Verse of the day: Can the cane come without water?(Work 8. 11)
The cane is a hollow and spongy plant; the hypocrite is also like that. There is no substance or stability in the hypocrite. The reed rocks back and forth in all winds; likewise, the Formalists submit to all influences. That is why the cane does not break due to the storm; hypocrites don’t care about persecution either. Today’s verse can help us examine ourselves to see if we are hypocrites or not. Reed, by nature, lives in water and owes its existence entirely to the mud and silt in which it has taken root. If the mud dries out, the reed will dry out quickly. The greenness of the reed depends entirely on the circumstances. The abundance of water makes it bloom and drought quickly destroys it. Is this my case? Do I serve God only when I am in good company or when Christianity is respectable and profitable? Do I love the Lord only when I receive temporary comforts from His hands? If this is my case, I am a despicable hypocrite. Like reed that dries up easily, I will die when death deprives me of external pleasures. However, can I honestly say that when earthly comforts are in short supply and my situation is unfavorable and unprofitable to grace, I will always maintain my integrity? If so, then I can hope that there is a vital and genuine godliness in me. The reeds cannot grow without moisture, but the plants that belong to the Lord can flourish and flourish, even in the dry year. A saved man grows more often when world circumstances deteriorate. He who follows Christ in search of gain is like Judas Iscariot. Those who follow him for the loaves and fishes are of the devil, but those who follow him for love are his loved ones. Oh Lord, may my life be in You and not in the mud of this world’s favor and gain.