Daily Devotionals

Bowen's Daily Meditations

Devotional: January 29th

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy." - Psalms 33:18.

There is a hope that cannot exist without fear, and a fear that should not be dissevered from hope. There is a fear that is obnoxious to perfect love; that is, a fear that has torment in it; it must be cast out, and sent to its own place - the bosom of the evil one. But the fear we speak of, angels would not be without for worlds; and saints cannot be without it. You may call it a loving solicitude to have Christ abiding in the heart by faith; to do our heavenly Father’s will, without deviation or diminution. This fear is its own guarantee, that the things feared will not come to pass. Like one that possesses some potent spell by which every conceivable danger may be obviated, he has just so much fear of evil as hinders him from forgetting the spell; while the conscious possession of the spell fills him with joy in the sense of all-sufficient strength, and with a hopeful, confident anticipation of final everlasting victory.

The eye of the Lord is upon such. They hope in his mercy because they are already, and are hourly, the recipients of his mercy. They know that his eye beams with loving-kindness, and it is a foretaste of heaven to know that his eye is upon them. Their works are done for his eye. Their conduct appears strange to men; and men ask, ""Who is the spectator for whom these strange actions are performed?" They go boldly forth, lambs among wolves, because the Good Shepherd has his eye upon them. He guides them with his eye. When they discover that they are quitting the path of his approving glance, they hasten back.

They meet the eye of the Lord in prayer, and in praise.

They meet it in the study of his word.

They meet it in the exercise of faith.

They meet it in their labors for the good of men.

They meet it when men frown and rage.

In the calm and in the storm ’, at noon day and in the dead of night; in sickness and bereavements; in health and deliverances. The eye of the Lord was upon the disciples when they were toiling in rowing; when they were sad, dispirited, bewildered on the lake of Gennesaret. They should have known that it was, but did not discover it till afterwards. Let us beware lest our little faith hinder us from seeing the eye of the Lord, when things seem contrary and wearisome.

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