Evening, October 10
Go To Morning Reading
“And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will
redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.”
Jeremiah 15:21
Note the glorious personality of the promise. I will, I will. The Lord Jehovah himself interposes to deliver and redeem his
people. He pledges himself personally to rescue them. His own arm
shall do it, that he may have the glory. Here is not a word said of
any effort of our own which may be needed to assist the Lord. Neither
our strength nor our weakness is taken into the account, but the lone
I , like the sun in the heavens, shines out resplendent in all-sufficience.
Why then do we calculate our forces, and consult with flesh and blood
to our grievous wounding? Jehovah has power enough without borrowing
from our puny arm. Peace, ye unbelieving thoughts, be still, and know
that the Lord reigneth. Nor is there a hint concerning secondary means
and causes. The Lord says nothing of friends and helpers: he undertakes
the work alone, and feels no need of human arms to aid him. Vain are
all our lookings around to companions and relatives; they are broken
reeds if we lean upon them—often unwilling when able, and unable when they are willing. Since
the promise comes alone from God, it would be well to wait only upon
him; and when we do so, our expectation never fails us. Who are the
wicked that we should fear them? The Lord will utterly consume them;
they are to be pitied rather than feared. As for terrible ones, they
are only terrors to those who have no God to fly to, for when the
Lord is on our side, whom shall we fear? If we run into sin to please
the wicked, we have cause to be alarmed, but if we hold fast our integrity,
the rage of tyrants shall be overruled for our good. When the fish
swallowed Jonah, he found him a morsel which he could not digest;
and when the world devours the church, it is glad to be rid of it
again. In all times of fiery trial, in patience let us possess our
souls.