Whispers of His Power – JANUARY 21

Acts 20.35 (RV): Ye ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Have you ever wondered who remembered and told St Paul that lovely word of our Lord, which no one records in the Gospels?  We can picture the sorrowful people standing on the shore listening to it, and treasuring it in their hearts.

Paul had been speaking of ordinary work and of working so that we have something to give.  But perhaps there was a further thought in his mind.  The people wanted to keep him.  Others needed him.  We are not here to enjoy one another.  Love must not be selfish.  Love, the truest, deepest kind of love, gives and goes on giving – like the sea upon whose shore they stood together.

It is more blessed (more very happy) to give than to receive.  He who knew all kinds of happiness said that.  So it must be true.  It is true.

oooOOOooo

These words are from ’Whispers of His Power’ a collection of writings that Amy Carmichael wrote for her ‘children’ and others associated with the Dohnavur Fellowship and are Copyright © The Dohnavur Fellowship 1982

Unless otherwise stated, biblical quotations are from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.

The following abbreviations are used to refer to other versions and sources:

BCP:               Book of Common Prayer, the Great Bible of Coverdale

Conybeare:       W. J. Conybeare, The Epistles of Paul (a translation)

Delitzsch:        F. Delitzsch, Notes on Job and the Psalms

Kay:                W. Kay, The Psalms (a translation)

LXX:              The Septuagint

Moffatt:           J. Moffatt, The New Testament: a new translation

Rotherham:      J. B. Rotherham, The Emphasized Bible Revised Version

RV:                 Revised Version

Way:              A. Way, The Letters of St Paul (a translation)

Westcott:        F. Westcott, Notes on the Gospel of St John

Weymouth:      R. F. Weymouth, The New Testament in Modern Speech

Young:            R. Young, A Literal Translation of the Bible

Verses of poetry without quotation marks were written by Amy Carmichael.