WE CONTINUE OUR meditation on abiding in Him and He in us. Only where there is the mutual abiding is the life fruitful. If we only abide in Him, we are comparatively fruitless, and if He only abides in us, again we are comparatively fruitless. When there is the double abiding, we trust as if the whole thing depends on Him and work as if the whole thing depends on us. We draw resources by abiding in Him, and we draw inspiration to use those resources by His abiding in us.
The Overstreets have a chapter in their book The Mind Goes Forth on “The Space Makers.” They say that some people are space makers—they make room around themselves for others to grow. On the contrary some are “space-deny-ers”—around them you cannot grow. Like a great oak tree which overshadows the saplings, cutting off light and air and opportunity, so some people are benevolent tyrants. They suffocate and stunt those around them. Jesus was the Prince of Space Makers. It was said of Him that He would be “light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32). The marginal reading is “a light to unveil the Gentiles.” He unveils the possibilities in every man, even in those who were called “Gentile dogs.” History has seen the fulfillment of that—the “Gentile dogs” have become the leaders of civilization. At the basis of that leadership is the stimulus of Jesus Christ. He makes the nobodies into somebodies, the down-and-outs into up-and-on-tops.
He has awakened interest in the despised. A blind beggar called out to Jesus to have mercy on him. The disciples told him to shut up. He was only a blind beggar. Jesus stopped and called him, and the disciples ran to him and said: Arise, He calleth thee (see Mark 10:49). They were not interested in him until Jesus was. Since that day we have followed His interest in the uninteresting—outcastes, lepers, blind, alcoholics, prostitutes, waif children—everybody. His interest awakens ours.
Jesus, Master, that Thou shouldst be in me is miracle of miracles. Only love could stand it. To be in me is to share intimately my inmost self which is often not beautiful. Love is a miracle, and Thy love is a continuing, creative miracle. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Out of gratitude for what grace has done for me, today I shall seek to create new worth in someone else who, like me, needs grace.
