Nov 19
27
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber…
(Psalms 121:3)
Your warfare, it seems, still continues; and it will continue while you remain here. But He is faithful that promised to make us more than conquerors in the last conflict, then we shall hear the voice of war no more for ever. Whatever we suffer by the way, the end will make amends for all. The repeated experience we have of the deceitfulness of our own hearts, is a means which the Lord employes to make us willing debtors to his free grace, and teach us to live more entirely upon Jesus. He us our peace, our strength, our righteousness, our all in all. And we learn from day to day, that, though diligence and watchfulness in the use of appointed means is our part, yet we are preserved in life. not by our care, but His. We have a watchful Shepherd, who neither slumbers nor sleeps; his eyes are always upon his people; his arm underneath them; this is the reason that their enemies cannot prevail against them. We are conscious to ourselves of many unguarded moments, in which we might be surprised and ruined if we were left without his almighty defence. Yea, we often suffer loss by our folly; but he restores us when wandering; revivies us when fainting; heals us when wounded; and having obtained help of him, we continue to this hour; and he will be our Guard and Guide even unto death. The law of sin in my members distresses me; but the gospel yields relief. It is given me to rest in the finished salvation, and to rejoice in Christ Jesus as my all in all. My soul is athirst for nearer and fuller communion with him. Yet he is pleased to keep me short of those sweet consolations in my retired hours which I could desire. However, I cannot doubt but he is with me, and is pleased to keep up in my heart some sense of the evil of sin, the beauty of holiness, my own weakness and his glorious all sufficiency. His I am, and him I desire to serve. I am , indeed , a poor servant; but he is a gracious Master. Oh! Who is a God like unto him, that forgiveth iniquity, and casted the sins of his people into the depths of the sea? John Newton