November 20 - Morning"O Lord, Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul." — Lamentations 3:58
Observe how positively the prophet speaks. He doth not say, "I hope, I
trust, I sometimes think, that God hath pleaded the causes of my soul";
but he speaks of it as a matter of fact not to be disputed. "Thou hast
pleaded the causes of my soul." Let us, by the aid of the gracious
Comforter, shake off those doubts and fears which so much mar our peace
and comfort. Be this our prayer, that we may have done with the harsh
croaking voice of surmise and suspicion, and may be able to speak with the
clear, melodious voice of full assurance.
Notice how gratefully the prophet
speaks, ascribing all the glory to God alone! You perceive there is not a
word concerning himself or his own pleadings. He doth not ascribe his
deliverance in any measure to any man, much less to his own merit; but it
is "thou" — "O Lord, Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; Thou hast
redeemed my life." A grateful spirit should ever be cultivated by the
Christian; and especially after deliverances we should prepare a song for
our God. Earth should be a temple filled with the songs of grateful saints,
and every day should be a censor smoking with the sweet incense of
thanksgiving.
How joyful Jeremiah seems to be while he records the Lord's
mercy. How triumphantly he lifts up the strain! He has been in the low
dungeon, and is even now no other than the weeping prophet; and yet in
the very book which is called "Lamentations," clear as the song of Miriam
when she dashed her fingers against the tabor, shrill as the note of Deborah
when she met Barak with shouts of victory, we hear the voice of Jeremy
going up to heaven — "Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou
hast redeemed my life." O children of God, seek after a vital experience of
the Lord's lovingkindness, and when you have it, speak positively of it;
sing gratefully; shout triumphantly. November 20 - Evening"The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks." — Proverbs 30:26
Conscious of their own natural defenselessness, the conies resort to
burrows in the rocks, and are secure from their enemies. My heart, be
willing to gather a lesson from these feeble folk. Thou art as weak and as
exposed to peril as the timid cony, be as wise to seek a shelter. My best
security is within the munitions of an immutable Jehovah, where His
unalterable promises stand like giant walls of rock. It will be well with
thee, my heart, if thou canst always hide thyself in the bulwarks of His
glorious attributes, all of which are guarantees of safety for those who put
their trust in Him.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, I have so done, and
have found myself like David in Adullam, safe from the cruelty of my
enemy; I have not now to find out the blessedness of the man who puts
his trust in the Lord, for long ago, when Satan and my sins pursued me, I
fled to the cleft of the rock Christ Jesus, and in His riven side I found a
delightful resting-place. My heart, run to Him anew to-night, whatever thy
present grief may be; Jesus feels for thee; Jesus consoles thee; Jesus will
help thee. No monarch in his impregnable fortress is more secure than the
cony in his rocky burrow.
The master of ten thousand chariots is not one
whit better protected than the little dweller in the mountain's cleft. In
Jesus the weak are strong, and the defenceless safe; they could not be more
strong if they were giants, or more safe if they were in heaven. Faith gives
to men on earth the protection of the God of heaven. More they cannot
need, and need not wish. The conies cannot build a castle, but they avail
themselves of what is there already: I cannot make myself a refuge, but
Jesus has provided it, His Father has given it, His Spirit has revealed it,
and lo, again to-night I enter it, and am safe from every foe.
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