“The king said, Wherefore wentest thou not with me?” (2 Samuel 19:25).

“With me!” (John 17:24). To be with our King will be our highest bliss for eternity, and surely it is the position of highest honor and gladness now. But if we would always be with Him, we must sometimes be ready to go with Him (1 Thess. 4:17).

“The Son of God goes forth to war” nowadays. Do we go with Him? His cross is “without the gate.” Do we go “forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach”? (Hebrews 13:12,13). Do we really go with Him every day and all day long, following “the Lamb whithersoever He goeth”? (Revelation 14:4). What about this week–this day? Have we loyally gone with our King wherever His banner, His footsteps go before? (1 Peter 2:21).

If the voice of our King is heard in our hearts, “Wherefore wentest thou not with me?”–you who have eaten “continually at the King’s table” (2 Samuel 9:13)–you who have had a place among “the King’s sons” (2 Samuel 9:11)–you unto whom the King has shown “the kindness of God” (2 Samuel 9:3)–we have no “because” to offer. He would have healed the spiritual lameness that hindered (2 Samuel 19:26) and we might have run after Him. We are without excuse.

It is only now that we can go with Jesus into conflict, suffering, loneliness, weariness. It is only now that we can come to the help of the Lord against the mighty (Judges 5:23) in this great battlefield. Shall we shrink from opportunities which are not given to the angels? Surely, even with Him in glory, the disciples must “remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said” (Acts 20:35) to them, “Ye are they which have continued with Me in My temptations” (Luke 22:28). They must have a thrill of rapturous thanksgiving that such a privilege was theirs.

There will be no more suffering with Him in heaven, only reigning with Him (2 Timothy 2:12); no more fighting under His banner, only sitting with Him on His throne (Revelation 3:21). But today we may prove our loving and grateful allegiance to our King in the presence of His enemies, by rising up and going forth with Him–forth from a life of easy idleness or selfish business –forth into whatever form of blessed fellowship in His work, His wars, or it may be, of His sufferings, the King Himself may choose for us. We have heard His call, “Come untoMe.” Today He says, “Come with Me” (Song of Solomon 4:8).

True-hearted, whole-hearted!
Faithful and loyal,
King of our lives, by Thy grace
we will be!
Under Thy standard exalted and
royal,
Strong in Thy strength we will
battle for Thee.

From My King And His Service, by Frances Ridley Havergal