Like Unto Us

"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto His brethren" (Heb. 2:17).

Had our Lord appeared on earth as an angel of light, He would doubtless have inspired far more awe and reverence, and would have collected together even larger multitudes to attend His ministry. But to save man He became Man, not merely like man, but very man. In language, in costume, in everything unsinful, He made Himself one with those He sought to benefit. Had He been born a noble Roman, rather than a Jew, He would, perhaps, if less loved, have commanded more of a certain kind of respect; and He would assuredly thereby have been spared much indignity to which He was subjected. This, however, was not His aim; He emptied Himself. Surely no follower of the meek and lowly Jesus will be likely to conclude that it is "beneath the dignity of a Christian missionary" to seek identification with this poor people, in the hope that he may see them washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God! Let us rather be followers of Him who "knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God, He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments, and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded."

By James Hudson Taylor, taken from "Giant Steps"

The Joy of the Lord

"...the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh. 8:10).

What is the joy of the Lord? Is it joy that there is such a Lord? For we cannot realize His existence without joy. Or, is it joy that He is our Lord? For possession is a fruitful source of joy Or, again, is it joy that He has imparted to us, and shed abroad in our hearts by His Spirit? Or, lastly, is it His own joy which is our strength? We feel no doubt that, while all these sources of joy are ours, it is to the last of them that this passage specifically refers.

John 15:11 refers to our Saviour's joy in fruit-bearing through His branches. It was His will that His joy might remain in them; and that consequently their joy might be full. Here we see the joy of the Lord distinguished from the joy of His people.

In Hebrews 12:2, we have the joy of the Lord in the redemption of His people-joy to despise the shame and endure the cross. It was strength for self-sacrifice.

In Zephaniah 3:17, we have the joy of the Lord in the possession of His purchased inheritance. Oh, how wonderful is this joy! "He will rejoice over thee with joy, He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing."

It is the consciousness of the threefold joy of the Lord--His joy in ransoming us--His joy in dwelling within us as our Saviour and Power for fruitbearing--and His joy in possessing us, as His Bride and His delight; it is the consciousness of this joy which is our real strength. Our joy in Him may be a fluctuating thing: His joy in us knows no change.

By James Hudson Taylor, taken from "Giant Steps"