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.
—M&E Devotional
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.
—M&E Devotional
There is no faith without struggle. To believe is to struggle, to struggle against the appearance of things. Easy concessions to intellectual challenges weaken believers but do not liberate them.
—Herman Bavinck
—Herman Bavinck
It is neglect of the Bible which makes so many a prey to the first false teacher whom they hear. Nothing supplies false prophets with followers so much as spiritual sloth under a cloak of humility.
—J.C. Ryle
—J.C. Ryle
There will be three effects of nearness to Jesus:
humility, happiness, and holiness.
—Charles Spurgeon
humility, happiness, and holiness.
—Charles Spurgeon
You will have as much joy and laughter in life as you have faith in God.
—Martin Luther
—Martin Luther
5 Dangers For Young Men
1. Pride
2. Love of Pleasure
3. Thoughtlessness
4. Contempt of Religion
5. Fear of Man’s Opinion
—J.C. Ryle
1. Pride
2. Love of Pleasure
3. Thoughtlessness
4. Contempt of Religion
5. Fear of Man’s Opinion
—J.C. Ryle
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There are quiet rest and sweet refreshment in Christ Jesus for him who is weary.
—Jonathan Edwards
—Jonathan Edwards
Faith is the reverse of sight.
It is to believe that we are saved when sin tells us that we are lost.
—Charles Spurgeon
It is to believe that we are saved when sin tells us that we are lost.
—Charles Spurgeon
More important than our giftedness is our godliness. Before God does a work through us, He must do a work in us.
—Steven Lawson
—Steven Lawson
Let us measure ourselves by our Master, and not by our fellow servants, then pride will be impossible.
—Charles Spurgeon
—Charles Spurgeon
Our Lord God must be a good man, to be fond of worthless fellows. I cannot like them, and yet I, myself, am one.
—Martin Luther
—Martin Luther
"With thee is the fountain of life."
Psalm 36:9
There are times in our spiritual experience when human counsel or sympathy, or religious ordinances, fail to comfort or help us. Why does our gracious God permit this? Perhaps it is because we have been living too much without him, and he therefore takes away everything upon which we have been in the habit of depending, that he may drive us to himself.
It is a blessed thing to live at the fountain head. While our skin- bottles are full, we are content, like Hagar and Ishmael, to go into the wilderness; but when those are dry, nothing will serve us but "Thou God seest me." We are like the prodigal, we love the swine-troughs and forget our Father's house. Remember, we can make swine-troughs and husks even out of the forms of religion; they are blessed things, but we may put them in God's place, and then they are of no value.
Anything becomes an idol when it keeps us away from God: even the brazen serpent is to be despised as "Nehushtan," if we worship it instead of God. The prodigal was never safer than when he was driven to his father's bosom, because he could find sustenance nowhere else. Our Lord favours us with a famine in the land that it may make us seek after himself the more. The best position for a Christian is living wholly and directly on God's grace—still abiding where he stood at first—"Having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
Let us never for a moment think that our standing is in our sanctification, our mortification, our graces, or our feelings, but know that because Christ offered a full atonement, therefore we are saved; for we are complete in him. Having nothing of our own to trust to, but resting upon the merits of Jesus—his passion and holy life furnish us with the only sure ground of confidence.
Beloved, when we are brought to a thirsting condition, we are sure to turn to the fountain of life with eagerness.
Psalm 36:9
There are times in our spiritual experience when human counsel or sympathy, or religious ordinances, fail to comfort or help us. Why does our gracious God permit this? Perhaps it is because we have been living too much without him, and he therefore takes away everything upon which we have been in the habit of depending, that he may drive us to himself.
It is a blessed thing to live at the fountain head. While our skin- bottles are full, we are content, like Hagar and Ishmael, to go into the wilderness; but when those are dry, nothing will serve us but "Thou God seest me." We are like the prodigal, we love the swine-troughs and forget our Father's house. Remember, we can make swine-troughs and husks even out of the forms of religion; they are blessed things, but we may put them in God's place, and then they are of no value.
Anything becomes an idol when it keeps us away from God: even the brazen serpent is to be despised as "Nehushtan," if we worship it instead of God. The prodigal was never safer than when he was driven to his father's bosom, because he could find sustenance nowhere else. Our Lord favours us with a famine in the land that it may make us seek after himself the more. The best position for a Christian is living wholly and directly on God's grace—still abiding where he stood at first—"Having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
Let us never for a moment think that our standing is in our sanctification, our mortification, our graces, or our feelings, but know that because Christ offered a full atonement, therefore we are saved; for we are complete in him. Having nothing of our own to trust to, but resting upon the merits of Jesus—his passion and holy life furnish us with the only sure ground of confidence.
Beloved, when we are brought to a thirsting condition, we are sure to turn to the fountain of life with eagerness.
How unspeakably wonderful to know that all our concerns are held in Hands that bled for us.
—John Newton
—John Newton
Psalm 37:1-6
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; Trust also in him; And he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, And thy judgment as the noonday.
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; Trust also in him; And he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, And thy judgment as the noonday.
The so-called innocence of children is more a matter of weakness of limb, than purity of heart.
—Augustine
—Augustine
God is abundantly compensated, he desires no more; Christ's righteousness is of infinite worthiness and merit.
—Jonathan Edwards
—Jonathan Edwards
It is most God-like to be frequent in intercession. It is the constant employment of the Son of GOD in heaven.
—George Whitefield
—George Whitefield
The Christian need not dread sickness, for he has nothing to lose, but everything to gain, by death.
—Charles Spurgeon
—Charles Spurgeon