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Bowen's Daily Meditations
Devotional: August 17th

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"Delight thyself in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." - Psalms 37:4.

Turn not disdainfully away from these words of God, as though they had no claim upon your attention. These words come to you, so to speak, upon your own invitation. For, what have you done all your life long, but rush hither and thither, into this path and into that, crying unceasingly, " How shall I obtain the desires of my heart?" Behold here an answer to your life-long question. The explanation of all your disappointments, the remedy of all your sorrows, is here. Though there were on your table, waiting your perusal, numerous missives, some with the royal seal, others communicating news of enormous gains accruing to you, yet would it be wise in you to leave them all unnoticed rather than this text. If this be left to you, no matter though the wind carried them all away. Nay, if you should escape from a burning house with nothing but this word, you were richer than the richest of the sons of earth. For what all other things faintly and stammer in ugly promise to bestow, this positively promises. What is anything good for, if it yield you not the desires of your heart? Do you take this to be one of those kind lies with which a mother lulls her child to rest? Or a flight of fancy with more strength of expression than depth of meaning? Is every foolish promise of the world to be believed before the deliberate promise of the most high God?

In order that the desires of a man’s heart should be gratified, it is needful that they should be rectified. He must let himself be led into the path that leads to felicity. He must delight himself in the Lord.

" But," you reply, " this is mere mysticism, pietism. The world is full of beautiful and attractive objects, made so by God, and placed opposite to us, that we may look upon them and rejoice in them. Why should not a man rejoice in his own marvellous faculties, bestowed by his Creator? Why should he not rejoice in human society and in all the amenities that strew the path of life? Why should he not rejoice in art, in poetry, music, painting, in nature and in the representations of nature, in the characteristics of his time, the onward sweep of humanity, in the immense variety of literature, in the food so abundantly provided him? "What can there be better than to delight in these?"

Is thy heart satisfied with them? Is discontent a stranger to thy heart, and do murmurs remain far from thy lips? Canst thou say, I want no more?

Couldest thou answer these questions in the affirmative, there would still remain a difficulty. Thy beautiful things fade; the objects of thy delight vanish away. The more attractive a thing is, the more fatal will it prove to thy happiness. For all that is in the world is merely here on exhibition. It appears, is admired, and is then withdrawn.

No, it is no mysticism, but the truest philosophy, the only wisdom, to delight thyself in the Lord. Do this, not by despising his works, but by discerning the connection between them and him, and hearkening to the tale which they tell of him. All beautiful and excellent things are sent to show you the perfections of your God and to whisper to you of his love. Delight yourself in him who gave his Son to die for you; in other words love the things that he loves, shun what he disapproves; and it becomes as certain that your desires will be gratified as that the desires of God will be fulfilled.

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