The waterer watered

‘He that watereth shall be watered also himself.’ Proverbs 11:25

Suggested Further Reading: Job 29:11–25

You would often find that in trying to water others you gained instruction. Go talk to some poor saint to comfort her, and she will tell you what will comfort you. Oh what gracious lessons some of us have learned at sick beds! We went to teach the Scriptures; we came away blushing that we knew so little of them. We went to talk experimental truth, and we found we were only up to the ankles while here were God’s poor saints breast-deep in the river of divine love. We learn by teaching, and our pupils often teach us. You will also get comfort in your work. Rest assured that working for others is very happy exercise. Comfort God’s people and the comfort will return into your own soul. Watering others will make you humble. You will find better people in the world than yourself. You will be astonished to find how much grace there is where you thought there was none, and how much knowledge some have gained, while you, as yet, have made little progress with far greater opportunities. You will also win many prayers. Those who work for others, get prayed for, and that is a swift way of growing rich in grace. Let me have your prayers, and I can do anything! Let me be without my people’s prayers, and I can do nothing. You Sunday-school teachers, if you are blessed to the conversion of the children, will get your children’s prayers. You that conduct the larger classes, in the conversion of your young people, will be sure to have a wealth of love come back into your own hearts, swimming upon the stream of supplication. You will thus be a blessing to yourselves. In watering others you will get honour to yourselves, and that will help to water you by stimulating your future exertions.

For meditation: Nobody worked harder for others in the early church than the apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 11:23,28); he received much refreshment from those he served (Acts 27:3; Romans 15:32; 1 Corinthians 16:18; 2 Corinthians 7:4,13; 2 Timothy 1:16; Philemon 7,20). Do you lack refreshment? Do you serve anybody?

Sermon no. 626
23 April (1865)