Christian people often talk about meetings where it feels free and easy to speak, testify and pray; Then again about other gospel meetings where it feels heavy and spiritless both for speakers and listeners.
Immediately some are ready to judge about the first kind of meetings as spirit-filled, and the others as without the Holy Spirit and without a blessing.
But this sort of a judging and trying the spirits is not always correct--not at all.
Good feeling's and sentiments have their place and are good to have; but not all fire is holy fire.
Very much of the human element may get mixed in there also, so the work of God in its convicting power does not get the right of way.
On the other hand, where it may feel somewhat heavy and rather closed, still the way may be open for a richer experience of the power of God. For it teaches us our own helpless condition and absolute dependence upon God and drives us closer to His grace and promises. It will lead the upright soul to self-searching and a humble spirit. And it is in this humble spirit the Lord will deposit His finest treasures.
It has also been proved over and over that just in the meeting we believed was without any fruit-- just in that very meeting God was permitted to come with His healing comfort into some downhearted soul.
Let us not begin to feel superior when spiritual things glide along very freely, neither let us feel inferior and discouraged, when it goes dull and heavy with us, but let us come to the Lord as a humble and poor people, with a conscience washed in the atoning blood of Jesus. Then He will fill our empty vessels with His riches. And then we are blessed and will be a blessing.
No matter how our feeling's might be.
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