Morning   “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”   Psalm 126:3

Some Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything, and to

dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God has done for

them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and they will describe

their continual conflicts, their deep afflictions, their sad adversities, and

the sinfulness of their hearts, yet with scarcely any allusion to the mercy and

help which God has vouchsafed them. But a Christian whose soul is in a healthy

state, will come forward joyously, and say, “I will speak, not about myself, but

to the honour of my God. He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit, and out

of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my

goings: and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. The

Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad.” Such an abstract of

experience as this is the very best that any child of God can present. It is

true that we endure trials, but it is just as true that we are delivered out of

them. It is true that we have our corruptions, and mournfully do we know this,

but it is quite as true that we have an all-sufficient Saviour, who overcomes

these corruptions, and delivers us from their dominion. In looking back, it

would be wrong to deny that we have been in the Slough of Despond, and have

crept along the Valley of Humiliation, but it would be equally wicked to

forget that we have been through them safely and profitably; we have not

remained in them, thanks to our Almighty Helper and Leader, who has brought us

“out into a wealthy place.” The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to

God, who has led us through all, and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot

mar the melody of our praise, we reckon them to be the bass part of our life’s

song, “He hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”

 

Evening   “Search the Scriptures.”   John 5:39

The Greek word here rendered search signifies a strict, close, diligent, curious

search, such as men make when they are seeking gold, or hunters when they are in

earnest after game. We must not rest content with having given a superficial

reading to a chapter or two, but with the candle of the Spirit we must

deliberately seek out the hidden meaning of the word. Holy Scripture requires

searching–much of it can only be learned by careful study. There is milk for

babes, but also meat for strong men. The rabbis wisely say that a mountain of

matter hangs upon every word, yea, upon every title of Scripture. Tertullian

exclaims, “I adore the fulness of the Scriptures.” No man who merely skims the

book of God can profit thereby; we must dig and mine until we obtain the hid

treasure. The door of the word only opens to the key of diligence. The

Scriptures claim searching. They are the writings of God, bearing the divine

stamp and imprimatur–who shall dare to treat them with levity? He who despises

them despises the God who wrote them. God forbid that any of us should leave our

Bibles to become swift witnesses against us in the great day of account. The

word of God will repay searching. God does not bid us sift a mountain of chaff

with here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is winnowed corn–we

have but to open the granary door and find it. Scripture grows upon the

student. It is full of surprises. Under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the

searching eye it glows with splendour of revelation, like a vast temple paved

with wrought gold, and roofed with rubies, emeralds, and all manner of gems. No

merchandise is like the merchandise of Scripture truth. Lastly, the Scriptures

reveal Jesus: “They are they which testify of me.” No more powerful motive can

be urged upon Bible readers than this: he who finds Jesus finds life, heaven,

all things. Happy he who, searching his Bible, discovers his Saviour.