When the Lord divided Canaan among the tribes of Israel,
Levi received no share of the land. God
said to him simply, ‘I am thy part and thine inheritance,’ and by those
words made him richer than all his brethren, richer than all the kings
and rajas who have ever lived in the world. And
there is a spiritual principle here, a principle still valid for every
priest of the Most High God.
The man
who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary
treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the
enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary
to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he
will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things
he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight.
Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it
all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.
O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both
satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of
my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the
Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I
thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee,
that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love
within me. Say to my soul, ‘Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come
away.’ Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty
lowland where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.