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Bowen's Daily Meditations
Devotional: July 8th

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"The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants, and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate." - Psalms 34:22.

The parallelism shows us that his servants are those that trust in him. How can a man enter upon this service without trusting in him? To acknowledge this master is rebellion to the world. Thousands are ready to spring to their arms when they see us put away from our forehead and from our hand the sign of our submission to the powers of this world. A man that would serve God, has no longer sword or spear to trust in; riches or luck or cunning; rank or favor; the multitude or the prince; a fortress or a cavern; learning or genius or eloquence; nothing in fact remains for him to trust in but God. The servant is not greater than his master; he partakes with his master the hostility of the world; and he has naught to look to but the promise of his master. Desolation seems to stare him in the face; but he is assured that none of them that trust in the Lord shall be desolate.

Desolation seemed to frown upon the Pilgrim fathers as they forsook the shores of the old world and went forth to a land which they knew to be not at all flowing with milk and honey, rather indeed inhospitable, bleak and savage. Innumerable dangers beset those infant colonies; but they found the grace of the Lord corresponding with the word of the Lord, Instead of being outlaws they became lawgivers; instead of being vilified as opposer’s of the faith, they became celebrated as expounders of the faith; and the howling wilderness became as the garden of the Lord around them.

But sometimes the most bitter experience of desolation is in the crowded walks of men; sometimes in the bosom of a large family. Nothing is more desolating than to be closely surrounded on every side by those who are called friends, kinsfolk, but who have no manner of sympathy with the ruling sentiment of our heart. Often has one so situated longed for the most lonely spot, and deeply felt that the solitary place would be glad, beautiful, heaven like, in comparison with his situation. But often again has such a soul turned to God and found it possible to obtain a triumph over its desolation. The life of God perfected in that soul, has sent forth streams into the uncongenial elements around, and so vindicated itself by celestial love and patience that they too have been led to drink and live. How blessed a thing was it that that soul could not escape in the day of its weariness.

But those that do not trust in him shall be desolate. Perhaps they came to the borders of Canaan, and it seemed to them an uninviting land; a sad and solitary existence seemed to expand before them; they hesitated for awhile; then the persuasions of their worldly friends prevailed; they went back to the multitude. But will the multitude keep them from desolation? Alas! can anything be more desolate than the soul that is without God.

An hour is coming when men, as they have preferred to be without God, so they shall be driven with everlasting destruction from the glory of his presence; thenceforth will everlasting and universal desolation encompass them about, such as eye hath not seen nor heart conceived.

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