It was Jesus' custom to draw
spiritual lessons from the things surrounding
him and by some similitude impress upon his
hearers a profitable truth; so we may get many
valuable thoughts from the simple things of
every-day life. The articles mentioned in the
heading bring to mind pictures of two classes of
people.
The most noticeable feature of a
sponge is its power of absorbing a liquid and
retaining it within itself. If dipped in or
placed in contact with a liquid, it will absorb
several times its weight. Some people are like
sponges. They go to meeting and drink in the
truth time after time. They love it. It delights
their hearts. They love the singing, the
preaching, the testimonies, and the prayers.
They absorb and absorb, but, like the sponge,
they give out nothing. The sponge gives up what
it has taken in only when it is subjected to
pressure. So it is with these human sponges.
While they love to listen, they have to be urged
to do anything. They testify only when they feel
duty-bound to do so or when urged by somebody
else. They rarely pray in meeting. They are
among the last in all such things. To go where a
congregation are mostly sponges is to find a few
having all to do and to find a dull, insipid
meeting. Wet sponges will not burn. Neither will
the fire of God burn in a congregation of
sponges. A preacher may be full of fire, but he
cannot set sponges burning. Do you have to be
urged to testify? Are you ready to pray or do
whatever you can in the meeting? Do you love to
talk to people about salvation? Or do you speak
of it only when some one else starts the
conversation? Do you have to be constantly urged
to do your duty? Are you a sponge?
A watering can is different. It
too will take in to its full capacity; but as
soon as it is turned in the right position, it
freely gives out again. Streams of cooling,
refreshing water fall on the thirsty plants. The
drooping flowers raise again their heads to
blush in beauty, and their fragrance floats out
on the balmy air once more. A delicious coolness
surrounds the place, and we delight to be there.
While the sponge represents the selfish class,
the watering can represents the open-hearted,
cheerful giver--one who is ready to pass on the
good things and who in return reaps the promise,
"He that watereth shall be watered also
himself." If the watering can is emptied, does
not the gardener fill it again, and with fresh
water? So, if we are pouring out to others, we
shall be filled anew. We shall not be empty, but
fresh and rich in our souls with the water of
life. The great Gardener fills us that we may
pour out to others, not simply that we may be
filled ourselves. It is said of Jesus that he
"emptied himself" (Revised Version.) He became
poor that through his poverty we should be made
rich.
O beloved, God wants us to be
"ready unto every good work." Do not be a
sponge. Do not have to be pressed into duty. Do
not live in yourself and for yourself. Be no
longer content with drinking in. Begin to pour
out. Be ready to do your part in meeting, yea
everywhere. Be ready to water others. The world
is indeed "thirsty ground."
A sponge, if left too itself,
gives out by evaporation until it becomes hard
and dry; and in such a state it is useless. Many
people have drunk in the truth and delighted in
it, but instead of pouring out to others, that
they might be refilled, they have just given out
by evaporation until they have become dry and
formal and lifeless. That is the usual result
with spiritual sponges. Who are those who are
fat and flourishing, those who have showers of
blessings? Are they the sponges? Nay, verily.
"Give, and it shall be given." "It is more
blessed to give [to be a watering can] than to
receive [to be a sponge]."
Now, face the question
squarely. Which of these things are you? Look
over the past year. Have you been ready for
duty? Is your testimony always "ripe"--ready for
the opportunity? Are you ready for service of
any kind? If you have been a sponge, quit being
one. Quit now. Get God to make something better
of you. If we are not now sponges, we can soon
become so by neglect of duty. The only safe way
is to keep pouring
out.
