the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
November 1—Morning—Psalms 18:28
"For thou wilt light my candle."—Psalms 18:28.
Precious consideration! It is the Lord that lighteth the candle of his people. And if the Lord light it, what power can put it out? Cherish, my soul, the faith this thought awakens, amidst all the darkness around thee and in thee. Hath the Lord, indeed, given thee light? Dost thou in his light see light? In the light of God the Father, dost thou behold God the Son, and, by the enlightening of the Holy Ghost, hast thou the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ? Oh the blessedness of such a state of light, and life, and knowledge; how is it possible then any more to be in darkness, when the Lord himself is my everlasting light, and my God my glory? Now consider the reverse of this in creature-enlightening. "How oft," saith Job, "is the candle of the wicked put out!" And how exposed it is to be every moment put out; for it is not of God’s kindling. A fleeting of its own oil will do it. What is called a thief in the candle will do it. It may be blown out; it may be snuffed out; or if none of these causes occur, yet of itself it must shortly burn out. "For what is our life but a vapour?" My soul, ponder these things. Hath the Lord—lighted thy candle? Is Jesus thy light, thy life, thy joy, thy sunshine, thy morning star, thy all in all? And hath he risen upon thee, never more to go down? Oh then, though all thou knowest, all thou beholdest now, is but as the faint taper of the night, compared to the glory of that day which shall be revealed, yet take to thyself by faith all the sweet comforts of thy state of grace, and say, it is the Lord that hath lighted my candle. The Lord my God will enlighten all remaining darkness: I shall see thy face in glory, and shortly awake up after thy likeness.
November 1—Evening—Proverbs 26:2
"The curse causeless shall not come."—Proverbs 26:2.
It is a sweet thought, that the prayer of the wicked is an abomination in the sight of the Lord. And surely the curse of the wicked cannot injure the righteous. But it is doubly blessed when a child of God finds a promising God, a performing God, in making their curses fall to the ground; yea, converting their very curses into blessings. Had not Joseph’s brethren sold their brother, humanly speaking, how would he have arrived to the government of Egypt? Had not Haman planned the destruction of Mordecai, and for this purpose erected the gallows, though means would not have been wanting for his own destruction, yet the idea of hanging might not have entered the breast of the king. Yea, had not the Jews crucified the Lord Jesus, where would have been the triumph of the cross to his redeemed? Learn, my soul, to be looking at these things; not by mere outward appearances, not by the event of the moment, but by the final issue and termination of things. "The curse causeless shall not come." This is quite enough for every believer. Jesus will prevent, or over-rule, or make it minister the very reverse of what the enemy designed. It shall be frustrated, or it shall be sanctified, or it shall be productive of salutary effects, like medicated waters, that by running over certain properties of the earth, have their nature changed, and become wholesome and healing. Lord! cause me to repose in thee, and if the enemy curse, do thou but bless, and all his causeless anger will then be as nothing.
