To Gather

To Gather

The question of either gathering or scattering is unusually interesting! For example, when a congregation divides into two groups because of differing attitudes—is that not gathering? Yes, of course! Not only that, one has gathered as one ought to gather; one has gathered in such a way that one has reason to hope it will continue to be gathered for time and eternity.

People always gather, some here and some there, and some around something else. But of what advantage is this actually when eventually the righteous come and spread everything like chaff before the wind? The advantage, then, must be that they have enjoyed the passing pleasures of their lusts—if you, in fact, reckon that to be an advantage. Hag. 1:9.

People toil in order to gather as much, and as many as possible. If only there can be much and many people and a pleasant atmosphere, they are satisfied, thinking that they have done well. They gather wool and flour into one sack. But when the God of order comes—either sooner or later—all that man has gathered, his entire labors, his entire life’s work, all his unity, all his imagined, widely trumpeted love (for everything is of course done in the name of love) is overthrown! As a result, the advantage is of a very doubtful nature. 1 Cor. 3:10-15.

I wonder if, in spite of everything, it wouldn’t be more advantageous out of love for Wisdom, the God of Order, to proclaim and uphold righteousness (Hos. 10:12; 2 Pet. 2:5; Heb. 11:33) and thus gather according to God’s laws so it can stand in the judgment even though this results in less in people’s eyes! 1 Cor. 11:19.

Is it the numbers that increase your happiness, your joy, your strength, and your virtues? It is God’s hidden wisdom that increases the glory of my inner life. The advantage of this wisdom is that it knows how to place each and every thing and person in its proper place, according to God’s order.

When we separate, we also gather, and when we gather, we separate, whether we want to or not. I must have of necessity separated the ones I gather today from it or them with what or whom they were together formerly. In a deeper sense of the word, to gather and to separate are one and the same thing. The question, then, becomes not one of gathering or separating, but it becomes a question of what and how I gather.

My work consists of gathering the children of the freewoman—those who evidently have a heavenly calling—to their place in the body of Christ according to the laws of this body, so that each one individually will, in time, prove to fit in, as God, according to His free will and according to His foreknowledge, has determined it to be the best for each individual.

Who it will be, or how many there will be, or how it will be doesn’t concern me if only I can fulfill my ministry and take care of what He can receive from me and wants to be taken care of—as long as my gathering, my placing, my decision, my separation, my love is overthrown as little as possible; in other words, that my work together with the others must fit together with the others’ work as part of the perfect whole. May God give grace to that end. Amen.