Todd Adkins: Recent Episodes
Todd Adkins
“Only be thou strong and very courageous.” — Joshua 1:7
Our God’s tender love for His servants makes Him concerned for the state of their inward feelings. He desires them to be of good courage. Some esteem it a small thing for a believer to be vexed with doubts and fears, but God thinks not so. From this text it is plain that our Master would not have us entangled with fears. He would have us without carefulness, without doubt, without cowardice. Our Master does not think so lightly of our unbelief as we do. When we are desponding we are subject to a grievous malady, not to be trifled with, but to be carried at once to the beloved Physician. Our Lord loveth not to see our countenance sad. It was a law of Ahasuerus that no one should…
come into the king’s court dressed in mourning: this is not the law of the King of kings, for we may come mourning as we are; but still He would have us put off the spirit of heaviness, and put on the garment of praise, for there is much reason to rejoice. The Christian man ought to be of a courageous spirit, in order that he may glorify the Lord by enduring trials in an heroic manner. If he be fearful and fainthearted, it will dishonour his God. Besides, what a bad example it is. This disease of doubtfulness and discouragement is an epidemic which soon spreads amongst the Lord’s flock. One downcast believer makes twenty souls sad. Moreover, unless your courage is kept up Satan will be too much for you. Let your spirit be joyful in God your Saviour, the joy of the Lord shall be your strength, and no fiend of hell shall make headway against you: but cowardice throws down the banner. Moreover, labour is light to a man of cheerful spirit; and success waits upon cheerfulness. The man who toils, rejoicing in his God, believing with all his heart, has success guaranteed. He who sows in hope shall reap in joy; therefore, dear reader, “be thou strong, and very courageous.”
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“I am with you alway.” — Matthew 28:20
It is well there is One who is ever the same, and who is ever with us. It is well there is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life. O my soul, set not thine affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treasures, but set thine heart upon Him who abides for ever faithful to thee. Build not thine house upon the moving quicksands of a deceitful world, but found thy hopes upon this rock, which, amid descending rain and roaring floods, shall stand immovably secure. My soul, I charge thee, lay up thy treasure in the only secure cabinet; store thy jewels where thou canst never lose them. Put thine all in Christ; set all thine affections on His person, all thy hope in His merit, all thy trust in His efficacious blood, all thy joy in His presence, and so thou mayest laugh at loss, and defy destruction. Remember that…
all the flowers in the world’s garden fade by turns, and theday cometh when nothing will be left but the black, cold earth. Death’sblack extinguisher must soon put out thy candle. Oh! how sweet to havesunlight when the candle is gone! The dark flood must soon roll betweenthee and all thou hast; then wed thine heart to Him who will never leavethee; trust thyself with Him who will go with thee through the black andsurging current of death’s stream, and who will land thee safely on thecelestial shore, and make thee sit with Him in heavenly places for ever. Go,sorrowing son of affliction, tell thy secrets to the Friend who stickethcloser than a brother. Trust all thy concerns with Him who never can betaken from thee, who will never leave thee, and who will never let theeleave Him, even “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever.” “Lo, I am with you alway,” is enough for my soul to live upon, letwho will forsake me.
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“The only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” — John 1:14
Believer, YOU can bear your testimony that Christ is the only begotten of the Father, as well as the first begotten from the dead. You can say, “He is divine to me, if He be human to all the world beside. He has done that for me which none but a God could do. He has subdued my stubborn will, melted a heart of adamant, opened gates of brass, and snapped bars of iron. He hath turned for me my mourning into laughter, and my desolation into joy; He hath led my captivity captive, and made my heart rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Let others think as they will of Him, to me He must be the only begotten of the Father: blessed be His name. And He is full of grace. Ah! had He not been I should never have been saved. He drew me when I struggled to escape from His grace; and when at last I came all trembling like a condemned culprit to His mercy-seat He said…
‘Thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee: be of good cheer.’ And Heis full of truth. True have His promises been, not one has failed. I bearwitness that never servant had such a master as I have; never brother sucha kinsman as He has been to me; never spouse such a husband as Christhas been to my soul; never sinner a better Saviour; never mourner a bettercomforter than Christ hath been to my spirit. I want none beside Him. Inlife He is my life, and in death He shall be the death of death; in povertyChrist is my riches; in sickness He makes my bed; in darkness He is mystar, and in brightness He is my sun; He is the manna of the camp in thewilderness, and He shall be the new corn of the host when they come toCanaan. Jesus is to me all grace and no wrath, all truth and no falsehood:and of truth and grace He is full, infinitely full. My soul, this night, blesswith all thy might ‘the only Begotten.’”
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“But now is Christ risen from the dead.” — 1 Corinthians 15:20
The whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact that “Christ is risen from the dead;” for, “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain: ye are yet in your sins.” The divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in His resurrection, since He was “Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” It would not be unreasonable to doubt His Deity if He had not risen. Moreover, Christ’s sovereignty depends upon His resurrection, “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living.” Again, our justification, that choice blessing of the covenant, is linked with…
Christ’s triumphant victory overdeath and the grave; for “He was delivered for our offences, and was raisedagain for our justification.” Nay, more, our very regeneration is connectedwith His resurrection, for we are “Begotten again unto a lively hope by theresurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” And most certainly ourultimate resurrection rests here, for, “If the Spirit of Him that raised upJesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the deadshall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”If Christ be not risen, then shall we not rise; but if He be risen then theywho are asleep in Christ have not perished, but in their flesh shall surelybehold their God. Thus, the silver thread of resurrection runs through allthe believer’s blessings, from his regeneration onwards to his eternal glory,and binds them together. How important then will this glorious fact be inhis estimation, and how will he rejoice that beyond a doubt it isestablished, that “now is Christ risen from the dead.”
“The promise is fulfill’d,Redemption’s work is done,Justice with mercy’s reconciled,For God has raised His Son.”
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field… let us see if the vine flourish.” — Song of Solomon 7:11,12
The church was about to engage in earnest labour, and desired her Lord’s company in it. She does not say, “I will go,” but “let us go.” It is blessed working when Jesus is at our side! It is the business of God’s people to be trimmers of God’s vines. Like our first parents, we are put into the garden of the Lord for usefulness; let us therefore go forth into the field. Observe that the church, when she is in her right mind, in all her many labours desires to enjoy communion with Christ. Some imagine that they cannot serve Christ actively, and yet have fellowship with Him: they are mistaken. Doubtless it is very easy to fritter away our inward life in outward exercises, and come to complain with the spouse, “They made me keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept:” but there is no reason why this should be the case except…
our own folly and neglect.Certain is it that a professor may do nothing, and yet grow quite as lifelessin spiritual things as those who are most busy. Mary was not praised forsitting still; but for her sitting at Jesus’ feet. Even so, Christians are not tobe praised for neglecting duties under the pretence of having secretfellowship with Jesus: it is not sitting, but sitting at Jesus’ feet which iscommendable. Do not think that activity is in itself an evil: it is a greatblessing, and a means of grace to us. Paul called it a grace given to him to beallowed to preach; and every form of Christian service may become apersonal blessing to those engaged in it. Those who have most fellowshipwith Christ are not recluses or hermits, who have much time to spare, butindefatigable labourers who are toiling for Jesus, and who, in their toil,have Him side by side with them, so that they are workers together withGod. Let us remember then, in anything we have to do for Jesus, that wecan do it, and should do it in close communion with Him.
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings.” — Ephesians 1:3
All the goodness of the past, the present, and the future, Christ bestows upon His people. In the mysterious ages of the past the Lord Jesus was His Father’s first elect, and in His election He gave us an interest, for we were chosen in Him from before the foundation of the world. He had from all eternity the prerogatives of Sonship, as His Father’s only-begotten and well-beloved Son, and He has, in the riches of His grace, by adoption and regeneration, elevated us to sonship also, so that to us He has given “power to become the sons of God.” The eternal covenant, based upon suretiship and confirmed by oath, is ours, for our strong consolation and security. In the everlasting settlements of predestinating wisdom and omnipotent decree, the eye of the Lord Jesus was ever fixed on us; and we may rest assured that…
in the whole roll of destiny there is not a line which militates against the interests of His redeemed. The great betrothal of the Prince of Glory is ours, for it is to us that He is affianced, as the sacred nuptials shall ere long declare to an assembled universe. The marvellous incarnation of the God of heaven, with all the amazing condescension and humiliation which attended it, is ours. The bloody sweat, the scourge, the cross, are ours for ever. Whatever blissful consequences flow from perfect obedience, finished atonement, resurrection, ascension, or intercession, all are ours by His own gift. Upon His breastplate he is now bearing our names; and in His authoritative pleadings at the throne He remembers our persons and pleads our cause. His dominion over principalities and powers, and His absolute majesty in heaven, He employs for the benefit of them who trust in Him. His high estate is as much at our service as was His condition of abasement. He who gave Himself for us in the depths of woe and death, doth not withdraw the grant now that He is enthroned in the highest heavens.
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“Acquaint now thyself with Him.” — Job 22:21
If we would rightly “acquaint ourselves with God, and be at peace,” we must know Him as He has revealed Himself, not only in the unity of His essence and subsistence, but also in the plurality of His persons. God said, “Let us make man in our own image” — let not man be content until he knows something of the “us” from whom his being was derived. Endeavour to know the Father; bury your head in His bosom in deep repentance, and confess that you are not worthy to be called His son; receive the kiss of His love; let the ring which is the token of His eternal faithfulness be on your finger; sit at His table and let your heart make merry in His grace. Then press forward and seek to know much of…
the Sonof God who is the brightness of His Father’s glory, and yet in unspeakablecondescension of grace became man for our sakes; know Him in thesingular complexity of His nature: eternal God, and yet suffering, finiteman; follow Him as He walks the waters with the tread of deity, and as Hesits upon the well in the weariness of humanity. Be not satisfied unlessyou know much of Jesus Christ as your Friend, your Brother, yourHusband, your all. Forget not the Holy Spirit; endeavour to obtain a clearview of His nature and character, His attributes, and His works. Beholdthat Spirit of the Lord, who first of all moved upon chaos, and broughtforth order; who now visits the chaos of your soul, and creates the order ofholiness. Behold Him as the Lord and giver of spiritual life, the Illuminator,the Instructor, the Comforter, and the Sanctifier. Behold Him as, like holyunction, He descends upon the head of Jesus, and then afterwards restsupon you who are as the skirts of His garments. Such an intelligent,scriptural, and experimental belief in the Trinity in Unity is yours if youtruly know God; and such knowledge brings peace indeed.
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“She that was healed wist not who it was.” — 1 John 5:13
Years are short to the happy and healthy; but thirty-eight years of disease must have dragged a very weary length along the life of the poor impotent man. When Jesus, therefore, healed him by a word, while he lay at the pool of Bethesda, he was delightfully sensible of a change. Even so the sinner who has for weeks and months been paralyzed with despair, and has wearily sighed for salvation, is very conscious of the change when the Lord Jesus speaks the word of power, and gives joy and peace in believing. The evil removed is too great to be removed without our discerning it; the life imparted is too remarkable to be possessed and remain inoperative; and the change wrought is too marvellous not to be perceived. Yet…
the poor manwas ignorant of the author of his cure; he knew not the sacredness of Hisperson, the offices which he sustained, or the errand which brought Himamong men. Much ignorance of Jesus may remain in hearts which yet feelthe power of His blood. We must not hastily condemn men for lack ofknowledge; but where we can see the faith which saves the soul, we mustbelieve that salvation has been bestowed. The Holy Spirit makes menpenitents long before He makes them divines; and he who believes what heknows, shall soon know more clearly what he believes. Ignorance is,however, an evil; for this poor man was much tantalized by the Pharisees,and was quite unable to cope with them. It is good to be able to answergainsayers; but we cannot do so if we know not the Lord Jesus clearly andwith understanding. The cure of his ignorance, however, soon followed thecure of his infirmity, for he was visited by the Lord in the temple; and afterthat gracious manifestation, he was found testifying that “it was Jesus whohad made him whole.” Lord, if Thou hast saved me, show me Thyself, thatI may declare Thee to the sons of men.
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” — John 5:8
Like many others, the impotent man had been waiting for a wonder to be wrought, and a sign to be given. Wearily did he watch the I pool, but no angel came, or came not for him; yet, thinking it to be his only chance, he waited still, and knew not that there was One near him whose word could heal him in a moment. Many are in the same plight: they are waiting for some singular emotion, remarkable impression, or celestial vision; they wait in vain and watch for nought. Even supposing that, in a few cases, remarkable signs are seen, yet these are rare, and no man has a right to look for them in his own case; no man especially who feels his impotency to…
avail himself of the moving of the water even if it came. It is a very sadreflection that tens of thousands are now waiting in the use of means, andordinances, and vows, and resolutions, and have so waited time out ofmind, in vain, utterly in vain. Meanwhile these poor souls forget thepresent Saviour, who bids them look unto Him and be saved. He could healthem at once, but they prefer to wait for an angel and a wonder. To trustHim is the sure way to every blessing, and He is worthy of the mostimplicit confidence; but unbelief makes them prefer the cold porches ofBethesda to the warm bosom of His love. O that the Lord may turn Hiseye upon the multitudes who are in this case to-night; may He forgive theslights which they put upon His divine power, and call them by that sweetconstraining voice, to rise from the bed of despair, and in the energy offaith take up their bed and walk. O Lord, hear our prayer for all such atthis calm hour of sunset, and ere the day breaketh may they look and live.
Courteous reader, is there anything in this portion for you?
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Producer: Todd Adkins
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“Great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.” — Matthew 12:15
What a mass of hideous sickness must have thrust itself under the eye of Jesus! Yet we read not that He was disgusted, but patiently waited on every case. What a singular variety of evils must have met at His feet! What sickening ulcers and putrefying sores! Yet He was ready for every new shape of the monster evil, and was victor over it in every form. Let the arrow fly from what quarter it might, He quenched its fiery power. The heat of fever, or the cold of dropsy; the lethargy of palsy, or the rage of madness; the filth of leprosy, or the darkness of ophthalmia — all knew the power of His word, and fled at His command. In every corner of the field He was triumphant over evil, and received the…
homage of deliveredcaptives. He came, He saw, He conquered everywhere. It is even so thismorning. Whatever my own case may be, the beloved Physician can healme; and whatever may be the state of others whom I may remember at thismoment in prayer, I may have hope in Jesus that He will be able to healthem of their sins. My child, my friend, my dearest one, I can have hopefor each, for all, when I remember the healing power of my Lord; and onmy own account, however severe my struggle with sins and infirmities, Imay yet be of good cheer. He who on earth walked the hospitals, stilldispenses His grace, and works wonders among the sons of men: let me goto Him at once in right earnest.
Let me praise Him, this morning, as I remember how He wrought Hisspiritual cures, which bring Him most renown. It was by taking uponHimself our sicknesses. “By His stripes we are healed.” The Church onearth is full of souls healed by our beloved Physician; and the inhabitantsof heaven itself confess that “He healed them all.” Come, then, my soul,publish abroad the virtue of His grace, and let it be “to the Lord for aname, for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off.”
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“All the days of my appointed time will I wait.” — Job 14:14
A little stay on earth will make heaven more heavenly. Nothing makes rest so sweet as toil; nothing renders security so pleasant as exposure to alarms. The bitter quassia cups of earth will give a relish to the new wine which sparkles in the golden bowls of glory. Our battered armour and scarred countenances will render more illustrious our victory above, when we are welcomed to the seats of those who have overcome the world. We should not have full fellowship with Christ if we did not for awhile sojourn below, for He was baptized with a baptism of suffering among men, and we must be baptized with the same if we would share his kingdom. Fellowship with Christ is so honourable that the sorest sorrow is a light price by which to procure it. Another reason for our lingering here is…
forthe good of others. We would not wish to enter heaven till our work isdone, and it may be that we are yet ordained to minister light to soulsbenighted in the wilderness of sin. Our prolonged stay here is doubtless forGod’s glory. A tried saint, like a well-cut diamond, glitters much in theKing’s crown. Nothing reflects so much honour on a workman as aprotracted and severe trial of his work, and its triumphant endurance of theordeal without giving way in any part. We are God’s workmanship, inwhom He will be glorified by our afflictions. It is for the honour of Jesusthat we endure the trial of our faith with sacred joy. Let each mansurrender his own longings to the glory of Jesus, and feel, “If my lying inthe dust would elevate my Lord by so much as an inch, let me still lieamong the pots of earth. If to live on earth for ever would make my Lordmore glorious, it should be my heaven to be shut out of heaven.” Our timeis fixed and settled by eternal decree. Let us not be anxious about it, butwait with patience till the gates of pearl shall open.
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“We dwell in Him.” — 1 John 4:13
Do you want a house for your soul? Do you ask, “What is the purchase?” It is something less than proud human nature will like to give. It is without money and without price. Ah! you would like to pay a respectable rent! You would love to do something to win Christ? Then you cannot have the house, for it is “without price.” Will you take my Master’s house on a lease for all eternity, with nothing to pay for it, nothing but the ground-rent of loving and serving Him for ever? Will you take Jesus and “dwell in Him?” See, this house is furnished with all you want, it is filled with riches more than you will spend as long as you live. Here you can have intimate communion with Christ and feast on His love; here are tables well-stored with food for you to live on for ever; in it, when weary, you can find rest with Jesus; and from it you can…
look out and see heaven itself. Will you have the house? Ah! if you are houseless, you will say, “I should like to have the house; but may I have it?” Yes; there is the key — the key is, “Come to Jesus.” “But,” you say, “I am too shabby for such a house.” Never mind; there are garments inside. If you feel guilty and condemned, come; and though the house is too good for you, Christ will make you good enough for the house by-and-by. He will wash you and cleanse you, and you will yet be able to sing, “We dwell in Him.” Believer: thrice happy art thou to have such a dwelling-place! Greatly privileged thou art, for thou hast a “strong habitation” in which thou art ever safe. And “dwelling in Him,” thou hast not only a perfect and secure house, but an everlasting one. When this world shall have melted like a dream, our house shall live, and stand more imperishable than marble, more solid than granite, self-existent as God, for it is God Himself — ”We dwell in Him.”
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen
“He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.” — Proverbs 16:20
Wisdom is man’s true strength; and, under its guidance, he best accomplishes the ends of his being. Wisely handling the matter of life gives to man the richest enjoyment, and presents the noblest occupation for his powers; hence by it he finds good in the fullest sense. Without wisdom, man is as the wild ass’s colt, running hither and thither, wasting strength which might be profitably employed. Wisdom is the compass by which man is to steer across the trackless waste of life; without it he is a derelict vessel, the sport of winds and waves. A man must be prudent in such a world as this, or he will find no good, but be betrayed into unnumbered ills. The pilgrim will sorely wound his feet among the briers of the wood of life if he do not pick his steps with the utmost caution. He who is in a…
wilderness infested with robber bands must handle matters wisely if hewould journey safely. If, trained by the Great Teacher, we follow whereHe leads, we shall find good, even while in this dark abode; there arecelestial fruits to be gathered this side of Eden’s bowers, and songs ofparadise to be sung amid the groves of earth. But where shall this wisdombe found? Many have dreamed of it, but have not possessed it. Whereshall we learn it? Let us listen to the voice of the Lord, for He hathdeclared the secret; He hath revealed to the sons of men wherein truewisdom lieth, and we have it in the text, “Whoso trusteth in the Lord,happy is he.” The true way to handle a matter wisely is to trust in the Lord.This is the sure clue to the most intricate labyrinths of life, follow it andfind eternal bliss. He who trusts in the Lord has a diploma for wisdomgranted by inspiration: happy is he now, and happier shall he be above.Lord, in this sweet eventide walk with me in the garden, and teach me thewisdom of faith.
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Producer: Todd Adkins
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“I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” — 2 Corinthians 6:16
What a sweet title: “My people!” What a cheering revelation: “Their God!” How much of meaning is couched in those two words, “My people!” Here is speciality. The whole world is God’s; the heaven, even the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s, and He reigneth among the children of men; but of those whom He hath chosen, whom He hath purchased to Himself, He saith what He saith not of others — ”My people” In this word there is the idea of proprietorship. In a special manner the “Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance.” All the nations upon earth are His; the whole world is in His power; yet are His people, His chosen, more especially His possession; for He has done more for them than others; He has bought them with His blood; He has…
broughtthem nigh to Himself; He has set His great heart upon them; He has lovedthem with an everlasting love, a love which many waters cannot quench,and which the revolutions of time shall never suffice in the least degree todiminish. Dear friends, can you, by faith, see yourselves in that number?Can you look up to heaven and say, “My Lord and my God: mine by thatsweet relationship which entitles me to call Thee Father; mine by thathallowed fellowship which I delight to hold with Thee when Thou artpleased to manifest Thyself unto me as Thou dost not unto the world?”Canst thou read the Book of Inspiration, and find there the indentures ofthy salvation? Canst thou read thy title writ in precious blood? Canstthou, by humble faith, lay hold of Jesus’ garments, and say, “My Christ”?If thou canst, then God saith of thee, and of others like thee, “Mypeople;” for, if God be your God, and Christ your Christ, the Lord has aspecial, peculiar favour to you; you are the object of His choice, acceptedin His beloved Son.
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“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible.” — 1 Peter 1:23
Peter most earnestly exhorted the scattered saints to love each other “with a pure heart fervently” and he wisely fetched his argument, not from the law, from nature, or from philosophy, but from that high and divine nature which God hath implanted in His people. Just as some judicious tutor of princes might labour to beget and foster in them a kingly spirit and dignified behaviour, finding arguments in their position and descent, so, looking upon God’s people as heirs of glory, princes of the blood royal, descendants of the King of kings, earth’s truest and oldest aristocracy, Peter saith to them, “See that ye love one another, because of your noble birth, being born of incorruptible seed; because of your pedigree, being descended from God, the Creator of all things; and because of your…
immortal destiny, for you shall never pass away, though the glory of theflesh shall fade, and even its existence shall cease.” It would be well if, inthe spirit of humility, we recognized the true dignity of our regeneratednature, and lived up to it. What is a Christian? If you compare him with aking, he adds priestly sanctity to royal dignity. The king’s royalty oftenlieth only in his crown, but with a Christian it is infused into his inmostnature. He is as much above his fellows through his new birth, as a man isabove the beast that perisheth. Surely he ought to carry himself, in all hisdealings, as one who is not of the multitude, but chosen out of the world,distinguished by sovereign grace, written among “the peculiar people” andwho therefore cannot grovel in the dust as others, nor live after the mannerof the world’s citizens. Let the dignity of your nature, and the brightnessof your prospects, O believers in Christ, constrain you to cleave untoholiness, and to avoid the very appearance of evil.
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Producer: Todd Adkins
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“Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods.” —Jeremiah 16:20
One great besetting sin of ancient Israel was idolatry, and the spiritual Israel are vexed with a tendency to the same folly. Remphan’s star shines no longer, and the women weep no more for Tammuz, but Mammon still intrudes his golden calf, and the shrines of pride are not forsaken. Self in various forms struggles to subdue the chosen ones under its dominion, and the flesh sets up its altars wherever it can find space for them. Favourite children are often the cause of much sin in believers; the Lord is grieved when He sees us doting upon them above measure; they will live to be as great a curse to us as Absalom was to David, or they will be…
taken from us to leave our homes desolate. If Christians desire to grow thorns to stuff their sleepless pillows, let them dote on their dear ones.
It is truly said that “they are no gods,” for the objects of our foolish loveare very doubtful blessings, the solace which they yield us now isdangerous, and the help which they can give us in the hour of trouble islittle indeed. Why, then, are we so bewitched with vanities? We pity thepoor heathen who adore a God of stone, and yet worship a God of gold.Where is the vast superiority between a God of flesh and one of wood?The principle, the sin, the folly is the same in either case, only that in oursthe crime is more aggravated because we have more light, and sin in the faceof it. The heathen bows to a false deity, but the true God he has neverknown; we commit two evils, inasmuch as we forsake the living God andturn unto idols. May the Lord purge us all from this grievous iniquity!
“The dearest idol I have known,Whate’er that idol be;
Help me to tear it from thy throne,And worship only thee.”
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Producer: Todd Adkins
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“A very present help.” — Psalm 46:1
Covenant blessings are not meant to be looked at only, but to be appropriated. Even our Lord Jesus is given to us for our present use. Believer, thou dost not make use of Christ as thou oughtest to do. When thou art in trouble, why dost thou not tell Him all thy grief? Has He not a sympathizing heart, and can He not comfort and relieve thee? No, thou art going about to all thy friends, save thy best Friend, and telling thy tale everywhere except into the bosom of thy Lord. Art thou burdened with this day’s sins? Here is a fountain filled with blood: use it, saint, use it. Has a sense of guilt returned upon thee? The pardoning grace of Jesus may be proved again and again. Come to Him at once for…
cleansing. Dost thou deplore thy weakness? He is thy strength: why not lean upon Him? Dost thou feel naked? Come hither, soul; put on the robe of Jesus’ righteousness. Stand not looking at it, but wear it. Strip off thine own righteousness, and thine own fears too: put on the fair white linen, for it was meant to wear. Dost thou feel thyself sick? Pull the night-bell of prayer, and call up the Beloved Physician! He will give the cordial that will revive thee. Thou art poor, but then thou hast “a kinsman, a mighty man of wealth.” What! wilt thou not go to Him, and ask Him to give thee of His abundance, when He has given thee this promise, that thou shalt be joint heir with Him, and has made over all that He is and all that He has to be thine? There is nothing Christ dislikes more than for His people to make a show-thing of Him, and not to use Him. He loves to be employed by us. The more burdens we put on His shoulders, the more precious will He be to us.
“Let us be simple with Him, then,Not backward, stiff, or cold,
As though our Bethlehem could beWhat Sinai was of old.”
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“In the world ye shall have tribulation.” — John 16:33
Art thou asking the reason of this, believer? Look upward to thy heavenly Father, and behold Him pure and holy. Dost thou know that thou art one day to be like Him? Wilt thou easily be conformed to His image? Wilt thou not require much refining in the furnace of affliction to purify thee? Will it be an easy thing to get rid of thy corruptions, and make thee perfect even as thy Father which is in heaven is perfect? Next, Christian, turn thine eye downward. Dost thou know what foes thou hast beneath thy feet? Thou wast once a servant of Satan, and no king will willingly lose his subjects. Dost thou think that…
Satan will let thee alone? No, he will be always atthee, for he “goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”Expect trouble, therefore, Christian, when thou lookest beneath thee. Thenlook around thee. Where art thou? Thou art in an enemy’s country, astranger and a sojourner. The world is not thy friend. If it be, then thou artnot God’s friend, for he who is the friend of the world is the enemy ofGod. Be assured that thou shalt find foe-men everywhere. When thousleepest, think that thou art resting on the battlefield; when thou walkest,suspect an ambush in every hedge. As mosquitoes are said to bite strangersmore than natives, so will the trials of earth be sharpest to you. Lastly,look within thee, into thine own heart and observe what is there. Sin andself are still within. Ah! if thou hadst no devil to tempt thee, no enemies tofight thee, and no world to ensnare thee, thou wouldst still find in thyselfevil enough to be a sore trouble to thee, for “the heart is deceitful above allthings, and desperately wicked.” Expect trouble then, but despond not onaccount of it, for God is with thee to help and to strengthen thee. He hathsaid, “I will be with thee in trouble; I will deliver thee and honour thee.”
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“These all died in faith.” — Hebrews 11:13
Behold the epitaph of all those blessed saints who fell asleep before the coming of our Lord! It matters nothing how else they died, whether of old age, or by violent means; this one point, in which they all agree, is the most worthy of record, “they all died in faith.” In faith they lived — it was their comfort, their guide, their motive and their support; and in the same spiritual grace they died, ending their life-song in the sweet strain in which they had so long continued. They did not die resting in the flesh or upon their own attainments; they made no advance from their first way of acceptance with God, but held to the…
way of faith to the end. Faith is asprecious to die by as to live by.
Dying in faith has distinct reference to the past. They believed thepromises which had gone before, and were assured that their sins wereblotted out through the mercy of God. Dying in faith has to do with thepresent. These saints were confident of their acceptance with God, theyenjoyed the beams of His love, and rested in His faithfulness. Dying infaith looks into the future. They fell asleep, affirming that the Messiahwould surely come, and that when He would in the last days appear uponthe earth, they would rise from their graves to behold Him. To them thepains of death were but the birth-pangs of a better state. Take courage, mysoul, as thou readest this epitaph. Thy course, through grace, is one offaith, and sight seldom cheers thee; this has also been the pathway of thebrightest and the best. Faith was the orbit in which these stars of the firstmagnitude moved all the time of their shining here; and happy art thou thatit is thine. Look anew to-night to Jesus, the author and finisher of thyfaith, and thank Him for giving thee like precious faith with souls now inglory.
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“I pray not that Thou shouldst take them out of the world.” — John 17:15
It is a sweet and blessed event which will occur to all believers in God’s own time — the going home to be with Jesus. In a few more years the Lord’s soldiers, who are now fighting “the good fight of faith” will have done with conflict, and have entered into the joy of their Lord. But although Christ prays that His people may eventually be with Him where He is, He does not ask that they may be taken at once away from this world to heaven. He wishes them to stay here. Yet how frequently does the wearied pilgrim put up the prayer, “O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest;” but Christ does not pray like that, He leaves us in His Father’s hands, until, like shocks of corn fully ripe, we shall each be gathered into our Master’s garner. Jesus does not…
plead forour instant removal by death, for to abide in the flesh is needful for othersif not profitable for ourselves. He asks that we may be kept from evil, butHe never asks for us to be admitted to the inheritance in glory till we are offull age. Christians often want to die when they have any trouble. Askthem why, and they tell you, “Because we would be with the Lord.” Wefear it is not so much because they are longing to be with the Lord, asbecause they desire to get rid of their troubles; else they would feel thesame wish to die at other times when not under the pressure of trial. Theywant to go home, not so much for the Saviour’s company, as to be at rest.Now it is quite right to desire to depart if we can do it in the same spiritthat Paul did, because to be with Christ is far better, but the wish toescape from trouble is a selfish one. Rather let your care and wish be toglorify God by your life here as long as He pleases, even though it be inthe midst of toil, and conflict, and suffering, and leave Him to say when “itis enough.”
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“I am the rose of Sharon.” — Song of Solomon 2:1
Whatever there may be of beauty in the material world, Jesus Christ possesses all that in the spiritual world in a tenfold degree. Amongst flowers the rose is deemed the sweetest, but Jesus is infinitely more beautiful in the garden of the soul than the rose can in the gardens of earth. He takes the first place as the fairest among ten thousand. He is the sun, and all others are the stars; the heavens and the day are dark in comparison with Him, for the King in His beauty transcends all. “I am the rose of Sharon.” This was the best and rarest of roses. Jesus is not “the rose” alone, He is “the rose of Sharon,” just as He calls His righteousness “gold,” and then adds, “the gold of Ophir” — the best of the best. He is positively lovely, and superlatively the loveliest. There is variety in His charms. The rose is delightful to the eye, and its scent is pleasant and refreshing; so each of the senses of the soul, whether it be…
the taste or feeling, thehearing, the sight, or the spiritual smell, finds appropriate gratification inJesus. Even the recollection of His love is sweet. Take the rose of Sharon,and pull it leaf from leaf, and lay by the leaves in the jar of memory, andyou shall find each leaf fragrant long afterwards, filling the house withperfume. Christ satisfies the highest taste of the most educated spirit to thevery full. The greatest amateur in perfumes is quite satisfied with the rose:and when the soul has arrived at her highest pitch of true taste, she shallstill be content with Christ, nay, she shall be the better able to appreciateHim. Heaven itself possesses nothing which excels the rose of Sharon.What emblem can fully set forth His beauty? Human speech andearth-born things fail to tell of Him. Earth’s choicest charms commingled,feebly picture His abounding preciousness. Blessed rose, bloom in myheart for ever!
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“His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers.” — Song of Solomon 5:13
Lo, the flowery month is come! March winds and April showers have done their work, and the earth is all bedecked with beauty. Come my soul, put on thine holiday attire and go forth to gather garlands of heavenly thoughts. Thou knowest whither to betake thyself, for to thee “the beds of spices” are well known, and thou hast so often smelt the perfume of “the sweet flowers,” that thou wilt go at once to thy well-beloved and find all loveliness, all joy in Him. That cheek once so rudely smitten with a rod, oft bedewed with tears of sympathy and then defiled with spittle — that cheek as it smiles with mercy is as fragrant aromatic to my heart. Thou didst not…
hide Thy face from shame and spitting, O Lord Jesus, and therefore I will find my dearest delight in praising Thee. Those cheeks were furrowed by the plough of grief, and crimsoned with red lines of blood from Thy thorn-crowned temples; such marks of love unbounded cannot but charm my soul far more than “pillars of perfume.” If I may not see the whole of His face I would behold His cheeks, for the least glimpse of Him is exceedingly refreshing to my spiritual sense and yields a variety of delights. In Jesus I find not only fragrance, but a bed of spices; not one flower, but all manner of sweet flowers. He is to me my rose and my lily, my heart’s ease and my cluster of camphire. When He is with me it is May all the year round, and my soul goes forth to wash her happy face in the morning-dew of His grace, and to solace herself with the singing of the birds of His promises. Precious Lord Jesus, let me in very deed know the blessedness which dwells in abiding, unbroken fellowship with Thee. I am a poor worthless one, whose cheek Thou hast deigned to kiss! O let me kiss Thee in return with the kisses of my lips.
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“How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God.” — Psalm 139:17
Divine omniscience affords no comfort to the ungodly mind, but to the child of God it overflows with consolation. God is always thinking upon us, never turns aside His mind from us, has us always before His eyes; and this is precisely as we would have it, for it would be dreadful to exist for a moment beyond the observation of our heavenly Father. His thoughts are always tender, loving, wise, prudent, far-reaching, and they bring to us countless benefits: hence it is a choice delight to remember them. The Lord always did think upon His people: hence their election and the covenant of grace by which their salvation is secured; He always will think upon them: hence their final perseverance by which they shall be brought safely to their final rest. In all our wanderings the watchful glance of the Eternal Watcher is evermore fixed upon us — we never…
roam beyond theShepherd’s eye. In our sorrows He observes us incessantly, and not a pangescapes Him; in our toils He marks all our weariness, and writes in Hisbook all the struggles of His faithful ones. These thoughts of the Lordencompass us in all our paths, and penetrate the innermost region of ourbeing. Not a nerve or tissue, valve or vessel, of our bodily organization isuncared for; all the littles of our little world are thought upon by the greatGod.
Dear reader, is this precious to you? then hold to it. Never be led astray bythose philosophic fools who preach up an impersonal God, and talk ofself-existent, self-governing matter. The Lord liveth and thinketh upon us,this is a truth far too precious for us to be lightly robbed of it. The noticeof a nobleman is valued so highly that he who has it counts his fortunemade; but what is it to be thought of by the King of kings! If the Lordthinketh upon us, all is well, and we may rejoice evermore.
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“And all the children of Israel murmured.” — Numbers 14:2
There are murmurers amongst Christians now, as there were in the camp of Israel of old. There are those who, when the rod falls, cry out against the afflictive dispensation. They ask, “Why am I thus afflicted? What have I done to be chastened in this manner?” A word with thee, O murmurer! Why shouldst thou murmur against the dispensations of thy heavenly Father? Can He treat thee more hardly than thou deservest? Consider what a rebel thou wast once, but He has pardoned thee! Surely, if He in His wisdom sees fit now to chasten thee, thou shouldst not complain. After all, art thou smitten as hardly as thy sins deserve? Consider the corruption which is in…
thy breast, and then wilt thou wonder that there needs so muchof the rod to fetch it out? Weigh thyself, and discern how much dross ismingled with thy gold; and dost thou think the fire too hot to purge awayso much dross as thou hast? Does not that proud rebellious spirit of thineprove that thy heart is not thoroughly sanctified? Are not thosemurmuring words contrary to the holy submissive nature of God’schildren? Is not the correction needed? But if thou wilt murmur against thechastening, take heed, for it will go hard with murmurers. God alwayschastises His children twice, if they do not bear the first stroke patiently.But know one thing — ”He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve thechildren of men.” All His corrections are sent in love, to purify thee, and todraw thee nearer to Himself. Surely it must help thee to bear thechastening with resignation if thou art able to recognize thy Father’s hand.For “whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whomHe receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons.”“Murmur not as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of thedestroyer.”
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“The Lord taketh pleasure in His people.” — Psalm 149:4
How comprehensive is the love of Jesus! There is no part of His people’s interests which He does not consider, and there is nothing which concerns their welfare which is not important to Him. Not merely does He think of you, believer, as an immortal being, but as a mortal being too. Do not deny it or doubt it: “The very hairs of your head are all numbered.” “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in His way” It were a sad thing for us if this mantle of love did not cover all our concerns, for what mischief might be wrought to us in that part of our business which did not come under our gracious Lord’s inspection! Believer, rest assured that the heart of Jesus cares about your meaner affairs. The breadth of His tender love is such that you may resort to Him in all matters; for in all your afflictions He is afflicted, and like as a…
father pitiethhis children, so doth He pity you. The meanest interests of all His saintsare all borne upon the broad bosom of the Son of God. Oh, what a heart isHis, that doth not merely comprehend the persons of His people, butcomprehends also the diverse and innumerable concerns of all thosepersons! Dost thou think, O Christian, that thou canst measure the love ofChrist? Think of what His love has brought thee — justification, adoption,sanctification, eternal life! The riches of His goodness are unsearchable;thou shalt never be able to tell them out or even conceive them. Oh, thebreadth of the love of Christ! Shall such a love as this have half our hearts?Shall it have a cold love in return? Shall Jesus’ marvellous lovingkindnessand tender care meet with but faint response and tardy acknowledgment?O my soul, tune thy harp to a glad song of thanksgiving! Go to thy restrejoicing, for thou art no desolate wanderer, but a beloved child, watchedover, cared for, supplied, and defended by thy Lord.
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“Thou art my hope in the day of evil.” — Jeremiah 17:17
The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine; he has his seasons of darkness and of storm. True, it is written in God’s Word, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace;” and it is a great truth, that religion is calculated to give a man happiness below as well as bliss above; but experience tells us that if the course of the just be “As the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day,” yet sometimes that light is eclipsed. At certain periods clouds cover the believer’s sun, and he walks in darkness and sees no light. There are many who have rejoiced in the presence of God for a season; they have basked in the sunshine in the earlier stages of their Christian career; they have walked along the “green pastures” by the side of the “still waters,” but suddenly they find…
the glorious sky is clouded; instead of the Land of Goshen they have to tread the sandy desert; in the place of sweet waters, they find troubled streams, bitter to their taste, and they say, “Surely, if I were a child of God, this would not happen.” Oh! say not so, thou who art walking in darkness. The best of God’s saints must drink the wormwood; the dearest of His children must bear the cross. No Christian has enjoyed perpetual prosperity; no believer can always keep his harp from the willows. Perhaps the Lord allotted you at first a smooth and unclouded path, because you were weak and timid. He tempered the wind to the shorn lamb, but now that you are stronger in the spiritual life, you must enter upon the riper and rougher experience of God’s full-grown children. We need winds and tempests to exercise our faith, to tear off the rotten bough of self-dependence, and to root us more firmly in Christ. The day of evil reveals to us the value of our glorious hope.
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“All the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.” — Ezekiel 3:7
Are there no exceptions? No, not one. Even the favoured race are thus described. Are the best so bad? — then what must the worst be? Come, my heart, consider how far thou hast a share in this universal accusation, and while considering, be ready to take shame unto thyself herein thou mayst have been guilty. The first charge is impudence, or hardness of forehead, a want of holy shame, an unhallowed boldness in evil. Before my conversion, I could sin and feel no compunction, hear of my guilt and yet remain unhumbled, and even confess my iniquity and manifest no inward humiliation on account of it. For a sinner to go to God’s house and pretend to…
pray to Him and praise Him argues a brazen-facedness of the worstkind! Alas! since the day of my new birth I have doubted my Lord to Hisface, murmured unblushingly in His presence, worshipped before Him in aslovenly manner, and sinned without bewailing myself concerning it. If myforehead were not as an adamant, harder than flint, I should have far moreholy fear, and a far deeper contrition of spirit. Woe is me, I am one of theimpudent house of Israel. The second charge is hardheartedness, and Imust not venture to plead innocent here. Once I had nothing but a heart ofstone, and although through grace I now have a new and fleshy heart, muchof my former obduracy remains. I am not affected by the death of Jesus asI ought to be; neither am I moved by the ruin of my fellow men, thewickedness of the times, the chastisement of my heavenly Father, and myown failures, as I should be. O that my heart would melt at the recital ofmy Saviour’s sufferings and death. Would to God I were rid of this nethermillstone within me, this hateful body of death. Blessed be the name of theLord, the disease is not incurable, the Saviour’s precious blood is theuniversal solvent, and me, even me, it will effectually soften, till my heartmelts as wax before the fire.
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“Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope.” — Psalm 119:49
Whatever your especial need may be, you may readily find some promise in the Bible suited to it. Are you faint and feeble because your way is rough and you are weary? Here is the promise — ”He giveth power to the faint.” When you read such a promise, take it back to the great Promiser, and ask Him to fulfil His own word. Are you seeking after Christ, and thirsting for closer communion with Him? This promise shines like a star upon you — ”Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Take that promise to the throne continually; do not plead anything else, but go to God over and over again with this — ”Lord, Thou hast said it, do as Thou hast said.” Are you distressed because of…
sin, and burdened with the heavy load of your iniquities? Listento these words — ”I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions,and will no more remember thy sins.” You have no merit of your own toplead why He should pardon you, but plead His written engagements andHe will perform them. Are you afraid lest you should not be able to holdon to the end, lest, after having thought yourself a child of God, youshould prove a castaway? If that is your state, take this word of grace tothe throne and plead it: “The mountains may depart, and the hills may beremoved, but the covenant of My love shall not depart from thee.” If youhave lost the sweet sense of the Saviour’s presence, and are seeking Himwith a sorrowful heart, remember the promises: “Return unto Me, and Iwill return unto you;” “For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but withgreat mercies will I gather thee.” Banquet your faith upon God’s ownword, and whatever your fears or wants, repair to the Bank of Faith withyour Father’s note of hand, saying, “Remember the word unto Thyservant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope.”
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“The Lord is King for ever and ever.” — Psalm 10:16
Jesus Christ is no despotic claimant of divine right, but He is really and truly the Lord’s anointed! “It hath pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.” God hath given to Him all power and all authority. As the Son of man, He is now head over all things to His church, and He reigns over heaven, and earth, and hell, with the keys of life and death at His girdle. Certain princes have delighted to call themselves kings by the popular will, and certainly our Lord Jesus Christ is such in His church. If it could be put to the vote whether He should be King in the church, every believing heart would crown Him. O that we could crown Him more gloriously than we do! We would count no expense to be wasted that could glorify Christ. Suffering would be pleasure, and loss would be…
gain, if thereby we could surround His brow with brighter crowns, and make Him more glorious in the eyes of men and angels. Yes, He shall reign. Long live the King! All hail to Thee, King Jesus! Go forth, ye virgin souls who love your Lord, bow at His feet, strew His way with the lilies of your love, and the roses of your gratitude: “Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.” Moreover, our Lord Jesus is King in Zion by right of conquest: He has taken and carried by storm the hearts of His people, and has slain their enemies who held them in cruel bondage. In the Red Sea of His own blood, our Redeemer has drowned the Pharaoh of our sins: shall He not be King in Jeshurun?
He has delivered us from the iron yoke and heavy curse of the law: shall not the Liberator be crowned? We are His portion, whom He has taken out of the hand of the Amorite with His sword and with His bow: who shall snatch His conquest from His hand? All hail, King Jesus! we gladly own Thy gentle sway! Rule in our hearts for ever, Thou lovely Prince of Peace.
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“God, even our own God.” — Psalm 67:6
It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still how little use we make of God Himself. Though He is “our own God,” we apply ourselves but little to Him, and ask but little of Him. How seldom do we ask counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we go about our business, without seeking His guidance! In our troubles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord, that He may sustain us! This is not because we may not, for the Lord seems to say, “I am thine, soul, come and make use of me as thou wilt; thou mayst freely come to my store, and the oftener the more welcome.” It is our own fault if we…
make not free with the riches of our God. Then, since thou hast such a friend, and He invites thee, draw from Him daily. Never want whilst thou hast a God to go to; never fear or faint whilst thou hast God to help thee; go to thy treasure and take whatever thou needest — there is all that thou canst want. Learn the divine skill of making God all things to thee.
He can supply thee with all, or, better still, He can be to thee instead of all. Let me urge thee, then, to make use of thy God. Make use of Him in prayer. Go to Him often, because He is thy God. O, wilt thou fail to use so great a privilege? Fly to Him, tell Him all thy wants. Use Him constantly by faith at all times. If some dark providence has beclouded thee, use thy God as a “sun;” if some strong enemy has beset thee, find in Jehovah a “shield,” for He is a sun and shield to His people. If thou hast lost thy way in the mazes of life, use Him as a “guide,” for He will direct thee. Whatever thou art, and wherever thou art, remember God is just what thou wantest, and just where thou wantest, and that He can do all thou wantest.
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“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” — Jeremiah 8:20 Not saved! Dear reader, is this your mournful plight? Warned of the judgment to come, bidden to escape for your life, and yet at this moment not saved! You know the way of salvation, you read it in the […]
“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.” — John 7:37 Patience had her perfect work in the Lord Jesus, and until the last day of the feast He pleaded with the Jews, even as on this […]
“Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end?” — 2 Samuel 2:26 If, O my reader! thou art merely a professor, and not a possessor of the faith that is in Christ Jesus, the following lines are a true ketch of thine end. You are a respectable attendant at a place […]
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.” — Ecclesiastes 7:8 Look at David’s Lord and Master; see His beginning. He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Would you see the end? He sits at His Father’s right hand, expecting until His enemies be […]
“What think ye of Christ?” — Matthew 22:42 The great test of your soul’s health is, What think you of Christ? Is He to you “fairer than the children of men” — “the chief among ten thousand” — the “altogether lovely”? Wherever Christ is thus esteemed, all the faculties of the spiritual man exercise themselves […]
“Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” — 1 Samuel 7:12 The word “hitherto” seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. Twenty years or seventy, and yet, “hitherto the Lord hath helped!” Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honour, in […]
“The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.” — Galatians 2:20 When the Lord in mercy passed by and saw us in our blood, He first of all said, “Live”; and this He did first, because life is one of the absolutely essential things […]
“And the LORD shall guide thee continually.” — Isaiah 58:11 “The Lord shall guide thee.” Not an angel, but JEHOVAH shall guide thee. He said He would not go through the wilderness before His people, an angel should go before them to lead them in the way; but Moses said, “If Thy presence go not […]
“Can the rush grow up without mire?” — Job 8:11 The rush is spongy and hollow, and even so is a hypocrite; there is no substance or stability in him. It is shaken to and fro in every wind just as formalists yield to every influence; for this reason the rush is not broken by […]
“Lo, I am with you alway.” — Matthew 28:20 The Lord Jesus is in the midst of His church; He walketh among the golden candlesticks; His promise is, “Lo, I am with you alway.” He is as surely with us now as He was with the disciples at the lake, when they saw coals of […]