Daily Devotionals

Bowen's Daily Meditations

Devotional: September 17th

"I, even I, am he that comforteth you."- Isaiah 51:12.

Your affliction is very great; but there is a corresponding greatness in your comforter. I that died on Calvary, that have all power in heaven and in earth, who am from everlasting to everlasting, I am he that comforteth you. I looked upon your sorrow long before you came into existence, and on every page of my word that I caused to be written, I introduced some word of comfort with reference to you. Turn over the leaves of Scripture and see how much I have been occupied about you in days of yore. With all wisdom and kindness I sought out such expressions as were calculated to dissipate your grief. In due time I became incarnate, and every loving thing that I did, I commanded that the news of it should be conveyed to you. I showed my pierced hands and feet to my disciples and instructed them to tell the gospel of my grace to you. I have comforted thousands and tens of thousands whose misery was quite as invincible perhaps as thine. Shall I at last fail with thee? Must I experience a new humiliation? Must it be at length proclaimed that thou hast lost something of superior value to what I can bestow, of greater worth than myself?

There is one disadvantage, as it seems to men, connected with these offices of mine. I can only comfort by means of the truth. I have no illusions to offer. The world with its illusions finds no difficulty in banishing this and that sorrow. But it banishes them to an isle whither the individual himself must soon come and find them strongrer a thousand-fold than when they left him. My solace is for to-day, to-morrow and forever. This thou hast, that thou art not willing to take refuge from thy sorrow in the world’s illusions. Thou hast summoned me and I am come. My name is Love. If there be excellence anywhere in the universe, it has been bestowed by me. All the glory and beauty and joy of the universe are mine; and a thousand times more.

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