Dec. 3
PEACE WHATEVER EXPOSURE
"I will make them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil
beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the
wilderness, and sleep in the woods" Ezek. 34:25
It is the height of grace that Jehovah should be in covenant with
man, a feeble, sinful and dying creature. Yet the Lord has solemnly
entered into a faithful compact with us, and from that covenant He
will never turn aside. In virtue of this covenant we are safe. As
lions and wolves are driven off by shepherds, so shall all noxious
influences be chased away. The Lord will give us rest from disturbers
and destroyers; the evil beasts shall cease out of the land. O Lord,
make this thy promise good even now!
The Lord's people are to enjoy security in places of the greatest
exposure: wildernesses and woods are to be as pastures and folds to
the flock of Christ. If the Lord does not change the place for the
better, He will make us the better in the place. The wilderness is not
a place to dwell in, but the Lord can make it so; in the woods one
feels bound to watch rather than to sleep, and yet the Lord giveth His
beloved sleep even there. Nothing without or within should cause any
fear to the child of God. By faith the wilderness can become the
suburbs of Heaven, and the woods the vestibule of glory.