Morning   “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.”   Psalm 138:8

Most manifestly the confidence which the Psalmist here expressed was a divine

confidence. He did not say, “I have grace enough to perfect that which

concerneth me–my faith is so steady that it will not stagger–my love is so

warm that it will never grow cold–my resolution is so firm that nothing can

move it”; no, his dependence was on the Lord alone. If we indulge in any

confidence which is not grounded on the Rock of Ages, our confidence is worse

than a dream, it will fall upon us, and cover us with its ruins, to our sorrow

and confusion. All that Nature spins time will unravel, to the eternal confusion

of all who are clothed therein. The Psalmist was wise, he rested upon nothing

short  of the Lord’s work. It is the Lord who has begun the good work within us; it is

he who has carried it on; and if he does not finish it, it never will be

complete. If there be one stitch in the celestial garment of our righteousness

which we are to insert ourselves, then we are lost; but this is our confidence,

the Lord who began will perfect. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do

it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done, nor in what we have

resolved to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do. Unbelief insinuates–“You

will never be able to stand. Look at the evil of your heart, you can never

conquer sin; remember the sinful pleasures and temptations of the world

that beset you, you will be certainly allured by them and led astray.” Ah! yes,

we should indeed perish if left to our own strength. If we had alone to navigate

our frail vessels over so rough a sea, we might well give up the voyage in

despair; but, thanks be to God, he will perfect that which concerneth us, and

bring us to the desired haven. We can never be too confident when we confide in

him alone, and never too much concerned to have such a trust.

 

Evening   “Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money.” Isaiah 43:24

Worshippers at the temple were wont to bring presents of sweet perfumes to be

burned upon the altar of God: but Israel, in the time of her backsliding, became

ungenerous, and made but few votive offerings to her Lord: this was an evidence

of coldness of heart towards God and his house. Reader, does this never occur

with you? Might not the complaint of the text be occasionally, if not

frequently, brought against you? Those who are poor in pocket, if rich in faith,

will be accepted none the less because their gifts are small; but, poor reader,

do you give in fair proportion to the Lord, or is the widow’s mite kept back

from the sacred treasury? The rich believer should be thankful for the

talent entrusted to him, but should not forget his large responsibility, for

where much is given much will be required; but, rich reader, are you mindful of

your obligations, and rendering to the Lord according to the benefit received?

Jesus gave his blood for us, what shall we give to him? We are his, and all that

we have, for he has purchased us unto himself–can we act as if we were our own?

O for more consecration! and to this end, O for more love! Blessed Jesus, how

good it is of thee to accept our sweet cane bought with money! nothing is too

costly as a tribute to thine unrivalled love, and yet thou dost receive with

favour the smallest sincere token of affection! Thou dost receive

our poor forget-me-nots and love-tokens as though they were intrinsically

precious, though indeed they are but as the bunch of wild flowers which the

child brings to its mother. Never may we grow niggardly towards thee, and from

this hour never may we hear thee complain of us again for withholding the gifts

of our love. We will give thee the first fruits of our increase, and pay thee

tithes of all, and then we will confess “of thine own have we given thee.”