“In due season you shall reap, if you faint not.” —Galatians 6:9
Believer! all the glory of your salvation belongs to Jesus—none to yourself; every jewel in your eternal crown is His— purchased by His blood, and polished by His Spirit. The confession of time will be the ascription of all eternity: “By the grace of God I am what I am!” But though “all be of grace,” your God calls you to personal strenuousness in the work of your high calling—to “labor,” to “fight,” to “wrestle,” to “agonize;” and the heavenly reaping will be in proportion to the earthly sowing: “He that sows sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and He that sows bountifully, shall reap also bountifully!” What an incentive to holy living, and increased spiritual attainments!
My soul! would you be a star shining high and bright in the firmament of glory?—would you receive the ten-talent recompense? Then be not weary. Put on your armor for fresh conquests. Be gaining daily some new victory over sin. Deny yourself. Be a willing cross-bearer for your Lord’s sake. Do good to all men as you have opportunity; be patient under provocation, “slow to wrath,” resigned in trial. Let the world take knowledge of you that you are wearing Christ’s uniform, and bearing Christ’s spirit, and sharing Christ’s cross. And when the reaping time comes, He who has promised that the cup of cold water cannot go unrecompensed, will not allow you to lose your reward!
A DUE REAPING by John MacDuff