28; 13:3; 2 Cor. 8:1-15, 24; Phil. 4:10-18; Col. 1:24; 1 Tim. 6:18; Heb. 6:10; 13:16; 1 Pet. 2:5; Mark 9:41. Hymns: 23, 95, 170, 172, 179, 277, 322. Poems of Dawn, 161: "A Cup of Cold Water." Tower Reading: Z '13, 168 (R 5250). Questions: Have I been helpful this week? To whom? Why? How? What helped or hindered? Under what circumstances? With what results? |
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"A CUP OF COLD WATER"
THE Lord of the Harvest walked forth one day,
Where the fields were white with the ripening wheat,
Where those He had sent in the early morn
Were reaping the grain in the noonday heat.
He had chosen a place for every one,
And bidden them work till the day was done.
Apart from the others, with troubled voice,
Spake one who had gathered no golden grain:
"The Master hath given no work to me,
and my coming hither hath been in vain;
The reapers with gladness and song will come,
But no sheaves will be mine in the harvest home."
He heard the complaint, and He called her name:
"Dear child, why standest thou idle here?
Go fill the cup from the hillside stream,
And bring it to those who are toiling near;
I will bless thy labor, and it shall be
Kept in remembrance as done for Me."
'Twas a little service, but grateful hearts
Thanked God for the water so cold and clear;
And some who were fainting with thirst and heat,
Went forth with new strength to the work so dear;
And many a weary soul looked up,
Revived and cheered by the little cup.
THE Lord of the Harvest walked forth one day,
Where the fields were white with the ripening wheat,
Where those He had sent in the early morn
Were reaping the grain in the noonday heat.
He had chosen a place for every one,
And bidden them work till the day was done.
Apart from the others, with troubled voice,
Spake one who had gathered no golden grain:
"The Master hath given no work to me,
and my coming hither hath been in vain;
The reapers with gladness and song will come,
But no sheaves will be mine in the harvest home."
He heard the complaint, and He called her name:
"Dear child, why standest thou idle here?
Go fill the cup from the hillside stream,
And bring it to those who are toiling near;
I will bless thy labor, and it shall be
Kept in remembrance as done for Me."
'Twas a little service, but grateful hearts
Thanked God for the water so cold and clear;
And some who were fainting with thirst and heat,
Went forth with new strength to the work so dear;
And many a weary soul looked up,
Revived and cheered by the little cup.
