Morning, July 9
Go To Evening Reading
“Forget not all His benefits.”
Psalm 103:2
It is a delightful and profitable occupation to mark the hand of God
in the lives of ancient saints, and to observe his goodness in delivering
them, his mercy in pardoning them, and his faithfulness in keeping
his covenant with them. But would it not be even more interesting
and profitable for us to remark the hand of God in our own lives?
Ought we not to look upon our own history as being at least as full
of God, as full of his goodness and of his truth, as much a proof
of his faithfulness and veracity, as the lives of any of the saints
who have gone before? We do our Lord an injustice when we suppose
that he wrought all his mighty acts, and showed himself strong for
those in the early time, but doth not perform wonders or lay bare
his arm for the saints who are now upon the earth. Let us review our
own lives. Surely in these we may discover some happy incidents, refreshing
to ourselves and glorifying to our God. Have you had no deliverances ? Have you passed through no rivers, supported by the divine presence?
Have you walked through no fires unharmed? Have you had no manifestations ? Have you had no choice favours ? The God who gave Solomon the desire of his heart, hath he never
listened to you and answered your requests? That God of lavish bounty
of whom David sang, “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things,” hath he never satiated you with fatness? Have you never been made to lie down in green pastures?
Have you never been led by the still waters? Surely the goodness of
God has been the same to us as to the saints of old. Let us, then,
weave his mercies into a song. Let us take the pure gold of thankfulness,
and the jewels of praise and make them into another crown for the
head of Jesus. Let our souls give forth music as sweet and as exhilarating
as came from David’s harp, while we praise the Lord whose mercy endureth forever.