At the outset, I desire to bring to the fore, a ‘juicy’ tale adorning Science history. When the invention-coal miner’s lamp of Sir Humphrey Davy began to pale relatively before the astounding discoveries of his far more illustrious pupil Michael Faraday (in the field of electro-magnetism and electro-chemistry), he was prodded by the prying media of his day ‘on how he felt on seeing his discovery being overshadowed by those of his own famous student.’ To this he is said to have come up with an apt, witty reply: “Gentlemen, you are forgetting that my greatest discovery is not the coal miner’s lamp but Michael Faraday, himself.” Oh, how weak is human memory! Oh, how soon lives of men who have inspired other men to “great works” are soon reduced to mere footnotes in the history books. Thankfully, it doesn’t happen in the spiritual realm, for here the fair and just God who is in charge, using an altogether “different scale” for measuring success has affirmed that:
“…those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.” (Mark 10:31)
What a wonderful source of encouragement, these words are to those who serve the Lord diligently, far away from the public spotlight for words, “The least important now” alludes to them. Yes, they may get no proper recognition from the people of their era, for the industrious efforts they put in for the Lord, but their efforts are being recognized by the Lord himself!
“Then” in the above-captioned Scripture of course refers to the time of distributing rewards to God’s servants (1 Cor 3:12-15) coinciding with middle of the Seven year tribulation period (following the Church Rapture) when the “serpent-tongued accuser” would be forever cast off from the Heavenly realm (Rev 12:7-10).
Let’s take the life and ministry of Jewish Prophets before the exile, as a case in point. Unlike prophets and leaders after the Exile, like Haggai, Ezra and Nehemiah who were able to elicit positive response from the people and rally them around for great socio-spiritual civic projects like Temple and Wall reconstruction, the prophets before the exile were not as “successful”. Not only were they “unsuccessful” in bringing the errant people of their generation to repentance, but also to top it all, some of them paid for their sincere, selfless efforts with their own lives. In this series of three parts, yours truly would like to focus upon the “true” success of the Pre-exilic prophets.
Prayer: Father, we are serving you and it is Your pleasure that matters in the service, we are rendering for Your glory. Enable us to remember this truth at all times. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Suresh Manoharan
J and SM Ministries
(To access the entire “The Success Story of the Unsuccessful Prophets” mini-series, please click here.)