Famine pinched all the nations, and it seemed inevitable that Jacob and his family should suffer great want; but the God of providence, who never forgets the objects of electing love, had stored a granary for his people by giving the Egyptians warning of the scarcity, and leading them to treasure up the grain of …
Evening, May 21 – “There is corn in Egypt.” Genesis 42:2 Read More »
“If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth.” Ecclesiastes 11:3 Why, then, do we dread the clouds which now darken our sky? True, for a while they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; He will shine out again before long. Meanwhile those black clouds are filled with …
If:–then, this is not a matter to be taken for granted concerning every one of the human race. “If:”–then there is a possibility and a probability that some may not have tasted that the Lord is gracious. “If:”–then this is not a general but a special mercy; and it is needful to enquire whether we …
Morning, May 21 – “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” 1 Peter 2:3 Read More »
Our heavenly Father often draws us with the cords of love; but ah! how backward we are to run towards him! How slowly do we respond to his gentle impulses! He draws us to exercise a more simple faith in him; but we have not yet attained to Abraham’s confidence; we do not leave our …
Evening, May 20 – “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love.” Hosea 11:4 Read More »
“I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.” Isaiah 45:2 This was for Cyrus; but it is evermore the heritage of all the LORD’s own spiritual servants. Only let us go forward by faith, and …
When we give our hearts with our alms, we give well, but we must often plead to a failure in this respect. Not so our Master and our Lord. His favours are always performed with the love of his heart. He does not send to us the cold meat and the broken pieces from the …
Morning, May 20 – “Marvellous lovingkindness.” Psalm 17:7 Read More »
It was a remarkable thing that the man who was never to die, for whom God had ordained an infinitely better lot, the man who should be carried to heaven in a chariot of fire, and be translated, that he should not see death–should thus pray, “Let me die, I am no better than my …
Evening, May 19 – “And he requested for himself that he might die.” 1 Kings 19:4 Read More »
“Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before Me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth.” Jeremiah 15:19 Poor Jeremiah! Yet why do we say so? The weeping prophet was one of the choicest servants …
Upstarts frequently usurp the highest places, while the truly great pine in obscurity. This is a riddle in providence whose solution will one day gladden the hearts of the upright; but it is so common a fact, that none of us should murmur if it should fall to our own lot. When our Lord was …
How happy are tried Christians, afterwards. No calm more deep than that which succeeds a storm. Who has not rejoiced in clear shinings after rain? Victorious banquets are for well-exercised soldiers. After killing the lion we eat the honey; after climbing the Hill Difficulty, we sit down in the arbour to rest; after traversing the …