A perfect heart and a willing mind are joined together. David counseled his son Solomon to “serve God with a perfect heart and with a willing mind” (1 Chronicles 28:9). A false heart puts off its work as long as possible and deserves little appreciation for work done under the rod of correction. But the sincere soul is ready for responsibility. Though it may lack skill and strength it will always be eager. Such willingness is like a hawk perched upon a man’s hand; as soon as the game is in sight she launches forward and would be in flight immediately, except for the tether holding her back.
“The Levites” were “more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests” (2 Chronicles 29:34). Why? They were more willing to work. No sooner had the word come out of the king’s mouth concerning reformation than the Levites arise and “sanctified themselves” (v. 15).
Even when failure is the result of our best effort, willingness speaks success to God. When a father asks his small son to bring him something, an obedient child does not complain that the command is too hard but runs to do it. And even if he uses all his strength but miscarries the simple mission, his willingness stirs up the parent’s pity to help him. Thus Christ throws this covering over His disciples’ blunders: “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
–William Gurnall
Faith is the least self-regarding of the virtues. It is by its very nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, faith is occupied with the Object upon which it rests and pays no attention to itself at all. While we are looking at God we do not see ourselves–blessed riddance. The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ the very things he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him. It will be God working in him to will and to do.
Faith is not in itself a meritorious act; the merit is in the One toward Whom it is directed. Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus. Sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self-regarding. Unbelief has put self where God should be, and is perilously close to the sin of Lucifer who said, “I will set my throne above the throne of God.” Faith looks out instead of in and the whole life falls into line.
–A.W. Tozer
John 12:21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”
Evermore the worldling’s cry is, Who will show us any good?” He seeks satisfaction in earthly comforts, enjoyments, and riches. But the quickened sinner knows of only one good. “O that I knew where I might find HIM!” When he is truly awakened to feel his guilt, if you could pour the gold of India at his feet, he would say, “Take it away: I want to find HIM.” It is a blessed thing for a man, when he has brought his desires into a focus, so that they all centre in one object. When he has fifty different desires, his heart resembles a mere of stagnant water, spread out into a marsh, breeding miasma and pestilence; but when all his desires are brought into one channel, his heart becomes like a river of pure water, running swiftly to fertilize the fields. Happy is he who hath one desire, if that one desire be set on Christ, though it may not yet have been realized. If Jesus be a soul’s desire, it is a blessed sign of divine work within. Such a man will never be content with mere ordinances. He will say, “I want Christ; I must have Him–mere ordinances are of no use to me; I want Himself; do not offer me these; you offer me the empty pitcher, while I am dying of thirst; give me water, or I die. Jesus is my soul’s desire. I would see Jesus!”
—Charles Spurgeon