March 4
Morning
"My grace is sufficient for thee." —
2Co_12:9
If none of God's saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so
well the consolations of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who has not
where to lay his head, who yet can say, "Still will I trust in the
Lord;" when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still
glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and
yet having faith in Christ, oh! what honour it reflects on the gospel. God's
grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers.
Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work
together for their good, and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall
ultimately spring-that their God will either work a deliverance for them
speedily, or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as he is
pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of
divine grace. There is a lighthouse out at sea: it is a calm night-I cannot
tell whether the edifice is firm; the tempest must rage about it, and then I
shall know whether it will stand. So with the Spirit's work: if it were not on
many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know that it
was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it, we should not know how
firm and secure it was. The master-works of God are those men who stand in the
midst of difficulties, stedfast, unmoveable,-
"Calm mid the bewildering cry,
Confident of victory."
He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with
many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be
many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the
better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for his failing you,
never dream of it-hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now,
should be trusted to the end.
Reverence
Verses
2 Corinthians
12:9
My grace: 2Co_12:10,
2Co_3:5-6; Exo_3:11-12, Exo_4:10-15;
Deu_33:25-27; Jos_1:9; Isa_43:2;
Jer_1:6-9; Mat_10:19-20; Luk_21:15;
1Co_10:13, 1Co_15:10; Col_1:28-29;
1Ti_1:14; Heb_4:16
for: Psa_8:2;
Isa_35:3-4, Isa_40:29-31, Isa_41:13-16;
Dan_10:16-19; Eph_3:16; Php_4:13;
Col_1:11; Heb_11:34
Most: 2Co_12:10,
2Co_12:15; Mat_5:11-12
glory: 2Co_12:5,
2Co_11:30
the power: 2Ki_2:15;
Isa_4:5-6, Isa_11:2; Zep_3:17;
Mat_28:18, Mat_28:20; 1Pe_4:13-14
Extract
from
e-Sword-
the sword of the LORD with an electronic edge.
Through
the Bible Day by Day.(F.B Meyer)
Evening
"They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy
house." — Psa_36:8
Sheba's queen was amazed at the sumptuousness of Solomon's table. She
lost all heart when she saw the provision of a single day; and she marvelled
equally at the company of servants who were feasted at the royal board. But
what is this to the hospitalities of the God of grace? Ten thousand thousand of
his people are daily fed; hungry and thirsty, they bring large appetites with
them to the banquet, but not one of them returns unsatisfied; there is enough
for each, enough for all, enough for evermore. Though the host that feed at
Jehovah's table is countless as the stars of heaven, yet each one has his
portion of meat. Think how much grace one saint requires, so much that nothing
but the Infinite could supply him for one day; and yet the Lord spreads his
table, not for one, but many saints, not for one day, but for many years; not
for many years only, but for generation after generation. Observe the full
feasting spoken of in the text, the guests at mercy's banquet are satisfied,
nay, more "abundantly satisfied;" and that not with ordinary fare,
but with fatness, the peculiar fatness of God's own house; and such feasting is
guaranteed by a faithful promise to all those children of men who put their
trust under the shadow of Jehovah's wings. I once thought if I might but get
the broken meat at God's back door of grace I should be satisfied; like the
woman who said, "The dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the master's
table;" but no child of God is ever served with scraps and leavings; like
Mephibosheth, they all eat from the king's own table. In matters of grace, we
all have Benjamin's mess-we all have ten times more than we could have
expected, and though our necessities are great, yet are we often amazed at the
marvellous plenty of grace which God gives us experimentally to enjoy.
Reverence
Verses
Psalms 36:8
abundantly: Psa_16:11,
Psa_17:15, Psa_63:5, Psa_65:4;
Son_5:1; Isa_25:6,
Isa_55:1-2; Jer_31:12-14; Zec_9:17;
Mat_5:6; Joh_7:37
satisfied: Heb. watered, Yirweyun"they shall be saturated," as a thirsty field by showers from heaven.
Isa_58:11
and thou: Psa_16:11,
Psa_46:4; Job_20:17;
Isa_43:20, Isa_48:21; Rev_22:1-17
thy pleasures: Or, adanacha,
"thy pleasure," as four manuscripts, read; in which there is probably
a reference to the garden of Eden, and the river that ran through, and watered
it.
Extract
from
e-Sword-
the sword of the LORD with an electronic edge.
Through
the Bible Day by Day.(F.B Meyer)
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