Surely the Lord would make known unto thee that which has been the downfall, a snare and a trap unto God’s people in the past. Hast thou not known many assemblies and many people in whom the Spirit of the Lord has moved, and yet thou shalt look upon them today, and it is as though “Ichabod” has been written over their door? For behold, the Lord has turned aside where once He did move. Where once the cloud of glory did rest, behold, there is a bareness and dryness and the Lord has forsaken the place. And you look and say, “Did not the Lord move here? Yet what has caused this desolation? What has caused the flowering garden to become a wilderness? What has made this a desolate place?”
Behold, the Lord said, “Were not the ears heedless and careless?” They did not hear the Word of the Lord, but it became to them most common; and they harkened not, and neither were they stirred when the Spirit of the Lord did move. They did rejoice for a season in the Word of the Lord; but, behold, they regarded it not that they should be obedient to every Word that the Lord had spoken, that they should magnify and glorify God for every Word that was spoken.
Behold, O house of God, shall not this danger also fall upon thee? Thou hast often heard the Word of the Lord and hast seen the moving of the Spirit, and thou hast heard the voice of the Lord bring unto thee many Words and many instructions, and thou hast been moved for a little time and hast rejoiced in it; but, behold, the Lord would say, “Take heed how you hear.”
Yea, esteem most highly the Word of the Lord that comes in this hour, for many a house has been forsaken and many a soul is barren and dry because they have not cherished and esteemed the moving of the Spirit of the Lord upon them.
Wilt thou esteem it more than thy necessary bread? Yea, wilt thou come to the house of the Lord and come before Him, not with a weariness or as a habit, but come before the Lord and say, “Behold, my expectation is in the Lord. I come to hear the Word. His Word shall my heart heed. Yea, I shall embrace His truth and forsake it not. I shall esteem His wisdom more than fine gold. I shall set my affection upon the Lord to follow after every Word that the Lord giveth. I shall be guided by the ways of the Lord.”
Yea, blessed are the people that forsake their own way, that walk not after their own understanding, but gather themselves together in the name of the Lord to seek after the ways of the Lord, that they might be entreated by them and they might follow after them. Behold, many have walked careless before the Lord; and they have stumbled and fallen, and they rise not again. Wilt thou give diligence to walk softly before thy God and to come into His house with reverence, to come even with the sign of submission on thee? For thou shalt come into the presence of the Lord and walk before the Lord thy God as an obedient, humble people that shall diligently hear all of the Word that the Lord would speak unto them. It shall be in thy heart to give diligence to it. Yea, if thou shalt revive within thee thy carefulness to hear the Word of the Lord, then the Lord shall bless thee. His smile shall continually be upon thee. He shall guide thy feet, and He shall strengthen thy hands. He shall cause thee to possess all the good things that His Spirit has whispered to thine heart, for He is thy Lord that leadeth thee.