To Serve and Follow Him - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

That in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossians 1:18 NKJV

To Serve and Follow Him
Do you think we shall want to talk about self when we get to heaven? I am sure that when the glory shines into our hearts, we will talk of nothing but Christ. If I am in sorrow and anyone talks about the world, does it cheer the heart? No! But if he talks of Christ and all His glory, the heart gets comfort directly. Why so vexed about self, so troubled in spirit? And why is there so little to be heard of Christ, who has brought us to where we get all the mind of God and of heaven? I should like to get the thought of the living Christ in heaven to be the only object before the soul, so that we may be occupied only with Christ. Can there be any lack of joy? Oh no! Christ died for me. Any lack of glory? Oh no! I am one with Him at the right hand of God.

But often, even when a large place is given to Christ, people forget that it must be only Christ, and not self. If occupied with Christ, where are my own thoughts, my own plans? We may give a large place to Christ and to God's plan, but forget that energies of our own run counter to Christ. If you are quickened, you must expect to die daily, to let all your own plans and energies die. Human energy connects me with things down here, but never drives me to Christ.

If you and I were to go forth this week full of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, occupied with Christ, what single thing of our own would stand? We would follow Him as a little vessel towed along by a large one; and not only that, but our fellowship, joy, and glory would be all in Him because we are His blessed people. Oh for grace now to serve and follow Him! Oh to walk down here according to the place of blessing we are in!

-- G. V. Wigram

Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;
Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard.

-- Mrs. A. A. Whiddington