Sacrifice

Sacrifice

Jesus was like a root put down in the soil of the human soul, not to find His life in it, but to give His life. It was a hidden sacrifice. Science teaches us that trees such as the pine and the spruce, which grow on rocky outcrops, can break down and dissolve rock with a special sap in their roots, thus enabling the root to draw nourishment from the rock.

In other words, they put down roots first—they must first lay down their life before they are able to take life. It is a hidden sacrifice. And in this way it becomes possible for them to exist and thrive in places where it would simply be impossible for others to do so. And hasn’t He—“the root in dry ground”—shown this in a unique way? Has He not poured out His whole life until He felt the echo of love and life in the dry soil of humanity. He has first awakened life through His death, by giving Himself as the prophet says: When He has given His life as a guilt offering, He shall see fruit. No outward visible fruit, but a hidden sacrifice is a law of the kingdom of God.

Oh, what an answer this testimony is to the complaints that so many of God’s children have about their circumstances and the people they are with. For those who belong to Him, there is no situation which can hold them back or hinder their growth. Because they are first giving and not taking, they also thrive where existing for others—who do not have this grace—would once and for all be impossible. Giving enables you to go through everywhere, to bear fruit and remain healthy.

Here lies the secret of why we have so many barren, weary and comfortless children of God. Their prayers, their Bible reading, their tears are a great grief to the Holy Spirit. For in all this they seek only their own, i.e. they study only to find out how they can be free of all their troubles. They have not understood that they are the salt of the earth. Does salt give, a, or does it take?

When will we begin, in our hearts, to understand our calling, and cease all complaining about our surroundings, and stop excusing our shortcomings by pointing to unfavourable circumstances? Our Christianity should no longer resemble a lottery, where we hope, with little effort to win a big prize.

But we should learn from the Lamb whose motto was: I did not come to be served, but to serve and to give My life . . . He first put in the great price. He gave the capital before requiring the interest; He sowed before He wished to reap. Precious child of God, what have you invested in those around you? Do you know the hidden sacrifices, the quiet sacrifices, that are so great in the eyes of God? It is a royal mind indeed that gives its life indeed without any thought of personal compensation, without wanting to enjoy the fruit of our sacrifice, so that even for ourselves it remains a hidden offering. That’s how it was with Jesus. On the cross, His life seemed be lost: but above the cross the Spirit hovered, keeping holy watch that nothing would be lost of the life that was being put to death. Yet it required the glory of God to tread such a path of death, as we read in Hebrews 2:9. And only those who, in the surrender of their life, have seen the value of their life will be able to keep in step with the Lamb. For they are not concerned with great deeds, but with a greater motive, by which they ennoble the lowliest of work. And this motto is: Everything for the honour of my God.