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Preparing God's Word for your heart
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
Isaiah 40:8
Preparing God's Word for your heart
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
Isaiah 40:8
The coming of the Comforter is a holy thing, a solemn act, and must be preceded by an intelligent and solemn covenant between the soul and God.
It is the marriage of the soul to the Redeemer, and it is not a “trial marriage.” No true marriage is rushed into carelessly. It is carefully considered, and it is based upon complete separation and consecration and the most solemn pledges and vows.
So, if the Comforter is come to abide, to be with us and in us evermore, we must come out and be separate for Him, we must consecrate ourselves to Jesus fully and forever, and we must covenant to be the Lord’s “for better or for worse,” and we must trust Him.
The soul that thus truly and solemnly dedicates itself to Him becomes His, and He will come to that soul to abide forever, to be its “shield, and . . . exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1 KJV).
Take not back the gift you have voluntarily laid on the altar.
Jesus, Thy life is mine! Dwell evermore in me; And let me see That nothing can untwine Thy life from mine. Thy life in me be shown! Lord, I would henceforth seek To think and speak Thy thoughts, Thy words alone, No more my own. Thy fullest gift, O Lord, Now at Thy word I claim, Through Thy dear Name, And touch the rapturous chord Of praise forth-poured. Jesus, my life is Thine, And evermore shall be Hidden in Thee! For nothing can untwine Thy life from mine. FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL
“Thou shalt abide [live] for me many days . . . thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee” (Hosea 3:3).
That day has come. We view our God no more as Baal, our tyrant lord and mighty master, for we are not under law but under grace. We now think of Jehovah, our God, as our Ishi, our beloved husband, our lord in love, our next-of-kin in bonds of sacred relationship. We do not serve Him less obediently, but we serve Him for a higher and more endearing reason. We no longer tremble under His lash but rejoice in His love. The slave is changed into a child and the task into a pleasure.
Is it so with thee, dear reader? Has grace cast out slavish fear and implanted filial love? How happy are we in such an experience! Now we call the Lord's day a delight, and worship is never a weariness. Prayer is now a privilege, and praise is a holiday. To obey is heaven; to give to the cause of God is a banquet. Thus have all things become new. Our mouth is filled with singing and our heart with music. Blessed be our heavenly Ishi forever and ever.