September 8: Broken and Smoking
Isaiah 42:3
I am worse than a reed when it grows by the river,
for that at least can hold up its head. I am bruised—sorely, sadly bruised.
There is no music in me now; there is a rift which lets out all the melody. Ah,
me! Yet Jesus will not break me; and if He will not, then I mind little what
others try to do. O sweet and compassionate Lord, I nestle down beneath Thy
protection and forget my bruises!
My fears tell me that the devil has blown out my
light and left me an obnoxious smoke, and that my Lord will soon put an
extinguisher upon one. Yet I perceive that though there were snuffers under the
law, there were no extinguishers, and Jesus will not quench me; therefore, I am
hopeful. Lord, kindle me anew and cause me to shine forth to Thy glory and to
the extolling of Thy tenderness.
September 9: Fear Has Its Place
Proverbs 28:14
He whose soul does not worship will never live in
holiness…Fear of the very appearance of evil is a purifying principle, which
enables a man, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to keep his garments
unspotted from the world.
September 10: Coming In, Going Out
Deuteronomy 28:6
This day I will come in to my house without fear of
evil tidings, and I will come in to my closet expecting to hear good news from
my Lord. I will not be afraid to come in unto myself by self-examination, nor
to come in to my affairs by a diligent inspection of my business. I have a good
deal of work to do indoors, within my own soul; oh, for a blessing upon it all,
the blessing of the Lord Jesus, who has promised to abide with me.
I must also go out. Timidity makes me wish that I
could stay within doors and never go into the sinful world again. But I must go
out in my calling, and I must go out that I may be helpful to my brethren and
useful to the ungodly. I must be a defender of the faith and an assailant of
evil. Oh, for a blessing upon my going out this day! Lord, let me go where Thou
leadest, on Thy errands, under Thy command, and in the power of Thy Spirit.
September 11: Sufferers Make Strong Believers
Lamentations 3:27
The yoke of affliction, disappointment, and
excessive labor is by no means to be sought for; but when the Lord lays it on
us in our youth, it frequently develops a character which glorifies God and
blesses the church.
This gospel for a man with a sword at his throat is
the gospel for me. This would suit me if I were dying, and it is all that I
need while I am living. I look away from self, and sin, and all idea of
personal merit, and I trust the Lord Jesus as the Savior whom God has given. I
believe in Him, I rest on Him, I accept Him to be my all in all. Lord, I am
saved, and I shall be saved to all eternity, for I believe in Jesus. Blessed be
Thy name for this. May I daily prove by my life that I am saved from
selfishness, and worldliness, and every form of evil…I would go over in my
prayer every day the names of all my brothers and sisters, parents, children,
friends, relatives, servants, and give Thee no rest till that word is
fulfilled, "and thy house."
September 13: The Dew of Heaven
Deuteronomy 33:28
What the dew in the East is to the world of nature,
that is the influence of the Spirit in the realm of grace. How greatly do I
need it! Without the Spirit of God I am a dry and withered thing. I droop, I
fade, I die. How sweetly does this dew refresh me! When once favored with it I
feel happy, lively, vigorous, elevated. I want nothing more. The Holy Spirit
brings me life and all that life requires. All else without the dew of the
Spirit is less than nothing to me: I hear, I read, I pray, I sing, I go to the
table of Communion, and I find no blessing there until the Holy Ghost visits
me. But when He bedews me, every means of grace is sweet and profitable.
September 14: Mark of Divine Approval
James 1:12
When the test is over, then comes the hallmark of
divine approval—"the crown of life." As if the Lord said, "Let
him live; he has been weighed in the balances, and he is not found
wanting." Life is the reward: not mere being, but holy, happy, true existence,
the realization of the divine purpose concerning us. Already a higher form of
spiritual life and enjoyment crowns those who have safely passed through
fiercest trials of faith and love.
Have a wonderful week, everybody! God bless!
It's always humbling to see such a man of God open himself up, particularly in the first quote. Bruised but not broken, snuffed under the weight of the Law but not extinguished thanks to Christ. God will uphold his people! Thanks for the posts...
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