August 21, Morning

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"He that watereth shall be watered also himself." — Proverbs 11:25 · KJV

Here we are taught the great lesson that to get, we must give; that to gather, we must scatter; that to make ourselves happy, we must make others happy; and that to grow spiritually strong, we must seek the spiritual good of others. In watering others, we are ourselves watered. How? Our efforts to be useful draw out our powers for usefulness. We have hidden talents and sleeping faculties that only exercise brings to light; our strength for labor is hidden even from ourselves until we venture out to fight the Lord's battles or climb the mountains of difficulty. We do not know what tender sympathies we possess until we try to dry the widow's tears and soothe the orphan's grief. Often, in trying to teach others, we gain instruction ourselves. Oh, what gracious lessons some of us have learned at sick beds! We went to teach the Scriptures, and came away blushing that we knew so little of them. In our talks with poor saints we are taught the way of God more perfectly, and gain a deeper insight into divine truth — so that watering others makes us humble; we discover how much grace lives where we had not looked for it, and how far a poor saint may outstrip us in knowledge. Our own comfort is increased, too, by working for others; we try to cheer them, and the comfort gladdens our own heart. It is like the two men in the snow: one rubbed the other's limbs to keep him from dying, and in doing so kept his own blood moving and saved his own life. The poor widow of Zarephath gave from her scanty store to supply the prophet's need, and from that day she never again knew what want was. Give, then, and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down, and running over.