October 9 - Morning"Able to keep you from falling." — Jude 24
In some sense the path to heaven is very safe, but in other respects there is
no road so dangerous. It is beset with difficulties. One false step (and
how easy it is to take that if grace be absent), and down we go. What a
slippery path is that which some of us have to tread! How many times
have we to exclaim with the Psalmist, "My feet were almost gone, my
steps had well nigh slipped." If we were strong, sure-footed mountaineers,
this would not matter so much; but in ourselves, how weak we are! In the
best roads we soon falter, in the smoothest paths we quickly stumble.
These feeble knees of ours can scarcely support our tottering weight. A
straw may throw us, and a pebble can wound us; we are mere children
tremblingly taking our first steps in the walk of faith, our heavenly Father
holds us by the arms or we should soon be down. Oh, if we are kept from
falling, how must we bless the patient power which watches over us day
by day! Think, how prone we are to sin, how apt to choose danger, how
strong our tendency to cast ourselves down, and these reflections will
make us sing more sweetly than we have ever done, "Glory be to Him,
who is able to keep us from falling." We have many foes who try to push
us down. The road is rough and we are weak, but in addition to this,
enemies lurk in ambush, who rush out when we least expect them, and
labour to trip us up, or hurl us down the nearest precipice. Only an
Almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes, who are seeking to
destroy us.
Such an arm is engaged for our defence. He is faithful that hath
promised, and He is able to keep us from falling, so that with a deep sense
of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety,
and say, with joyful confidence, October 9 - Evening"But He answered her not a word." — Matthew 15:23
Genuine seekers who as yet have not obtained the blessing, may take
comfort from the story before us. The Saviour did not at once bestow the
blessing, even though the woman had great faith in Him. He intended to
give it, but He waited awhile. "He answered her not a word." Were not her
prayers good? Never better in the world. Was not her case needy?
Sorrowfully needy. Did she not feel her need sufficiently? She felt it
overwhelmingly. Was she not earnest enough? She was intensely so. Had
she no faith? She had such a high degree of it that even Jesus wondered,
and said, "O woman, great is thy faith."
See then, although it is true that
faith brings peace, yet it does not always bring it instantaneously. There
may be certain reasons calling for the trial of faith, rather than the reward
of faith. Genuine faith may be in the soul like a hidden seed, but as yet it
may not have budded and blossomed into joy and peace. A painful silence
from the Saviour is the grievous trial of many a seeking soul, but heavier
still is the affliction of a harsh cutting reply such as this, "It is not meet to
take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs."
Many in waiting upon the
Lord find immediate delight, but this is not the case with all. Some, like the
jailer, are in a moment turned from darkness to light, but others are plants
of slower growth. A deeper sense of sin may be given to you instead of a
sense of pardon, and in such a case you will have need of patience to bear
the heavy blow. Ah! poor heart, though Christ beat and bruise thee, or
even slay thee, trust Him; though He should give thee an angry word,
believe in the love of His heart. Do not, I beseech thee, give up seeking or
trusting my Master, because thou hast not yet obtained the conscious joy
which thou longest for. Cast thyself on Him, and perseveringly depend
even where thou canst not rejoicingly hope. October 9 |