Feb 12
3
“When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.”—Ps. lxi. 2. Psalm 61:2
Yes, Lord! I would make this my morning, noon, and evening petition, that the great glorifier of Jesus would gently lead me to him who is a rock, and whose work is perfect. I know, dearest Lord, in theory, and can even reason upon it in seasons of coolness, that thy strength and thy security never fail; the failure is in me and my unbelief. And it is only when I lose sight of thee and thy promise, that I am tossed about with doubts and misgivings. If Jesus be out of sight, and thwarting dispensations arise, Oh! how soon is my poor forgetful heart ready to exclaim with the church of Old, “I said, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord.” Then come on the reasonings of flesh and blood. And then the question, whether my interest in Jesus and his salvation be sure? And then my poor heart goes forth, like the dove of Noah from the ark, having lost sight of Jesus, and can find no resting-place for the sole of my foot. Oh! Lord the Spirit, in all such seasons, do thou “lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” If thou, blessed leader of the Lord’s distressed ones, wouldest be my pilot when those storms are beating upon me, I should soon be blown upon the firm landing-place of Jesus’s security. Oh! how should I ride out the storm even when the tempest was highest, as long as God the Holy Ghost enabled me to cast the anchor of faith upon this eternal rock of Jesus. Oh! lead me then, thou sovereign Lord, continually to my all-precious Jesus. Open the port of communication, and keep it constantly open, between Christ and my soul. Faith will find a soft and quiet bed to sleep on, in the arms of Jesus, and no noise of wars shall break the soul’s rest while reposing on him; for so the promise runs: ” Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.” Oh ! then once again, I send up the earnest cry of my soul, let it be continually answered in mercy! “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” Robert Hawker.
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PROVIDENTIAL OVERRULING
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God; to those who are the called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28
My soul! be still! You are in the hands of your Covenant God! Were all the strange circumstances in your history the result of accident, or chance — you might well be overwhelmed! But “all things,” and this thing (be what it may) which may be now disquieting you — is one of these “all things” that are so working mysteriously for your good. Trust your God! He will not deceive you — your interests are with Him in safe custody.
When sight says, “All these things are against me,” let faith rebuke the hasty conclusion, and say, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” How often does God hedge up your way with thorns — to elicit simple trust! How seldom can we see all things so working for our good! But it is better discipline to believe it. Oh! for faith amid frowning providences, to say, “I know that Your judgments are good;” and, relying in the dark, to exclaim, “Though He slays me — yet will I trust Him!”
Blessed Jesus! to You are committed the reins of this universal empire. The same hand that was once nailed to the cross — is now wielding the scepter on the throne, “all power in Heaven and in earth is given unto You.” How can I doubt the wisdom, and the faithfulness, and love, of the most mysterious earthly dealing — when I know that the Scroll of Providence is thus in the hands of Him who has given the mightiest pledge Omnipotence could give — of His tender interest in my soul’s well-being, by giving Himself for me? John MacDuff.
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“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Matthew 9:12
A physician is useless without a case; and the harder the case, the wiser and better physician we need. Thus a guilty conscience is a case for atoning blood, a wounded spirit for healing balm, a filthy garment for a justifying robe, a drowning wretch for an Almighty hand, a criminal on the gallows for a full pardon, an incurable disease for a heavenly physician, and a sinner sinking into hell for a Savior stooping down from heaven. A man with a real case must have a real salvation. He is no longer to be cheated, deluded, and tricked with pretenses, as a nervous patient is sometimes cured with fake pills; but he must have a real remedy as having a real disease.
Christ in the Bible, Christ sitting as an unknown Savior in the heavens, Christ afar off, unmanifested and unrevealed, is no Christ to him. “Near, near; let him come near; in my heart, in my soul, revealed in me, manifested unto me, formed within me–this, this is the Christ I need. O for one drop of his atoning blood, one smile of his blessed countenance, one testimony of his love, one gleam of his justifying righteousness!” And thus when this divine Redeemer appears in his garments stained with blood, the sinking soul hails his approach, the fowls of the mountains take flight, the beasts of the earth slink off to their dens, the dreary stump pushes forth its shoots, and the voice sounds forth from the inmost depths of the soul, “This is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord, we have waited for him; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” J.C.Philpot.