Will they water the camels also?

That is the question leadership must keep asking. It is the difference between the minimum and a prepared bride.

Christ Himself did not expect the same from every circle that gathered around Him. He expected less from the multitudes than He did from the seventy. He expected more from the twelve than He did from the seventy. And He expected still more from the three than He did from the twelve. A desire for nearness to the Bridegroom always raises the standard. The closer the abiding, the greater the expectation.

Our focus should not be numbers. It is the desire of Christ to have a glorious bride—one who can be presented to Him without shame. Isaiah prophesied that Christ would see the outcome of the travail of His soul and be satisfied. That satisfaction is not found in a people that respond to the minimum and leave the rest undone. His satisfaction will only be met in those who, when asked for a drink, water the camels also.

The Test at the Well

Genesis 24 gives us the picture.

Time had passed. The long purpose of the father had not changed. The father had already surrendered the son that he loved. One passion still remained: a special bride for him.

He trusted his faithful servant with the incredible responsibility of finding a bride for the son. He placed the riches of his house into the hands of the servant. The mission was not ordinary. The servant stood by the well at evening and decided his only spoken request would be for a drink of water. Yet the requirement God put in his heart was much greater: she must also water the camels.

Envision it. Dust in the air. Ten camels kneeling, weary and thirsty after the long journey. The stranger asks only for a little water for himself from her pitcher. That is all.

She could have given the cup and walked away. Instead Rebekah said, “Drink, my lord,” and then, unasked, “I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.” Then she ran. Down the steps. Up again. Pitcher emptied into the trough. Back down. Up. Arms getting heavy. Feet getting tired. Ten camels. One pitcher. Trip after trip. She did not stop when it was convenient. She kept drawing until they had done drinking.

The servant stood silent and wondered at her.

That labor was the test. It was never about her outward appearance, though she was very fair to look upon. It was about what was inside. “The king’s daughter is all glorious within.” The extra mile revealed a willing heart—one that would go far beyond the request. That is why she qualified to be the bride of the bridegroom.

A Glorious Bride, Not a Minimum Response

Leadership should expect no less from those under their oversight if those people are to be presented as the chosen bride. The question is not whether they will give a cup when asked. The question is whether they will water the camels also.

Paul lived under that same burden. He was not content with carnal believers. His consuming passion was to present a prepared people, a people worthy of the Son. He was jealous with a godly jealousy, that he might present them as a chaste virgin to Christ. Quality mattered more to him than quantity. He would rather have a smaller company that had given themselves fully to the Lord than a multitude that only offered the minimum.

The Father still has one great passion: a glorious bride for His Son. The Spirit, the sent Servant, is still observing what will take place at the well.

Perhaps the Spirit still presents a smaller request. However, God still observes the heart of a people by what they do next.