WE TRUST IN THE LORD OUR GOD.

 

APRIL 26

We trust in the Lord our God:
Isaiah 36:7

 

HAPPY is the man that can honestly say this.
 
He is taught by the Holy Spirit.
He has learnt to know God.
He puts his knowledge to a practical account.
He is safe from fear of evil.
 
The Lord has revealed himself as the sole object of trust.
 
He has given us such a revelation
  as is calculated to awaken confidence.
His promises are the warrant of our trust.
We may safely trust him to do all
  he has said he will do, and
  to give all he has promised to bestow.
 
But it is not easy to trust an invisible object,
  especially in deep trials and under sore temptations.
 
Satan will do all he can to prevent our trusting him,
  and to shake our confidence in him.
He will throw doubts upon our evidences,
  question our title to the promises and
   suggest that it is presumption to trust a naked promise,
  or rely on the Lord in the absence of warm
    and comfortable feelings.
 
Providence will be sure to put our trust to the test,
  and we generally find, in the hour of trial,
  that our confidence is much more feeble,
  and more easily shaken, that we had supposed.
 
If we would trust in the Lord with all our heart,
  we must get a thorough knowledge
   of his covenant and character.
 
 

Sufficient ground the promise yields,

On which a worm may rest his hope;

And he who on the promise builds,

May give his confidence full scope.

 
James Smith 1849

THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH.

 

APRIL 25.
The love of the truth
2 Thessalonians 2:10
 

THE truth of God is particularly lovely,
  as it reflects the image of God,
    and makes own his mind.
 
It is possible to receive the truth,
  and not receive the truth in love.
It may be forced upon us by
  the power of argument or convictions, and
  not be cordially embraced as an object
    delightful and lovely.
Here the apostasy begins,
  this lies at the root of all the errors and
  superstition of the papacy,
   “They receive not the love of the truth
        that they might be saved.”
 
The gospel of Christ contains all saving truth, and
  if we see that gospel in the light of the Holy Spirit,
  we shall see that it is lovely truth.
 
But no man really loves God's truth,
  until he is “born of the Spirit;”
  for “the natural man receiveth not the
  things of the spirit of God;
   for they are foolishness unto him;
  neither can he know them,
  because they are spiritually discerned.”
 
Beloved, have you received the truth?
Have you received the truth lovingly?
Do you really love the truth, the whole truth?
 
Or, are you prejudiced against any part of it,
  or are you afraid of it?
 
If so, pray fervently unto God to give you to see
  the truth in all its beauty and glory,
    and then you will love it.
 

O that we might the Spirit find,

By Jesus’ grace bestow’d,

Which leads us into all the mind,

And all the things of God.

 
James Smith 1849

THE LORD IS RIGHTEOUS.

 

APRIL 24.
 
The Lord is righteous;
Psalm 129:4

 

RIGHTEOUSNESS is one of the essentials
   perfections of God.
 
He cannot possibly do wrong.
 
He never injured one of his creatures yet,
  and he never will, yea, he never can.
 
“The Lord is righteous in all his ways,
   and holy in all his works.”
 
Righteousness reigns in heaven,
  every creature there is righteous and
  every one is there on the principle of righteousness.
 
Righteousness reigns in hell,
   there is no injustice there.
No one is there who are not to be.
No one suffers more than he justly should.
Not one can say, “I have not deserved this.”
 
Justice alone punishes, and punishes justly.
 
Righteousness reigns in salvation,
  every sinner who believes in Jesus is justly saved.
 
No one is injured by his salvation.
 
Every perfection of God has its claim.
 
Every principle of government is honoured.
 
Every demand of the law is met.
 
God is just,
  while he justifies the ungodly who believe in Jesus.
 
Yea, he is never more than then.
 
For he does not justify without a righteousness,
   but the perfect work of Jesus is placed to his account,
   it become his by gift; for him it was wrought,
   to him it is imputed, as his it is reckoned,
   by a righteous God.
 

Right are the dealings of the Lord,

And all his saints shall prove,

Whether he smiles, or frowns, or hides,

All is in perfect love.

 
James Smith 1849

None of us liveth to himself

 

APRIL 23.
 
None of us liveth to himself
Romans 14:7

 

IS this true of professors in general?
   Is it true of you?
 
Are you living to amass a fortune,
  to enjoy pleasure, or
   to acquire a worldly reputation?
 
Or, are you living as a child of God,
  as a servant of Christ,
    as a traveler to eternity?
 
If we live unto ourselves we are not Christians,
  whatever profession we may make.
 
For if we are Christians we shall live
  to promote the cause of Christ,
    to advance the Kingdom of God, and
      to glorify God both in our bodies and
          spirits which are God’s.
 
If we are Christians,
  we shall live in some degree as Christ lived;
   and he lived not into himself.
 
What shall we live for today?
What object have we in view?
 
What is our rule?
   Is it the word of God?
Who is our guide?
   Is it the Holy Spirit?
What is our end?
 
Is it the increase of our sanctification,
  the entire consecration of our powers, and
  the advancement of the Redeemer’s cause?
 
Many, too many, make self the end in all they do.
 
Their religious actions as well as their civil,
  are directed to the justification of self.
 
Lord, search us, and try us,
   see if we are living to ourselves.
 

Long as I live beneath,

To thee oh let me live!

To thee my every breath,

In thanks and blessings give;

Me to thine image now restore,

And I shall praise thee evermore.

 
James Smith 1849

THE LORD IS THY KEEPER.

 

APRIL 22.
 
The Lord is thy keeper.
Psalm 121:5
 

THE Lord’s people are the objects of his constant care.
 
They feel that they cannot
  keep themselves.
They realize that they are exposed
  to many foes and dangers.
They frequently put themselves into
  his hands for protection.
They daily call upon him to be
  their keeper and guide.
And they busily employ themselves in
  obeying his commands and doing his will.
 
The Lord is engaged to keep all such, and
  he is an omnipotent keeper.
 
He will keep them at all times,
  and in all places.
 
But he will especially keep them
  in times of peculiar danger,
  in seasons of heavy trouble, and
  in the midst of many fears.
 
He will not keep them from trouble,
  but he will keep them from sinking under it.
 
He will not keep them from being
  exercised with inward corruption,
   but he will keep them from being overcome by it.
 
He will not keep them from temptation
  to apostasy and other sins
   but he will keep them from going back into the world.
 
In keeping them, he will employ his mighty angels,
  his special providence,
  his sacred word, and
    the operation of his Holy Spirit.
 
He will keep them because he loves them, and
  because he can glorify himself by doing so.

 

Jesus is my sure defence,

I all his care shall prove,

Kept by his watchful providence,

And ever waking love.

 
James Smith 1849

They shall be all taught of God.

 

APRIL 21.
 
They shall be all taught of God.
John 6:45

 
GOD, as a Father, engages for the education
  of all his children.
 
Yea, he engages to teach them himself.
 
This being the case they shall become scholars.
 
The Lord does not teach us every
  thing we are capable of learning,
  but all that is necessary to fit us
  for our stations and employments.
 
He teaches us to know and loathe ourselves,
  to know and love the Saviour,
  to know and seek deliverance from the law,
  to know and embrace the gospel,
  to know and overcome the world,
  to know and resist Satan steadfast in the faith.
 
Unless we know ourselves,
  we shall never know Christ;
unless we know Christ,
  we shall never be delivered from the law;
unless we are delivered from the law;
  we shall not cordially embrace the gospel;
unless we embrace the gospel;
  we shall never successfully resist Satan,
     or overcome the world.
 
It is an unspeakable mercy to be taught of God,
  for what God teaches us we know,
  we are at a point about,
   so that no one can dispute us out of it.
 
Beloved, are you taught of God?
 
All the children are, and
  if you are not taught of God,
  where is your proof that you are a child of God?
 
Be this our daily prayer, “Lord teach me.”
 

My God, be my teacher, and give me to know,

Thy glorious salvation while dwelling below,

Unfold to my view the sweet truths of thy word,

As they meet and unite in Christ Jesus my Lord.

 
James Smith 1849

O LORD, THOU ART MY GOD.

 

APRIL 20.
 
O Lord, thou art my God.
Isaiah 25:6
 

THIS is the greatest thing any one can say.
 
If the Lord is our God,
  we ought to be happy; we must be safe.
 
If he is our God now, he was not once.
 
There was a time when we did not know him,
  or love him, or believe him, or obey him,
    or hold any fellowship with him.
 
We said to God, “Depart from us,
  for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.”
 
If Jehovah is our God, it is entirely up grace.
 
He engaged in covenant to be so.
 
He promised to bring us into this glorious relationship.
 
He sent his Holy Spirit into our hearts,
  in fulfilment of his promise.
 
That blessed Spirit convinced us of sin,
  let us to Jesus, unfolded the promise,
  applied the atonement, and taught us to say,
  ABBA, my Father and my God.
 
If Jehovah is our God, we know his character
  believe his word, love his perfection,
  walk in his fear, espouse his cause,
  do his will and look for glory,
  honour, immortality, and eternal life.
 
If Jehovah is our God,
  his will is our law,
  his resources or our fortune,
  his wisdom is our guide,
  his power is our guard,
  his promises are our comfort,
  his Son is our advocate,
  his Spirit is our monitor,
  his providence is our protection, and
    his heaven is our home.
 

O Lord my God, in thee I trust,

And on thy arm alone rely,

For thou art faithful, wise, and just,

And wilt my every want supply.

 
James Smith 1849