Pour Out All Your Strength

To grow, just as the thick leaves fall from a tree,
the pastimes and pleasures you enjoyed in the world
must fall away one by one.
Each time a leaf falls
there will be the pain of tree and leaf being parted,
but if the nourishment that was spent on the leaves
goes down to the roots that reach deep, deep into the earth,
that tree will grow ever thicker and keep growing.
As a tree matures, again and again
growing thick with leaves and shedding them,
pour out all your strength toward the depths of your soul.
When you reach deep, deep into me, your soul will not run dry.
Do not act like the hypocrites
Do not act like the hypocrites.
Hypocrites carry the water jar on their heads,
looking to see whether anyone is saying how hard they work,
whether anyone is saying how faithful they are;
they look back and look back again, trip over a stone,
lose their balance and spill the water, and then
will the master not look at the jar,
only half full, and rebuke them,
and tell them to go and draw water again?
Think only of the master and look only ahead as you go,
and the faithful servant who has heard one word of praise from the master
is acclaimed by everyone together.
So I want you to act wisely.
You must not act like the hypocrites.
Forgive
Are you in pain from persecution?
You still have far to go.
It is not that they know what they are doing when they persecute you.
They have no thought at all.
They simply say whatever thoughts the evil spirit puts into them.
You asked me
how I could love Judas Iscariot.
I did not love him.
Just as I have vessels for honor and vessels for dishonor,
I simply did not throw him away, so that one day, when the time came, I could use him.
Do not throw him away.
There will surely be a use for him, and a time when he is truly needed.
But people do not even know whether they are vessels for honor
or vessels for dishonor,
and yet they act as they themselves see fit.
Be thankful that you are used as a vessel for honor.
How could you slander and criticize them?
If someone wants to learn, do not throw them away.
By that word they will stumble of their own accord,
and through that word they will be broken.
How could you know?
Anyone at all who comes into Christ —
never be the one to judge them first and throw them away.
Whether to throw away or to mend and use is mine to do; you are only to love.
When you always discipline yourself with a sharp knife,
discipline yourself with prayer and discipline yourself with the Word,
you will bear more fruit.