Sometimes we come to the meeting in an idle, sloppy, and slothful way. We excuse ourselves by saying that we are tired, and we come with no intention of functioning. We only come to rest and to enjoy some testimonies, to listen, and perhaps to criticize a little. This becomes our enjoyment. Even our criticism becomes an enjoyment. This is to be sloppy, slothful, and idle. Contrariwise, we should come to the meetings with a "Praise the Lord!" Regardless of whether we are tired and regardless of our situation, we need to function. We may be tired, but He is unlimited. We are nothing, but He is everything. We are tired, but He never tires. We have nothing to say, yet we have to say something. We have nothing to minister, but we must function by faith. If you will open your mouth, the word will come out. The way to dig out your buried talent is to open your mouth. Don't bury your talent. Dig it out. Don't excuse yourself for any reason.

Many brothers and sisters have learned not to come to me with these kinds of excuses. I never sympathize with them. When they come to tell me how weak they are and how much help they need, I do not sympathize with them. The weaker they are, the less I sympathize with them. They are weak because they say they are weak. Eventually, you will be what you say you are. We all have to declare that we are not weak. In 2 Corinthians 12:10, Paul said that when he was weak, then he was strong. Therefore, there is no excuse. If you come to me saying that all the brothers and sisters in your place are strong and doing well, I would like to come and visit you. But if you say how weak you are and how much help you need, I would tell you to help yourself. You must rise up to take care of your own situation.

Have you noticed what the Lord said in Matthew 25:28? "Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents." The Lord goes on to say in verse 29, "For to everyone who has shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him who has not, even that which he has shall be taken away from him." This means that the more you have, the more the Lord will give you. The more you don't have, the more the Lord will take away from you. This is the Lord's economy. The Lord only gives to the rich ones. Whoever is poor receives nothing. Even the Lord takes away from the poor ones and gives to the rich ones. To those who have ten talents, the Lord gives one more. When you come to the meetings, never consider that you have nothing. If you consider that you have nothing, the Lord will take away what you do have and give it to another. This is the Lord's economy. Don't think this is my concept. This is the Lord's economy revealed in Matthew 25. Many times when I came to a meeting to minister, I had nothing. But when I went to the platform and opened my mouth, eventually a book came, a verse came, and the message came.

One Lord's day morning in January 1968, I stood up encouraging all of the saints to function and to say something. At that time I told them they could at least say four words. As I made this statement, within I was questioning, What four words? Then I said, "Number one," and even at that point I didn't know what word. Then I said, "O," number two, "Lord," number three, "Amen," number four, "Hallelujah." This is how the four words, "O Lord! Amen! Hallelujah!" came. When I arrived home after the meeting, I considered that perhaps I had given the saints the wrong order of these words. Perhaps I should have put "Hallelujah" before "Amen." Surely "Amen" should be after everything. Yet I told the people they could speak "O Lord! Amen! Hallelujah!" But then I remembered Revelation 19. There the order is "Amen, Hallelujah!" not "Hallelujah! Amen." If you look into the matter, you will find that to say, "O Lord! Hallelujah! Amen!" is awkward for composing a song. It is difficult for anyone to make a song from these words. But to say, "O Lord! Amen! Hallelujah!" fits very well. This example illustrates that if we will open our mouths in faith, the Lord will give us something to say.