Excerpted from Life on the Highest Plane – Ruth Paxson (1928):
Luke 19:12-13, “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his 10 servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, ‘ till I come.’”
“Occupy.” The Christian who looks and longs for the Lord’s return is sometimes accused by those who reject this truth of being a visionary, impracticable stargazer, waiting idly for something to happen to release him from a doomed world. They even claim that such a hope “cuts the nerve of service.” Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the exact opposite of this is true.
From the early Church on down to the present time it is the men and women who have held this truth who have been the most zealous, ardent, active soul-winners. Their one passion was to trade with the pound which their Lord had given them until it had brought Him ten pounds.
Their chief concern was not that they themselves might be released from a doomed world but that they might be the channels which the Lord would use to deliver others from it. With unwearied devotion and unflagging zeal they have obeyed the Lord’s commission to preach the Gospel to every creature. The paramount purpose of their lives was to “occupy” faithfully till He comes.
Words of Grace for Strength
The Spirit has occupied the heart of every believer, the Lord has asked us to occupy ourselves in the pursuit of what has worth and lasting value from an eternal perspective. We are to do the Lord’s work, we are to be about our Father’s business, and we are to show the love of Christ to those around us, we are to bring Him to others that the Spirit may draw them to Himself.
It is not merely a job we are to perform, it is a purpose of life we are to fulfill, one in service to the Lord, a life surrendered to the Lord. Think of the apostle Paul, read through 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 to see what he lived through as he occupied himself in the Lord’s work. Occupying himself as he awaited the soon return of his Lord and Savior, just as we await His Soon Return.
May we do so with the same expectancy and fervency, having the same urgency to accomplish the tasks our Lord has set before us, completely aware of the shortness of time we may have to do so. Paul may have been stooped over from the trials he faced in service to God, but he stood until the end, occupied in preaching Christ, and Him crucified; exhorting others, mentoring and teaching those who would follow him.
While this is the end of our study, it represents what is really the beginning of the work which we as servants of Christ are called to do. Our occupation, our work, in these last days is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ just as the Church has since Pentecost, both as the body, and as individuals.
Heeding, loving, looking, waiting, watching and holding fast are the preparations we need make to be able to occupy until He comes. While we may have missed opportunities in the past, there is no time like the present to ensure we occupy until He comes in the future.
We may grow weary in body but pray we never grow weary in spirit. Let our concern not be for ourselves, but for reaching as many as we can with the gospel before His return. Let us occupy our minds not with worldly desires and cares, but with Him and His Word.
For if our minds are occupied with Him, our hands will be occupied with His work. And if we are so occupied, time will pass quickly in our minds, and we will be eternally in His presence before we know it.
Occupy, for Jesus is coming soon!
Even So Come.
Dr. Tuck Whitaker and Andy Coticchio
Rafter Cross Ministries