Daily EncouragementSample

In the actions of Moses and Aaron and in the results which followed we have a guide to the pathway of effective service. If the servants of the Lord are to be made a blessing and if the glory of the Lord is to be manifested in their ministry, they must go in before they come out. That is to say, they must draw near to the Lord before they draw near to people. The apostles determined to devote themselves “to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4), and it is significant that they put prayer first. They knew the way in which they had to go if they were to bless the people.

The preacher of the word must walk this way if the glory of the Lord is to appear. “Something happens in true preaching,” says Hamish Mackenzie, “something supernatural. At a particular point in it (often about two thirds through) the heavens are opened and the church is filled with glory. We are conscious of the brush of wings and the brightness of fire.” When this happens we know that the preacher has been in before he came out, and our faith rests not on men’s wisdom but on God’s power (1 Cor. 2:5).