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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
Devotional: March 4th

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March 4—Morning—Psalms 137:4

"How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?"—Psalms 137:4.

Methinks, my soul, this strange land is the very place to sing the Lord’s song in, though the carnal around understand it not. Shall I hang my harp upon the willow, when Jesus is my song, and when he himself hath given me so much cause to sing? Begin, my soul, thy song of redemption: learn it, and let it be sung upon earth; for sure enough thou wilt have it to sing in heaven. Art thou at a loss what to sing? Oh, no. Sing of the Father’s mercy in sending a Saviour. Sing of Jesus’s love, in not only coming, but dying for thee! Are the redeemed above now singing, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain?" Join in the chorus, and tell that dear Redeemer in the loudest notes, that he was slain, and hath redeemed thee to God by his blood. Strike up thy harp anew to the glories of redeeming grace, in that he not only died for thee, but hath quickened thee to a new and spiritual life. Add a note more to the Lord’s song, and tell the Redeemer in thy song of praise, that he hath not only died for thee, and quickened thee, but he hath loved thee, and washed thee from thy sins in his own blood. Go on in thy song, my soul, for it is the Lord’s song. Sing not only of redeeming love, but marvellous grace; for both-are connected. He that redeemed thee, hath all grace for thee. He hath adopted thee into his family; hath made thee an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ. He hath undertaken for thee in all troubles, under all difficulties, to be with thee at all times and all places, until he brings thee home to behold his glory, that where he is, there thou mayest be for ever. And are not these causes enough to keep thy harp always strung—always in tune? And wilt thou not sing this song all the way through, and make it the subject of thy continual praise and love, in the house of thy pilgrimage? Moreover, the several properties of the song are, in themselves, matter for keeping it alive every day, and all the day. Think, my soul, how free was this love of God to thee. Surely if a man deserved hell, and found heaven, shall he not sing? If I expected displeasure, and received love—if I was brought low, and one like the Son of Man helped me, shall I not say, as one of old did—"He brought me out of the horrible pit, and out of the miry clay; he hath put a new song into my mouth, even thanksgiving to our God?" If I think of the greatness of the mercy, of the riches of the mercy, of the sweetness of the mercy, of the all-sufficiency of the mercy, of the sureness and firmness, and everlasting nature and efficacy of the mercy—can I refrain to sing? No, blessed, blessed Jesus! I will sing and not be afraid; "for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, and he is become my salvation." I will sing now, I will sing for evermore. In this strange land, in this barren land, in this distant land from my Father’s house, I will sing, and Jesus shall be my song. He shall be the Alpha and the Omega of my hymn; and until I come to sing in the louder and sweeter notes of heaven, among the hallelujahs of the blessed, upon the new harp and new stringed chords of my renewed soul, will I sing of Jesus and his blood, Jesus and his righteousness, Jesus and his complete salvation. And when the last song upon my trembling lips, with Jesus’s name in full, shall be uttered; as the sound dies away, when death seals up the power of utterance; my departing soul shall catch the parting breath, and, as it enters the presence of the court above, the first notes of my everlasting song will go on with the same blessed note, "to him that hath loved me, and washed me from my sins in his own blood!"

March 4—Evening—Genesis 16:13-14

"And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, thou God seest me: for she said, have I also here looked after him that seeth me? Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi."—Genesis 16:13-14.

Behold, my soul, what very blessed instructions arise out of this scripture. Beg of God the Holy Ghost to make thy present evening meditation of it sweet. The words themselves are the reflection of Hagar, the handmaid of Sarah, when she fled from her mistress into the wilderness. In a situation of great distress, the Lord manifested himself to her, and the conclusion she drew from it, was, as is expressed, "thou, Lord, seest me." This indeed, was the name she gave unto the Lord, as if henceforth she would know the Lord in all his mercies by this name. Sweet thought! Jesus is known by his name; and in his name his grace is revealed. But Hagar added another delightful reflection, "for she said, have I also here looked after him that seeth me?" As if she had said, ’And hath the grace God looking upon me, wrought grace in me?’ But the words may be read differently, and some indeed read them so: ’Have I looked for the Lord, when the Lord looked after me? Alas! I thought not of him, until that he called me by his grace.’ Here is another delightful thought of Hagar’s, and in perfect harmony with the gospel of Jesus. For "if we love God, it is because he first loved us." And there is another reflection, as interesting as either: "wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi;" that is, "the well of him that liveth and looketh on." This became Hagar’s memorial; as if she would for ever perpetuate the name of him that looked on and regarded her sorrow. This well, this place, this sacred spot, shall be Hagar’s Bethel; it shall tell every one that passeth by, here the Lord wrought, and here he manifested grace to a poor handmaid. Precious scripture of a precious God! Who but must feel delight in beholding Hagar’s faith? And who but must find cause to bless God, both for giving that faith, and affording so favourable an occasion for the exercise of it? And shall I not, and will not you, reader, gather some of the many delightful instructions from it, for our own use, which it is so highly calculated to bring? Did the angel of the Lord look on Hagar; and doth he not look on every child of his? Am I at any time looking after Jesus, and is not Jesus looking after me? Oh! what a volume of encouragement ariseth from this one view, to persevere in looking after him, and in waiting for him; that before I thought of him, or was looking after him, Jesus was both caring and looking upon me! It is impossible to be beforehand with God. Put down then, my soul, this conclusion from this blessed scripture, that in every place, in every state, upon every occasion, thy Jesus liveth, and looketh on. And do thou call the Lord by the same name as Hagar did, that speaketh to thee, in every place, and by every providence, "Thou God seest me." And never, never forget, when thou art hardest put to it, and art seeking Jesus sorrowing; though, to thy blind eye, he doth not so immediately appear; that he is still seeing, and following thee, even when thou art not seeking and following after him. Let this be in thy constant remembrance; and make every spot that is memorable, like the well Beer-lahai-roi, to draw water of salvation from; for in every one it is the well of him that liveth and looketh on. Precious Lord Jesus! henceforth grant me grace, that while thou art looking after me with love and favour, I may be looking unto thee with faith and praise. And through every step of my wilderness state, while going home to my Father’s house, let this be my comfort, and the burden of my song in this house of my pilgrimage, "Thou God seest me!"

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