Morning “He that watereth shall be watered also himself.” / Proverbs 11:25

We are here taught the great lesson, that to get, we must give; that to
accumulate, we must scatter; that to make ourselves happy, we must make others
happy; and that in order to become spiritually vigorous, we must seek the
spiritual good of others. In watering others, we are ourselves watered. How?
Our efforts to be useful, bring out our powers for usefulness. We have latent
talents and dormant faculties, which are brought to light by exercise. Our
strength for labour is hidden even from ourselves, until we venture forth to
fight the Lord’s battles, or to climb the mountains of difficulty. We do not
know what tender sympathies we possess until we try to dry the widow’s tears,
and soothe the orphan’s grief. We often find in attempting to teach others,
that we gain instruction for ourselves. Oh, what gracious lessons some of us
have learned at sick beds! We went to teach the Scriptures, we came away
blushing that we knew so little of them. In our converse with poor saints, we
are taught the way of God more perfectly for ourselves and get a deeper
insight into divine truth. So that watering others makes us humble. We
discover how much grace there is where we had not looked for it; and how much
the poor saint may outstrip us in knowledge. Our own comfort is also increased
by our working for others. We endeavour to cheer them, and the consolation
gladdens our own heart. Like the two men in the snow; one chafed the other’s
limbs to keep him from dying, and in so doing kept his own blood in
circulation, and saved his own life. The poor widow of Sarepta gave from her
scanty store a supply for the prophet’s wants, and from that day she never
again knew what want was. Give then, and it shall be given unto you, good
measure, pressed down, and running over.

Evening “I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain.” / Isaiah 45:19

We may gain much solace by considering what God has not said. What he has said
is inexpressibly full of comfort and delight; what he has not said is scarcely
less rich in consolation. It was one of these “said nots” which preserved the
kingdom of Israel in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, for “the Lord said
not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven.” 2 Kings
14:27. In our text we have an assurance that God will answer prayer, because
he hath “not said unto the seed of Israel, Seek ye me in vain.” You who write
bitter things against yourselves should remember that, let your doubts and
fears say what they will, if God has not cut you off from mercy, there is no
room for despair: even the voice of conscience is of little weight if it be
not seconded by the voice of God. What God has said, tremble at! But suffer
not your vain imaginings to overwhelm you with despondency and sinful despair.
Many timid persons have been vexed by the suspicion that there may be
something in God’s decree which shuts them out from hope, but here is a
complete refutation to that troublesome fear, for no true seeker can be
decreed to wrath. “I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth;
I have not said,” even in the secret of my unsearchable decree, “Seek ye me in
vain.” God has clearly revealed that he will hear the prayer of those who call
upon him, and that declaration cannot be contravened. He has so firmly, so
truthfully, so righteously spoken, that there can be no room for doubt. He
does not reveal his mind in unintelligible words, but he speaks plainly and
positively, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” Believe, O trembler, this sure
truth–that prayer must and shall be heard, and that never, even in the
secrets of eternity, has the Lord said unto any living soul, “Seek ye me in
vain.”