the Fourth Week after Easter
Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.- Psalms 119:49.
It is not natural to us to hope in God’s word. This the power of God causeth us to do. Where there is true knowledge of Jesus, the essential word, there will be a real esteem for the scriptures, the written word of Jehovah. The Spirit that dwelt in Jesus dictated the truths concerning him; and the same Spirit testifies of Jesus in the hearts of his children. By the word we are favored with clear ideas, just conceptions, and encouraging views of the truths of grace and salvation: hence we have the firmest foundation, the strongest confidence, and fullest assurance to build our faith and hope upon: hence also we are emboldened to draw nigh to a throne of grace, to plead our case, present our distress, and claim, with humble boldness, a supply of all our need.
When there is a death upon all comfortable sense and joyful feelings, when all things around us wear a gloomy aspect, when conscience within writes bitter things against us, the law works wrath, and his terrors make us afraid, and an insulting foe, to heighten distress and increase our sorrows, stands over us, with "there, there, so would I have it," in such a season, O it is life from the dead to remember the infinitely transcendent love, victorious toils, triumphant conquests of Jesus over all things for us! How joyful to read that all the promises center in him, and that they are infallibly sure and certain to all the seed-yea and Amen, to the glory of God the Father! How establishing to hear such gracious words from the mouth of Jehovah, "I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins!"- Isaiah 43:25. How powerfully alluring, how sweetly attracting to the affections when love calls, "Put me in remembrance;" plead with me; thou shalt not call in vain; I will hear; I will answer thee! Thus love, thus grace descends to the heart; thus it speaks by the word: hence desires are kindled in the soul, blown into a flame, and ascend in fervent, earnest prayer and pleading to a faithful, promise-fulfilling God. Surely we can never enough prize God’s word, never sufficiently adore the Holy Spirit for the knowledge of Jesus by the word; and if the word of the Lord is our hope, we have eternal truth, everlasting love, infinite power, and unchangeable faithfulness engaged for us. "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him."- Proverbs 30:5.
While others boast of nature’s frames,
And ecstacies of joy,
May I still hope in God’s try’d word,
And thence my comforts draw.
Remember, Lord, thy word of grace,
On which my soul doth trust:
Fulfil thy promise freely made,
I plead it-thou art just.
At that day, saith the LORD, thou shalt call me Ishi, and shalt call me no more Baali. Hosea 2:16.
Many people say, “The Scripture is a dead letter.” Who told them so? not God in his word. True, St. Paul says, “The letter killeth.” (2 Corinthians 3:6.) This cannot prove the Scripture to be a dead letter; but only, that the letter of the law is a ministration of death. Therefore, even the law cannot be a dead letter: for that which killeth cannot be dead itself. St. Stephen calls it, “The lively oracles.” (Acts 7:38.) Our Lord says, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63.) If we are dead to the law and married to Christ, here is a precious word of spirit and life from our loving bridegroom to us this night. Married by faith: this is what constitutes “that day,” that gospel-day of our espousals. Whatever may be in the womb of God’s purpose and decree concerning any sinner, yet he can enjoy no comfort of it, till brought into actual marriage union to Christ, by faith. “Saith the Lord.” When you read this, consider yourself in your Lord’s presence, and your Lord speaking freely to you. “Thou shalt call me Ishi, and shalt call me no more Baali.” Why not? as both names signify my husband. “Thy maker is thy Baali.” (Isaiah 54:5.) O! but there is much more love and sweetness in the one than in the other. Here is an overflow of the Lord’s affectionate heart to us. Ishi is expressive of precious affection and holy familiarity; Baali, of the lordly power, which keeps the soul in subjection; domineering over it, so as to keep it at a distance, and making it shy of its Lord. Many women can truly call their husbands Baali, because they lord it over them: their fear and dread of them is greater than their love and affection to them. But our dear Lord would not have it so with us; therefore, bids us, “Call me Ishi.” Mr. Henry says, “Ishi is, Vir meus, my man: A MAN, the LORD. (Genesis 4:1.) O, the affectionate love! O, the marvellous humility of our Lord and husband! May he help us to improve these precious words. (1st.) In casting away all servile fear and slavish dread of our Lord. He has taken away the law that cursed us; put away sin which caused it; and there is nothing but love and compassion in his heart to us. O! let us, (2d.) prove this, in coming to him, with the same freedom and familiarity as a loving wife to her affectionate husband; and tell him of our sorrows and wants, that he may comfort us and supply them. (3d.) Let us imitate Christ in the purity of his love and the chastity of his affection.
Turn from all other lovers. Delight more in his company, and walk closer with him in love. “For the love of Christ passeth knowledge.” Ephesians 3:19.
