the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
February 27—Morning—Isaiah 30:9
"He will be very gracious unto thee; at the voice of thy cry, when he shall hear it, he will answer thee."—Isaiah 30:19.
Mark, my soul, what is here said; for every word in this sweet scripture tells. Thy God, thy Saviour, thy Jesus, knows thy voice, hears thy cry, and will assuredly answer. He will not only be gracious, but very gracious. He waits to be gracious; waits the most suited time, the best time, the praying time, the crying time; for he times his grace, his mercy, to thy need. And though thou knowest it not, yet so it is; when his time is near at hand, which is always the best time, he puts a cry in thine heart; so that the time of thy cry, and the time for the manifestation of his glory, shall come together. Is not this to be gracious; yea, very gracious? So that, while thou art looking after him, he is looking upon thee. And before thou callest upon him, he is coming forth to bless thee. Is not this very gracious? Now then, my soul, make a memorandum of this for any occasions which may hereafter occur. Put it down as a sure, unnering truth; thy Jesus will be very gracious unto thee. Never allow this promise to be called in question any more. Next, bring it constantly into use. Faith, well-grounded faith in Jesus, should always bring down general rules to particular cases and circumstances, as the soul’s experience may require. Hence, when God saith he will be very gracious unto thee, it is the act of faith to answer—if God hath said it, so it shall certainly be. And therefore, as that gracious God, who giveth the promise, giveth also the grace of faith to depend upon the promise, the mercy is already done, and faith enters upon the enjoyment of it. God’s faithfulness and truth become the believer’s shield and buckler.
February 27—Evening—Job 35:10
"But none saith, where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night?"—Job 35:10.
Ah, Lord! is it so, that among men of the world, though they are oppressed by the world, and the evils of it, and some are compelled to cry out under the bitterness of their sorrows, yet are there no hearts, no voices directed to thee? When death entereth into their window, and taketh away the desire of their eyes with a stroke; or when pains and chastenings of the body chain them to their beds; do they lament the earthly bereavements, and groan under the consequences of sin, by which death and sickness came; and yet in all these things, will nothing lead their unthinking minds "to hear the rod, and who hath appointed it?" Will they turn from one creature comfort to another, and strive to fill up the vacancies made by distressing providences, in their fancied happiness with any thing, or even nothing, rather than look to thee for comfort and support under their trouble? Oh! how great are my privileges, if this be the case, compared to those of the carnal! And Oh! how distinguishing thy grace to my poor soul, that when sleepless on the bed, or when pains keep me awake, I can and do look to Jesus, and say, "Thou art God, my Maker, who giveth songs in the night!" Yea, Lord! thou hast refreshed my soul with many a sweet song, when all the world was to me asleep, and could not interrupt my happiness. Oh! how often have I been blessed with the harmony of the songs of redemption, and run over in some of the blessed verses of it, how Jesus hath loved me, and given himself for me. Yea, Lord! may I not say, as the prophet, "Thou hast wakened me morning by morning; he hath wakened mine ear to hear as the learned." For methinks I have been often wakened in the night by thee, and I have found my soul instantly led out by thy grace, to a sense of thy presence, and to a desire after thee; and was not this, my Lord, calling, as upon the church of old, "Let us get up early to the vineyards, for there will I give thee my loves!" Oh! precious Redeemer! grant me such frequent visits, and such sweet communications of thy grace; and if in thy wise and kind providences, sickness, or pain, or afflictions, be at any time appointed me, do thou sit up by me, Lord, and keep my heart in sweet recollection of thee; that in the multitude of the sorrows of my heart, thy comforts may refresh my soul; and frequently may the earnest petition for thy presence and thy love, go forth in the inquiry, "Where is God, my Maker, who giveth songs in the night?"
