This Time, This Place, This People, This Moment

In 1704 at the age of 44 Matthew Henry began writing his Commentary on the Whole Bible. As you probably know, it is rather a massive work. Over the next 10 years he wrote from Genesis to Acts. After his death his friends completed Acts to Revelation. My favorite quote from his six volume set is tucked away in Leviticus 8:31-36, where on verse 35 (“At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the Lord has charged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded)” Henry applied this: “..it must be our daily care to keep this charge, for it is the charge of the Lord our Master, who will shortly call us to an account about it, and it is at our utmost peril if we neglect it. Keep it that you die not; it is death, eternal death, to betray the trust we are charged with; by the consideration of this we must be kept in awe.” 

From these words, roughly 50 years later, Charles Wesley penned the beloved hymn “A Charge to Keep.” The words often inspire my day: “A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify, never-dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky. To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill, O may it all my pow'rs engage to do my Master's will!” 

I need to be reminded that I have a charge to glorify God. I also need to be set in remembrance that a have a shelf life here, and my mission is in that time to serve those people who also have a soul. This day you will interact with others. May all your powers engage to serve and so to the Master’s Will.