Strength for Times of Coldness of Heart

When I feel cold or reluctant, I often go back to those great commissions to refresh a right sense of why we go.

Mt.28.18-20, Mk.16.15-8, Lk.24.46-8, Jn.20.21-3, Acts 1.8, but also 2 Tim.4.1-3, 1 Jn.4.14 and Rev.22.16-7.

There is great comfort too in returning to the four great commissions of the prophets and studying and embracing them for our encouragement Exod.3.1-15, 4.10-12, 6.1-3, 6.29-7.5 Isa.6.1-10, Jer.1.4-19, Ezek.2.1-7, 3.4-11, as well as the call of Joshua, Gideon, Jonah, and others. Discouragement, distractions and faint heartedness are not new temptations, they struck at even the boldest of prophets and we need to deploy all God's armoury to disarm them. Remember too the episodes of Jer.26.20-24 and 1 Ki.13. We may not flag in our Master's duty. But if physical frailty or family duties are appointed to you, brother, these too are His precious cup of fellowship.