The Business of the King

‘The king’s business required haste.’—I Sam. xxi. 8.
AND yet there is no other business about which average Christians take it so easy. They ‘ must ‘  go their usual round, they ‘ must’ write their letters, they ‘must’ pay off their visits and other social claims, they  ‘must’ do all that is expected of them; and then, after this and that and the other thing is cleared off, they will do what they can of the King’s business.  They do not say ‘must’ about that, unless it is some part of His business which is undertaken at second-hand, and with more sense of responsibility to one’s clergyman than to one’s King. Is this being ‘faithful and loyal and single hearted ?’  If it has been so, oh, let it be so no more ! How can ‘Jesus Only ‘  be our motto, when we have not even said ‘ Jesus First’ ?

1 Luke xiv. 20. 2 Luke ix. 59, 61. 3 Eph. vi. 5, 6.
4 Matt. xvii. 8. 5 Matt. vi. 33. 6 Luke xii. 20.
for ever if not used then and there; there is no

The King’s business requires haste. It is always pressing, and may never be put off. Much of it has to do with souls which may be in eternity to-morrow f and with opportunities which are ‘one ‘ convenient season ‘ for it but  to-day. ‘ Often it is not really done at all, because it is not done in the spirit of holy haste. We meet an unconverted friend again and again, and beat about the bush, and think to gain quiet influence and make way gradually, and call it judicious not to be in a hurry, when the real reason is that we are wanting in holy eagerness and courage to do the King’s true business with that soul, and in nine such cases out of ten nothing ever comes out of it; but  As thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone.’ Have we not found it so ?
Delay in the Lord’s errands is next to disobedience, and generally springs out of it, or issues in it. ‘God commanded me to make haste.’ Let us see to it that we can say, ‘ I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments.’
We never know what regret and punishment delay in the King’s business may bring upon ourselves. Amasa ‘ tarried longer than the set time which he (the king) had appointed him,’ and the result was death to himself. Contrast the result in Abigail’s case, where, except she had hasted, her household would have perished.’

1 Acts xxiv. 25. 2 Heb. iii. 13. 3 i Kings xx. 40.
?* 2 Chron. XXXV. 21, & Ps. cxix. 6o. ^ 2 Sam. xx. 5.
7 I Sam. XXV. 34. 8 Col. iii. 23. 9 Ezra vii. 23.
*0 2 Chron. xxxiv. 12. n Ezra vii. 21.

We find four rules for doing the King’s business, in His word. We are to do it,—first, ‘ Heartily ; ‘ second, ‘Diligently; ‘ third, ‘ Faithfully; ‘ fourth,
‘ Speedily.’  Let us ask Him to give us the grace of energy to apply them this day to whatever He indicates as our part of His business, remembering that He said ‘ I must be about my Father’s business.’
Especially in that part of it which is between Himself and ourselves alone, let us never delay. Oh, the incalculable blessings that we have already lost by putting off our own dealings with our King ! Abigail first ‘ made haste ‘ to meet David for mere safety; soon afterwards, she again ‘ hasted and arose and went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.’
Thus hasting, we shall rise from privilege to privilege, and ‘ go from strength to strength.’

What shall be our word for Jesus ? Master, give it day by day;

Ever as the need arises, teach Thy children what to say.

Give us holy love and patience; grant us deep humility, That of self we may be emptied, and our hearts be full of Thee;

Give us zeal and faith and fervour, make us winning, make us wise,

Single-hearted, strong and fearless;—Thou hast called us, we will rise! Let the might of Thy good Spirit go with every loving word;

And by hearts prepared and opened, be our message always heard !

1 Luke ii.49. 2 I Sam. xxv. 18.
* I Sam. xxv. 42. * Ps. Ixxxiv. 7.