"I have much people in this city." Acts 18:10 This should be a great encouragement to try to do good, since God has among the vilest of the vile, the most reprobate, the most debauched and drunken, an elect people who must be saved. When you take the Word to them, you do so because... Continue Reading →
O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul…
"O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul." Lamentations 3:58 Observe how positively the prophet speaks. He doth not say, "I hope, I trust, I sometimes think, that God hath pleaded the causes of my soul;" but he speaks of it as a matter of fact not to be disputed. "Thou hast pleaded... Continue Reading →
The Lord’s portion is his people
"The Lord's portion is his people." Deuteronomy 32:9 How are they his? By his own sovereign choice. He chose them, and set his love upon them. This he did altogether apart from any goodness in them at the time, or any goodness which he foresaw in them. He had mercy on whom he would have... Continue Reading →
The eternal God is your refuge
"The eternal God is thy refuge." Deuteronomy 33:27 The word refuge may be translated "mansion," or "abiding- place," which gives the thought that God is our abode, our home. There is a fulness and sweetness in the metaphor, for dear to our hearts is our home, although it be the humblest cottage, or the scantiest... Continue Reading →
As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord
"As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord." Colossians 2:6 The life of faith is represented as receiving—an act which implies the very opposite of anything like merit. It is simply the acceptance of a gift. As the earth drinks in the rain, as the sea receives the streams, as night accepts light from the... Continue Reading →
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands…
"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands." Isaiah 49:16 No doubt a part of the wonder which is concentrated in the word "Behold," is excited by the unbelieving lamentation of the preceding sentence. Zion said, "The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me." How amazed the divine mind... Continue Reading →
For my strength is made perfect in weakness
"For my strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God's work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God's warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, "I know that... Continue Reading →
I have chosen you out of the world…
"I have chosen you out of the world." John 15:19 Here is distinguishing grace and discriminating regard; for some are made the special objects of divine affection. Do not be afraid to dwell upon this high doctrine of election. When your mind is most heavy and depressed, you will find it to be a bottle... Continue Reading →