DELIGHT THYSELF ALSO IN THE LORD .

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

FEBRUARY 14

 

Psalm 37:4

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and

he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

 
As the Lord delights in us, we ought to delight ourselves also in him.
 
In order to do this, we must receive correct views of his loveliness into our minds;
we must meditate on his glorious perfections,
    as they are revealed to us in Jesus;
we must realize our interest in his love, and
    perfect salvation; and
turn from every other object to contemplate his beauty,
    his benevolence, and constant love to us.
 
We should look to him, as the fountain of all good;
   hope in him,
as the promise-performing God;
    wait on him, as our bountiful benefactor;
trust in hum,
    as our Father and Friend;
and delight in him,
    as our portion and everlasting all.
 
Let us endeavour, to take off our affections more and more from things below, and fix them upon the Lord.
 
How few delight in God!
 
How seldom do we!
 
If we read of him,
   think of him,
      call on him,
         believe in him,
             hope in him, and
                 feel a little love to him we think it enough.
 
But it is not.
 
We should delight ourselves in the Lord.
We may delight in his love, which is set upon us;
in his vast resources, which are open to supply us;
and in his grace, which rejoices to do us good.
 

O Lord, I would delight in thee,

And on thy care depend;

To thee in every trouble flee,

My best, my only friend.

 
James Smith
 

THOU HAST TRIED ME .

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

FEBRUARY 13

 

Psalm 17:3

Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me

in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing;

I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

 
Then prayer has been answered, graces have been exercised, and discipline has been used. The Lord trieth the righteous, and his trials discover, prove, and brighten his character.
 
His fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem; and there he tired his people.
 
Every trial is necessary for our good;
     is ordained by eternal love; and
        is continued just as long as requisite,
            but not one moment longer.
 
Every saint needs trials, and every saint is tried.
 
If the Lord intends to make us holy, he will put us into the fire.
 
Every time we pray for holiness, we pray for trials;
   but trials enhance the value of the promises,
      endear the throne of grace,
           render the ordinances profitable and
                  make the Saviour exceedingly precious.
 
In trials we learn to read our own hearts,
   see the insufficiency of the world,
       look more closely to our evidences,
            humble ourselves before our God, and
                  look with a longing eye to the end of our course.
 
The tried Christian is likely to be a stable Christian;
  very few who walk in a smooth path,
  are either remarkably spiritual,
  extensively useful, or very happy.
 
Trials, like the frosts of winter, prepare our hearts to receive the good seed of the word, and then we bring forth fruit.
 

Brought into the fire, thy wonderful pow’r,

Unburnt we admire, unhurt we adore.

Brought thro’ our temptation, we shortly shall prove

Thine utmost salvation, thy perfecting love.

 
James Smith
 

I WILL HOPE CONTINUALLY .

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

FEBRUARY 12

 

Psalm 71:14

But I will hope continually, and

will yet praise thee more and more.

 
I am warranted to do so, for the foundation of my hope remains immutably the same.
 
The character of my gracious God,
  the faithful promises of his word,
    the recorded history of his saints, and
      my own past experience,
all conspire to say, “Hope continually.”
 
I will hope, that God will be merciful to my unrighteousness;
  that he will support me under all my trials,
  that he will send me seasonsable relief, and timely deliverance;
  that good will flow from all my troubles;
  that grace will be brought unto me at the appearing of Jesus; 

 that eternal life will be my final portion.
 
“I will hope,” for I shall be injured if I do not,
   anxiety will torment my bosom,-
      despondency will brood my soul,-and
          I shall be filled with fearful forebodings.
 
“I will hope continually,” for hope honours God,
-it brightens prospects,
-it stimulates to prayer and exertion,
-and is the sweetener of human life.
 
But I will also remember, that my hope will be sorely tried;
Satan will try it,
  -the God of hope will try it,
    -a thousand things will try it
      ,-but a good hope will live, strengthen,
and work until it gives place to possession.
 
I will not despond. Why should I? I will not fear.
 

Let the winds blow, and the billows roll,

Hope is the anchor of my soul:

It fastens on a land unknown,

And moors me to my Father’s throne!

 
James Smith

HE SPARED NOT HIS OWN SON .

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

FEBRUARY 11

 

Romans 8:32

He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,

how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

 
He would not spare his Son, that he might spare his people.
 
He punished him that he might comfort them.
 
He spared not the angels that sinned.
 
He spared not the old world.
 
But he promises to spare us.
 
How wonderful is this!
 
He hath spared us, he doth spare us, and he will spare us.
 
But Jesus was not spared. Let us reflect on this.
 
For he engaged in covenant,
  for us he came into the world,
    for us he fulfilled all righteousness,
      for us he offered an atoning sacrifice,
        for us he lay in the grave,
          for us he rose from the dead,
            for us he ascended into heaven, and
              for us he ever liveth to make intercession.
 
He was our substitute, the Surety of the better covenant, therefore he was not spared.
 
But if God did not spare him, he may justly spare us, and he will: and not only so, but with his beloved Son, and for his sake, will freely give us all things which pertain to life and godliness.
 
Precious Saviour, thy Father did not spare thee;
Satan did not spare thee;
may it therefore be my concern to spare thee;
may I avoid and abstain from everything which would grieve thy heart,
or dishonour thy dear name, my best, my changeless Friend!
 

Thy cruel thorns, thy shameful cross,

Procure us heavenly crowns;

Our brightest gain springs from thy loss;

Our healing from thy wounds

 
James Smith
 

MY SOUL THIRSTETH FOR GOD ,

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

FEBRUARY 10

 

Psalm 42:2

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:

when shall I come and appear before God?

 
It is not enough for the true Christian to know that God is for him,
   he wants to realize his presence,
      to hold sweet fellowship with him, and
           to enjoy his love.
 
Being created anew in Christ Jesus, he has an appetite to feed upon, and enjoy divine communications; nor can he be satisfied without them.
 
He longs and prays for the gracious presence of His God, and finds it his joy, his strength, and his delight; but if denied this favour he is depressed, dissatisfied, and cast down.
 
Ordinances, without God, are to him dry breasts;
the Scriptures without God, are a light without heat;
 the choicest privileges, without God are like provisions presented to one parched with fever.
 
God is his life, the presence of God is his element, the joy of the Lord is his strength, and without God he is lifeless, sickly, and sorrowful.
 
My friend, is this your experience?
 
Are you in any degree acquainted with it?
 
Can you be satisfied with cold knowledge, empty forms, or what is called religion without the enjoyment of God?
 
If you can, your state is very suspicious.
 
Beware of a religion without God.
 

Lord of heaven and earth, my trust

Seeks in thee its only rest:

For thy love I thirst, I sigh,

To my longing soul draw nigh:

Now thy glorious face unveil,

Let my faith and prayer prevail.

 
James Smith
 

I GIVE MYSELF UNTO PRAYER .

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

FEBRUARY 9
 
Psalm 109:4
For my love they are my adversaries:
but I give myself unto prayer.
 

Watchfulness and prayer should be always united.

 

The praying Chrisitan should watch, and the watching Christian should pray.

 

The one exercise helps us in the other. We should be given to prayer as to our business, our daily occupation.

 

It will preserve us from innumerable evils, and bring invaluable blessings into our possession.

 

God loves to hear us pray.

 

The prayer of the upright is his delight.

 

May be impressed with this idea whenever we go upon our knees, God loves to see me approach him, he delights to hear me plead with him.

 

He listened to me with a Father’s heart.

 

He is grieved when I neglect his throne, and cannot approve of my hurrying over my devotions, as I sometimes do. He says, “Come.” “Come boldly.”

 

If we disregard his word or slight his invitation he will send some trial, raise some storm, or let loose some enemy to drive us to this throne.

 

If we could hear the voice of our troubles distinctly, or understand its language, we should hear it shout, “To your knees, and call upon you God.”

 
Father into my heart convey
The power incessantly to pray
And plead a Saviour’s blood:
In love thy Holy Spirit give,
In me to work, and breathe, and live,
That I may walk with God.
 

James Smith

THOU KNOWEST THAT I LOVE THEE .

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

FEBRUARY 8
 
John 21:15
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter,
Simone, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that
I love thee. He saith into him, Feed my lambs.
 

Notwithstanding all my imperfections though I often grieve thee,

   wrong thy love, and

      fear to trust thy word;

though I am too much influenced by the things of time,

   though dark and direful corruption work within me,

      though Satan sometimes overcomes me;

thou searchest the heart,

    thou readest the inmost workings of the soul, and

         thou knowest that I love thee.

 

Thou knowest that there is imbedded in the depths of my nature, a principle that cannot, will not be satisfied without thee.

 

Therefore I sigh for thy presence, long for thy love to be shed abroad in my heart, pray for the glory to be revealed to my soul, and desire above all things to claim and enjoy thee as mine.

 

 I love thee, therefore I am dissatisfied with the world.

 

I love thee, therefore I desire to please thee.

 

I love thee, therefore nothing wounds me so deeply as the thought of being separated from thee.

 

O that I loved thee more! I want to feel my heart glow whenever I think of thy name.

 

I want to do always those things that please thee and to stand ready and willing at any moment, in any way, to depart and be for ever with thee.

 
Lord it is my chief complaint,
That my love is weak and faint!
Yet I love thee, and adore,
O for grace to love thee more!
 
James Smith