Blessed Are Ye That Hunger Now

May 16

Blessed are ye that hunger now

Luke 6:21

Blessed are ye that hunger now:

for ye shall be filled.

Appetite supports life, and is regulated by nature; the carnal appetite is satisfied with carnal things; but a Christian can only be satisfied with spiritual things.

He hungers to enjoy an interest in Christ; for righteousness wrought in him by the Spirit, and given to him by Jesus; to be conformed to the image of Christ; to know Him extensively, experimentally, and practically; to enjoy God as his portion; and that Christ may be magnified in him by life or by death.

His appetite is fixed on its object; no substitute can be found; it is only as he feeds upon Christ that he enjoys satisfaction.

Beloved, how is it with you this morning?

Are you hungry for Jesus?

He filleth the hungry with good things; He pronounces them blessed.

They are blessed with spiritual life; with an interest in the things for which they hunger; and with the operation of the Holy Spirit.

None but God can produce this hunger, and only God can satisfy; it and He will; for He has said, “THEY SHALL BE FILLED.”

This is plain, positive, unconditional, and certain.

Believe it and be happy.

Bless’d are the souls that thirst for grace,

Hunger and long for righteousness;

They shall be well supplied, and fed

With living streams and living bread;

Oh, may my hungry soul receive

The food on which Thy people live!

James Smith

We Walk By Faith

May 15

We walk by faith

II Corinthians 5:7 

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

The Christian’s path is often very rough; thorns and briars grow on either side, dark clouds hang over it, and no cheering prospects appear to animate the heart.

But if he acts consistently, he still believes it is the right path; that trials are mercies in disguise, and that the path of tribulation ends in the kingdom of God.

He believes it is all needful, is the very best way his Father could select; that the design of God is gracious, as his present trials are to end in his eternal welfare.

He believes his God is with him, though he does not enjoy his presence, and that all needful supplies will be sent, though he cannot tell from whence.

He rest on the faithful word, trusts in an immutable God, and says, when surrounded by trials,

“None of these things move me; I know that it is through much tribulation that I must enter the kingdom; my God will support Me, His hand will defend me, and His grace will be glorified in my present and eternal salvation. I know not the way, but my God knows, and He will lead me; He will never leave me, but will be my guide, even unto death.“

Oh may I daily walk by faith,

Believing what my God has spoke;

Rely on His unchanging love,

And cease to grasp at fleeting smoke;

On His eternal truth depend,

And know Him as my God and Friend.

James Smith

They Shall Be Mine, Saith the Lord of Host

May 14

They shall be mine, saith the Lord of host.

And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts,

in that day when I make up my jewels;

and I will spare them, as a man spareth

his own son that serveth him. Malachi 3:17

Who? They that fear of the Lord and think upon His name.

They who fear to offend Him because they love Him.

Who desires above all things to obey Him, to be conformed unto Him, and glorify Him.

They who think upon His name, “OUR FATHER;“ and believe Him to be gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness, and truth.

Who approach Him as children; who walk before Him, desiring to do every thing as under His eye; who are jealous of His honour, and concerned for His glory.

Who speaks of His goodness; talk of His power, and adore the riches of His grace.

“THEY SHALL BE MINE, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS.“

He will treat them as His children, prize them as His jewels, and acknowledge them before assembled angels.

He will put a difference between them and others, and will manifest Himself unto them as He does not unto the world.

Beloved, are we entitled to claim this precious promise?

Do we fear God?

Are we grieved at sin, because it dishonours Him?

Do we think upon His name with love and reverence?

If so, He will spare us, preserve us, and place us among His jewels forever.

Hail, sacred day! that shall declare

The jewels of the Son of God;

Design’d to deck His crown they were,

Chosen of old and bought with blood.

James Smith

The Lord Hath Blessed Me Hitherto

May 13

The Lord hath blessed me hitherto.

Joshua 17:14 And the children of Joseph spake

 unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me 

but one lot and one portion to inherit, 

seeing I am a great people, forasmuch 

as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?

Believer, cannot you join with the children of Joseph this morning, and bear a similar testimony?

Thy God hath blessed thee in Jesus, and through Jesus; 
look back to the rock whence you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence you were digged;

call to mind the time and place, when and where thy God first led thee to cry for mercy, and seek for salvation; 
remember the distress and bondage felt before mercy was manifested; 
and then remember how your soul was delivered, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost imparted.

Think of thy difficulties and dangers, the trials and fears, the deliverances the Lord has wrought, the favour He hath shown, and the comforts He has imparted; and surely you will be gratefully acknowledge, "He hath blessed me hitherto.“

He promised to bless, and you have found Him faithful.

He has manifested a Father‘s love, and a Mother’s tenderness in dealing with you.

But what have been your returns?

Oh, be humbled, for you have been ungrateful!

But cleave to Jesus, for God gives no blessings but by and through Him.

Jesus found me vile and guilty,

I had broken all His laws;

When He look’d He saw me filthy;

All corrupt my nature was;

Man appear’d a hopeless case—

Such it had been but for grace.

James Smith

Their Righteousness is of Me Saith the Lord

May 12

Their righteousness is of me saith the Lord

Isaiah 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;

and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou

shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants

 of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. 

The longer the Christian lives, the more he learns; and the more the Spirit teaches him, the more he loathes himself, and renounces his own righteousness as filthy rags.

He hopes sensibly to grow in holiness, to feel his corruptions subdued, and enjoy without interruption in the presence of his God; but instead of this he seems to grow more like Satan, corruption appears to get stronger and stronger, and the depravity of his nature appears so dreadful, that he enjoys scarcely anything.

He thinks himself a monster of iniquity, and wonder how God can possibly love him, or show any favour unto him.

This experience endears free grace, renders Christ unspeakably precious, and the gift of righteousness invaluable.

How can such a man be just before God?

Where is his righteousness to come from?

Jehovah answers, “HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IS OF ME.”

Jesus wrought it; the Father imputes it to us, the gospel reveals it; and faith receives it, puts it on, and pleads it before God.

Oh Jesus! in Thee have I righteousness and strength.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus blood and righteousness

I dare not trash the sweetest frame

but wholly lean on Jesus name;

On Christ the solid Rock I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

James Smith

Rejoice In The Lord Alway

May 11

Rejoice in the Lord alway

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway:

and again I say, Rejoice.

This is a very difficult precept;

sometimes the Lord hides His face;

we fear and doubt our interest in His love;

we are almost bewildered through the powerful workings of corruption within us;

we are bowed down by Satan’s sore temptations;

and the dispensations of providence are so perplexing, that we are ready to cry out, “All things are against us.”

But we are not bidden to rejoice in frames and feelings, or in the disposition of providence, but in the Lord.

He has loved us with an everlasting love, His love is immutably the same; He is our God in Jesus, and has promised to be unto us, to do for us, and freely give us, all that our circumstances require, or that will be for our good and His glory.

In weakness we may rejoice in His power; in darkness we may rejoice that He knoweth our path; in sickness and sorrow, that He careth for us; and under any circumstances, in His covenant relations; for He is always our Father, Friend, and God.

We should rejoice in His free grace, rich mercy, omnipotent power, faithful promises, special providence, and unchangeable love.

Rejoice in glorious hope!

Jesus the Judge shall come,

And take His servants up

To their eternal home;

We soon shall hear the archangel’s voice—

The trump of God shall sound, REJOICE.

James Smith

He Doth Not Afflict Willingly

May 10

He doth not afflict willingly

Lamentation 3:33

Our afflictions do not flow from sovereignty, but from our Father’s wisdom, holiness, and love. He finds no pleasure in our pains, groans and sighs. He is never hasty in using the rod; mercy flies to help us, but He is slow to anger and a great kindness.

He never afflicts us without a sufficient cause; either sin has been committed; duties neglected; mercies slighted; lukewarmness discovered; worldly-mindedness tolerated; privileges abused; warning despised; temptation trifled with; or danger is near.

He never afflicts without a good and gracious intention, to make us fear, loathe and flee from sin; to shew His disapprobation of our unholy course; to quicken us in His ways; to make us long for, seek, and partake His holiness; to produce contrition and godly sorrow; or to prove that His authority is not surrendered because His love is great.

He only afflicts partially, occasionally, and sparingly.

He always strikes in love, and aims at our spiritual welfare; and we are often more benefitted by afflictions, then we are by comforts and joys.

Our Savior, sanctify to me every afflicting stroke.

In the floods of tribulation,

While the billows o’er me roll,

Jesus whispers consolation,

And supports my fainting soul;

Sweet afflictions,

Thus to bring my Savior near.

James Smith