One whose heart is still vexed and uncalmed cannot
be a physician to hearts with bleeding wounds. We must first have been
comforted of God ourselves, before we can comfort others in their
tribulations.
The same is true of all spiritual ministry. We need a steady hand to
touch the work of Christ's kingdom. One of our Lord's earlier miracles
furnishes an illustration of this truth. Jesus was called to heal a
woman who lay sick of a great fever. One of the Gospels describes the
cure in these striking words: "He touched her hand, and the fever left
her; and she arose and ministered unto them." We readily understand
this record in its primary reference to the physical cure that was
wrought by our Lord. We know, of course, that the woman could not
minister to others while the fever was on her. When sore sickness
comes, the busiest, fullest hands must drop their tasks. No matter how
important the work is, how essential it may appear, it must be laid
down when painful illness seizes us. We must be healed of our fever
before we can minister.
But there are other fevers besides those which burn in men's bodies.
There are heart-fevers which may rage within us, even when our bodies
are in perfect health. We find people with feverish spirits--unhappy,
discontented, fretted, worried, perhaps insubmissive and rebellious.
Or they may be in a fever of fear or dread.
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