HE SHALL CHOOSE OUR INHERITANCE FOR US

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

MAY 16

 

Psalm 47:4

He shall choose our inheritance for us,

the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

 
Can you honestly and heartily say this?
   Are you so fully persuaded of the Lord’s wisdom,
   have you such steady faith in the Lord’s love,
   are you so resigned to the Lord’s will,
   so you sufficiently desire that the Lord’s glory
   should be advanced, as to say cheerfully,
   “He shall choose my inheritance for me?”
 
Do you approve of his general conduct in choosing for you?
 
Are you jealous of your own judgment?
 
If not, you cannot adopt this language to-night.
 
It includes an entire surrender to the Lord.
 
A desire to be wholly at his disposal.
 
Acquiescence in all his appointments, as to trials,
  comforts,
    gifts,
      place of residence,
        time and circumstances of death.
 
You may be sure if this, that if the Lord choose for you,
  he will do for you as Joseph did for his father and brethren,
  he will choose the best.
 
It is therefore your wisdom to commit all to the Lord,
   and leave him to manage your affairs.
 
It is a great privilege to have a God to choose for us,
  one who knows all persons, things, and events;
  and knows all perfectly.
 
It is your duty to be content with the choice that God has made for you, you would not have chosen better, you would not have chosen so well.
 

Now as on rising ground I stand,

Reviewing what is past,

I see that love and wisdom plann’d

My path from first to last.

 
James Smith

WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

MAY 15

 

Romans 5:1

Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 
The life of Jesus is our righteousness,
   his death is our atonement;
   believing in him we are fully justified,
   being justified we are at peace.
 
We know that our God does not impute our trespasses 

unto us; but viewing us in Jesus loves us with an infinite, 

unwavering love.
 
All our present blessings, and
   all our future prospects flow from his love:
      he never hated us,
         though he was angry with us. 
 
He loved us before the foundation of the world,
   therefore he drew the plan of our salvation; and
   it is such a plan as secures the honour of all his perfection,
   provides for our guilt and all our necessities, and
   lays a foundation for permanent and perfect peace.
 
If we therefore believe his word,
   exercise confidence in the perfect work of Jesus, and
      approach him as a Father in the Saviour’s name,
         we have peace.
 
If we have not peace, it is because we do not see
    the perfection of the Saviour’s work, or
   we do not exercise confidence in the faithful promise, or
    we do not believe the love which God hath to us, or
   we are looking into self, instead of looking simply to Jesus.

 

Justified by faith in Jesus,

We have peace and joy in God;

Faith from dread and terror frees us,

While we trust his precious blood:

Casting on him all our care,

He preserves from slavish fear.

 

James Smith

YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

MAY 14

 

Matthew 5:14

Ye are the light of the world.

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

 
We are situated in a dark world.
 
We have received light,
  the light of truth and holiness, and
   we are to let our light shine.
 
Jesus is the sun,
from whom we receive our light; and
like the moon we do not receive light for only ourselves,
but to reflect it on others.
 
Let us then inquire,
   How does the light shine?
 
Is it bright and cheerful?
   —attractive and steady?
   —mild and free?
 
Where does our light shine?
 
In the school-room?
   —in the chamber of affliction?
   —in the abodes of poverty and misery?
   —in the lurking-places of ignorance and vice?
 
In what form does our light shine?
 
In kind words?
   —in occasional visits?
   —in religious tracts?
   —in well timed donations?
 
What has our light done?
 
Has it dried the widow’s tears?
   —supplied the orphan’s wants?
   —conducted sinners to the house of prayer?
   —induced some to repair to the cross?
   —comforted others on the banks of the Jordan?
 
If we are the lights of the world we should shine, or darkness will reign.
 
As we are but lamps, we should be careful to get plenty of oil.
 
Often go to be trimmed.
 

Not for ourselves the light of grace

Didst thou on us bestow,

But for the world’s benighted race,

Thy darken’d house below:

Thy candlesticks thy churches are,

Thy truth and goodness to declare.

 
James Smith

LOVE THE BROTHERHOOD

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

MAY 13

1 Peter 2:17

Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. 

Fear God. Honour the king.

 
All Christians are brethren.
 
If we are born of God, he is our Father, 

   Jesus is our elder Brother, and 

   all believers are our brethren.
 
They may differ from us in creed, in outward ceremonies and in many other things, but if they possess the same nature, they should be objects of our love.
 
We cannot refuse to love them, 

  to acknowledge them, 

    to assist them, without sin:

       for our God says, 

        “Love them: love them with a brother’s love.”
 
Let us then look upon all Christians as in Christ, as the beloved children of God, as our brothers and sisters; and let us endeavour to feel for them, and exercise toward them a brother’s love.
 
Such love is natural, strong, tender, constant, complacent.
 
Let us love them so as to pity them in distress, relieve them if in want, help them in difficulties, and prefer them to carnal persons, however excellent such may in many respects be.
 
Let us love them for the sake of their elder brother, for their Father’s sake, and because they are so nearly related to us.
 
Jesus commands you to love every christian, as he has loved you.
 

Myself begotten from above,

I must my Father’s children love,

Born of the Spirit and the word,

Are we not brethren in the Lord,

Flesh of his flesh, bone of his bone,

His body mystical, and one?

 
James Smith
 

FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

MAY 12

 

Luke 12:32

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s

good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

 
The Saviour’s flock is small.
 
It is in the desert.
 
Enemies surround it.
 
His lambs, especially, are timid.
 
But he says, “Fear not.”
 
You are your shepherd’s care--you are his property- you are his delight.
 
He is always present; he is omnipotent to defend you.
 
Every perfection of his nature is employed for you.
 
He never lost one of his charge yet-he never will.
 
It was said of him by the Prophet. 

   “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; 

    he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and 

    carry them in his bosom, and 

    shall gently lead those that are with young.”
 
He gathers his sheep to his fold, 

   he feeds them in good pasture, 

      he makes them pass under the rod, and 

         marks them as his own.
 
The provision he has made for them is suitable and abundant.
 
Beloved, let us know our shepherd,

  —let us listen to his voice,

  —let us keep close to his side,

  —let us feed and rest among his sheep,

  —let us exercise confidence in his kindness and care,

  —let us banish our fears, for why should we be alarmed?

  —let us cast all our care upon him.
 

Fear not; believe his word;

You are to Jesus given;

‘Tis the good pleasure of the Lord

To bring you safe to heaven.

Then listen to you Shepherd's voice,

And in his constant care rejoice.

 
James Smith

HIM THAT LOVED US

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

MAY 11

 

Romans 8:37

Him that loved us.

 

There is something particularly sweet and pleasant in being the object of another's love.

 

No condition can possibly be more dreary than to feel that no one loves or cares for us.

 

Even the love of a child is sweet.

 

But to be loved by one who is wealthy,

   exalted in station, and

      honorable in character,

          must be particularly delightful.

 

How, then, should we rejoice;

  how happy should we be who are

  the loved ones of the Lord Jesus!

 

When we consider, on the one hand,

  how mean,

    how poor,

       how worthless, and

         how unlovely we are;

and, on the other,

   how glorious,

      how wealthy,

           how worthy,

               how lovely he is.

 

To be loved of Jesus, is to be preferred before the possession of a world.

 

Think of the glory of his person,

  the vastness of his possessions,

  the number of his attendants,

  the unlimited sovereignty which he exercises, and

  the excellent character he bears.

 

Bear in mind, that he knew what loving us would cost him,

   how he would be treated by us and by others for our sake.

 

Yet he fixed his love upon us.

 

He loved just because he would.

 

There were others more dignified in nature, more exalted in station

but he chose us.

 

Resting on Christ, secure we stand,

His love shall order all things well;

We soon shall gain the promised land,

Triumphant or the powers of hell.

 

 

James Smith

YOUR SORROW SHALL BE TURNED INTO JOY

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

MAY 10

 

John 16:20

Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament,

but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful,

but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

 

The sorrow of the disciples was occasioned by the sufferings and 

  death of their beloved Lord, and

  their sorrow was turned into joy when he arose from the dead, and 

  manifested unto them his love. 

The sorrow of the Christian must be transient

 

It is like the passing cloud on the summer’s day, or the chill of winter which must give place to the genial warmth of spring.

 

Beloved, if you now sorrow, 

  your sorrow also shall soon be turned into joy; 

    for joy is sown for the righteous, and 

        gladness for the upright in heart.

 

Heaviness may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning.

 

Thy risen Saviour will appear to thee, and pronounce the words of peace.

 

Thy God who may now hide himself from thee, 

   will appear to thy joy, and 

       thou shalt not be ashamed.

 

The sin that causes thy sorrow shall be pardoned and subdued.

 

The foes that disturb thy peace shall be converted or destroyed. 

The distance between thee and thy home will soon be passed; 

  the days of thy mourning will be ended, and

  thou who now goest forth weeping, 

    bearing precious seed, 

      shall soon return with songs of everlasting joy.

 

O Jesu’s plighted love,

In every state rely; 

Thy very hidings of his face

Shall train thee up for joy.

 

James Smith