September 9

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And He took them (the children) up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:16

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🔊 The human heart is like a bell that cannot be struck by any hammer other than the Spirit of God. Pleasures are like weeds that creep around and smother the bell; philosophies are like rust and corrosion that pit the surface of the bell; but none of these things cause the bell to ring. But once the Lord’s voice resounds within our hearts, the weeds lose their grip and the covering of rust is removed. A traveller in Africa will often see old rusting machines and vehicles, lying in some field or yard, waiting for a spare part that never came. They may be so collapsed in a corroded heap that hardly anyone even remembers what purpose they once served. The human heart quickly forgets what it was created for, and sinks into spiritual indolence and haziness. But when Jesus strikes our hearts with His love, there is an immediate sense of purpose and everything starts to fall into place – the machine that looked so desolate is restored in a moment to its factory newness. It isn’t an argument that restores us, nor is it even an explanation of how things went wrong – it is simply the Master’s touch. The story is told of an old violin in a jumble sale, that no-one would buy; it seemed so useless and worthless. Then a certain master violinist happened to notice it, and picked it up. After a few seconds of tuning, he laid the old bow on the dusty violin, and everyone stopped in amazement to hear the beautiful music that filled the room. In the same way, Jesus’ touch reveals the incalculable value of a human soul. Everywhere Jesus went, He touched something so deep and forgotten in people’s hearts that it made tired sinners turn in seconds into eager disciples of holiness. Never underestimate the power and influence of a moment in the hands of the Master.