Morning “And so all Israel shall be saved.” / Romans 11:26

Then Moses sang at the Red Sea, it was his joy to know that all Israel were

safe. Not a drop of spray fell from that solid wall until the last of God’s

Israel had safely planted his foot on the other side the flood. That done,

immediately the floods dissolved into their proper place again, but not till

then. Part of that song was, “Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people

which thou hast redeemed.” In the last time, when the elect shall sing the

song of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb, it shall be the boast of

Jesus, “Of all whom thou hast given me, I have lost none.” In heaven there

shall not be a vacant throne.

“For all the chosen race

Shall meet around the throne,

Shall bless the conduct of his grace,

And make his glories known.”

As many as God hath chosen, as many as Christ hath redeemed, as many as the

Spirit hath called, as many as believe in Jesus, shall safely cross the

dividing sea. We are not all safely landed yet:

“Part of the host have crossed the flood,

And part are crossing now.”

The vanguard of the army has already reached the shore. We are marching

through the depths; we are at this day following hard after our Leader into

the heart of the sea. Let us be of good cheer: the rear-guard shall soon be

where the vanguard already is; the last of the chosen ones shall soon have

crossed the sea, and then shall be heard the song of triumph, when all are

secure. But oh! if one were absent–oh! if one of his chosen family should be

cast away–it would make an everlasting discord in the song of the redeemed,

and cut the strings of the harps of paradise, so that music could never be

extorted from them.

 

Evening   “He was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, thou hast given this

great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for

thirst?” / Judges 15:18

Samson was thirsty and ready to die. The difficulty was totally different from

any which the hero had met before. Merely to get thirst assuaged is nothing

like so great a matter as to be delivered from a thousand Philistines! but

when the thirst was upon him, Samson felt that little present difficulty more

weighty than the great past difficulty out of which he had so specially been

delivered. It is very usual for God’s people, when they have enjoyed a great

deliverance, to find a little trouble too much for them. Samson slays a

thousand Philistines, and piles them up in heaps, and then faints for a little

water! Jacob wrestles with God at Peniel, and overcomes Omnipotence itself,

and then goes “halting on his thigh!” Strange that there must be a shrinking

of the sinew whenever we win the day. As if the Lord must teach us our

littleness, our nothingness, in order to keep us within bounds. Samson boasted

right loudly when he said, “I have slain a thousand men.” His boastful throat

soon grew hoarse with thirst, and he betook himself to prayer. God has many

ways of humbling his people. Dear child of God, if after great mercy you are

laid very low, your case is not an unusual one. When David had mounted the

throne of Israel, he said, “I am this day weak, though anointed king.” You

must expect to feel weakest when you are enjoying your greatest triumph. If

God has wrought for you great deliverances in the past, your present

difficulty is only like Samson’s thirst, and the Lord will not let you faint,

nor suffer the daughter of the uncircumcised to triumph over you. The road of

sorrow is the road to heaven, but there are wells of refreshing water all

along the route. So, tried brother, cheer your heart with Samson’s words, and

rest assured that God will deliver you ere long.