p. 164 | IF I WERE ONLY WORTHY by J. O. Beard

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 13, 1900

IF I WERE ONLY WORTHY.

By J. O. Beard

J. O. BEARD.

How many honest-hearted souls utter these words! How many feel that they are so weak and insignificant that they can do nothing! Perhaps it is their poverty that makes them feel unworthy to do anything for the Lord, or it may be that they have no education. They would be glad to do anything for the Master, if they felt that they were worthy.

But possibly the Lord does not weigh worth as some of us are apt to weigh it. We are prone to think that the man who can map out the course of the stars in their orbits, or who has studied much about animal and plant life, their habits, manner of growth, etc., is a "great" man. We are apt to say, when we listen to the musical tones of the orator, If I could talk as that man talks, I would be a preacher.

But is it true that the astronomer, the naturalist, the orator, or any other of what the world calls great men, is more worthy to work for the Lord because of his knowledge or ability? In what does their greatness consist? Can one of these great men change the direction of the wind? Can he melt the icy bands of winter, and cause the grass and flowers to grow? When he puts a seed into the ground, can he even make it sprout and send forth its shoots? When the heat of summer smites him, can he bring a cloud between himself and the sun to ward off the heat? Or can he cause it to rain that the drought shall cease, and the grass and corn not be withered and destroyed?

Some of them have thought that they could cause rain to fall; and a few years ago when the drought was severe, they spent many thousands of dollars in trying to do so. They might have known, before they tried, that they would fail. Read Ps. 65:9-13. It is God who does all these things. The clouds are "turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth." Job 37:12; also Ps. 104:13, 14; 147:15-18; Nahum 1:3-5.

If the wisest and mightiest of men can do no more (real, not apparent doing) than the most ignorant, their greatness consists only in knowing a little more about how and why some things happen than the man knows who has not studied. But if they ignore God and deify nature, as most of them do, and say that all these things are controlled by the fixed and unalterable laws of nature, then the most ignorant man, according to the world, who has learned from the Bible that God does these things, and that he does them "that all men may know his work," has more true wisdom than has the wisest of this world's great men.

"Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." Job 28:28; Prov. 9:10. This is the measure of true worth, and that worth may be obtained by the poorest just as easily as by the world's great and mighty men. The Lord can make the tongue a learned one. Isa. 50:4. When Moses said he was "slow of speech and of a slow tongue," the Lord assured him that, having made man's mouth, he could put into it the proper words; and he finished with the promise, "I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."

God has used many humble instruments in his work. Amos said, "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was a herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: and the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people." Though his occupations were those followed only by the poor, yet God chose him to do an exalted work.

Who has not read with pleasure of the mighty victory of Gideon and his little band of three hundred men? But Gideon was among the poorest of Israel. When God told him to deliver his people from the Midianites, he said, "Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." Judges 6:15, R. V. That this was a statement of his poverty is shown by the way he answered the chidings of the Ephraimites. He said, "Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim [what is left after the crop has been gathered] better than the vintage [the entire crop] of Abiezer?"

It was not to one of the rich families, who had plenty of provisions stored up, that the Lord sent the prophet Elijah to be fed, but to a poor widow, who had only enough food for one small meal for herself and her son. 1 Kings 17:9-16.

It was a captive held as a slave, and she only a little girl, who carried a saving knowledge of the true God to the mighty general of the Syrian army. 2 Kings 5:3.

Truly, God has used "the weak things of the world to confound the mighty."

"Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." And again, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." Isa. 57:15; 66:2.

He with whom the King dwells is worthy to associate with any of the King's subjects. And the King's trusted friend is worthy to be the King's messenger to any one to whom the King may choose to send him. It is not for us to ask whether we are worthy or not, nor to measure ourselves by some other man's ability; but to ask if the fear of the Lord is in our hearts, and if by his help we have departed from iniquity. True humility will always be accompanied with living faith.

To regard ourselves as unworthy will not be wrong, if we apply the feeling only to our own merits. But while we feel so concerning our own worth, it will be a sin if we do not also recognize that the presence of Christ our Lord, in our hearts, will make us worthy for any work to which he may call us. Then let us no more say, "If I were only worthy," but let us say instead, "Lord Jesus, abide in me, and help me to humble myself so thou mayest use me when and where it may please thee."