THE PROSPECT

 

THE PROSPECT

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. Psalm 17:15

Present circumstances may be trying.

The Lord may hide his face, or withhold sensible comforts. 

Providence may appear to frown, and temporal things may run counter to our wishes. 

Corruption may work powerfully within, and innumerable sins may stare us in the face.

Comparing ourselves with what God requires, we may be depressed; and comparing ourselves with what Jesus was, we may not be able to discover more than a very faint resemblance.

 

 But let us look forward; it will not be always as it is now.

There will be a change, and a glorious change, soon!

Others may have easier circumstances, they may be strangers to the conflicts we endure, and we may wonder at their prosperity.

But what pleases them would not satisfy us.

Nor must we expect full satisfaction in this present.

 

 If we are hungering and thirsting after righteousness; if we are longing to be like Jesus; if we are pining and praying for the presence of God; there is a glorious prospect before us!

 

 We shall see our God soon; we may now be vexed, wearied, and disappointed; but we shall awake in the likeness of Jesus!

Our present privileges are great, but our future prospects are unspeakably glorious!

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 

 

 

Like him! O glorious privilege! Wake up in his likeness!

Oh delightful prospect!

My poor, afflicted, tried, tempted, and aged friend, lift up your downcast head; look beyond your present circumstances, for your redemption draws near.

You will soon put off this tabernacle, and be clothed upon with a house which is form heaven.

 

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11.

 

JAMES SMITH 1869

THE PETITION

 

THE PETITION

Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. Psalm 71:9

Reader, do you not often put up the same petition to your good and gracious God?

What could be so dreadful, as to be cast off of God?

What should we deprecate so much, as to be forsaken when our strength fails?

But the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make them his people.

 

No, my aged brother, my aged sister, the Lord will never cast thee off; he will never forsake you. Yet, you may relieve your mind by thus praying, and please your God by thus pleading with him, provided you do not suspect his veracity, or doubt his faithfulness.

Again the psalmist breathes out his soul, "Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come."  You see he is panting to be useful.

 He wanted to bear witness for God, to testify to his power, faithfulness, and love.

Blessed be God, he never did forsake an old pilgrim yet!

Blessed be God, he never did neglect an old servant yet!

Many have deserved it; but he has not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

He is faithful to his Word, and cannot lie.

He is of one mind, and who can turn him?

Let us . . .
abide at his throne,
hang on his Word,
plead for his presence, and
aim in some feeble way to glorify him; and then we may dismiss all our fears about his casting us off, or forsaking us.

Then we may sing, if we have breath enough left, " God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea: The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death. Psalm 48:14

 JAMES SMITH 1869

THE REVIEW

 

THE REVIEW

 

O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: Psalm 71:17

 

In early life, God began to instruct us.
He taught us the rigid requirements of his holy law, 
our need of a better righteousness than our own,
the importance of a saving interest in Christ, and 
the necessity of personal holiness.

 

Under his teaching we,
left the world,
came to Jesus,
embraced the atonement,
found peace, and
commenced walking with God.

 

Many years have passed since that period, many times have we manifested the depravity of our hearts, through many trials and troubles we have been brought, but amidst all, our God has taught us!

 

Yes, he has taught us,
our own weakness,
the vanity of the world,
the insufficiency of earthly things, and
the necessity of something superior

 to what we find here,  to satisfy the cravings of our immortal minds.

 

Daily has he taught us our need of Christ, and how to make use of him.

He has taught us,
by his Word,
by his servants,
by his providence,
and by his Spirit.

 

And it is in consequence of his teaching that we now
cleave to Jesus,
prefer holiness to sin,
Heaven to earth, and
the presence of God to everything besides.

 

Blessed, forever blessed be God, for teaching us.

 

For if he had not taught us,

 we would have still been,
ignorant of ourselves,
strangers to Jesus, and
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in us, because of the natural blindness of our minds.

 

 

My soul, look back at the many Ebenezers thou hast set up,
when helped in difficulty,
when supplied in necessity, and
when delivered out of trouble.

Especially notice this, how thy God has taught thee
thy need of his grace,
the preciousness of Christ, and
the value and veracity of his precious promises.

 

O thou blessed God and Savior, I praise, I bless thee, that thou has taught me from my youth!

 

Remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee Deuteronomy 8:2

 

 JAMES SMITH 1869

THE BORDER LAND

 

THE BORDER LAND

"...the time of my departure is at hand.  2 Timothy 4:6

Aged Christian, thy day is far spent, thy journey is nearly ended.

The greatest part of the wilderness is behind thee.

Thou hast traveled many a weary mile, and hast spent many a sorrowful day.

But thou hast not much farther to go.

 Thou hast not many more days to spend here.

Thou art just on the edge of the wilderness, on the borders of the promised land.

 Soon, very soon, thy Lord will send his messenger, to call thee home.

The year of release is just at hand.

Do not, therefore, give way to fear.

Do not hang down your head like a bulrush, but look up, for thy redemption draweth nigh.

 

 Let us talk together a little of the past, the present, and the future; and let us try and comfort one another with God's own precious words.

 

We have not much time left, let us not waste it!

We have not far to go, let us not loiter.

 We are in the border country, let us expect visits from "THE BETTER LAND." 

We are hastening from danger and a country that is doomed; let us not look back!

Every step now brings us sensibly nearer home.

Every hour tells, and the last hour will soon be here.

 

Let us attend to the Apostle's admonition,

"This I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. But I would have you without carefulness.”

Anxiety about temporal things does not befit us now.

The world is to us like an inn, where we lodge tonight, but shall leave it tomorrow!

"The world passes away; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 

JAMES SMITH 1869

Still Waters Devotional

 

PEACE WITH GOD

 
January 3.
 
The Lord of peace himself give you peace 

   always by all means.
                            II Thessalonians 3:16
 

By thy passion on the tree,

Let my grief and trouble cease;

O remember Calvary,

And give me holy peace.

 
Peace with God is an invaluable blessing;
  it flows from the atonement,
  and is the antidote for human misery.
 
James Smith

SEARCH O LORD

 

January 2.

Search me, O God, and know my heart:
  try me, and know my thoughts.  Psalms 139 23
 

Search, O Lord, and cleanse, and save us;

Heal us by thy power divine;

Burst the bonds that here enslaves us,

That we may be wholly thine.

 
An honest heart will expose itself to God's all searching eye,
 and desire to be examined as well as cleansed and comforted.
 
James Smith