Aug. 29
PLENTIFUL REFRESHMENT
"Their soul shall be as a watered garden" Jer. 31:12
Oh, to have one's soul under heavenly cultivation; no longer a
wilderness, but a garden of the Lord! Enclosed from the waste, walled
around by grace, planted by instruction, visited by love, weeded by
heavenly discipline, and guarded by divine power, one's favored soul
is prepared to yield fruit unto the Lord.
But a garden may become parched for want of water, and then all its
herbs decline, and are ready to die. O my soul, how soon would this be
the case were the Lord to leave thee! In the East, a garden without
water soon ceases to be a garden at all: nothing can come to
perfection, grow, or even live. When irrigation is kept up, the result
is charming. Oh, to have one's soul watered by the Holy Spirit
uniformly -- every part of the garden having its own stream;
plentifully -- a sufficient refreshment coming to every tree and herb,
however thirsty by nature it may be; continually -- each hour bringing
not only its heat, but its refreshment; wisely -- each plant receiving
just what it needs. In a garden you can see by the verdure where the
water flows, and you can soon perceive when the Spirit of God comes.
O Lord, water me this day, and cause me to yield thee a full
reward, for Jesus' sake. Amen.