Milo

September 13

“Come up in the morning. … and present thyself unto me in the top of the mount.” (Exod. 34:2.)

THE morning is the time fixed for my meeting the Lord. The very word morning is as a cluster of rich grapes. Let us crush them, and drink the sacred wine. In the morning! Then God means me to be at my best in strength and hope. I have not to climb in my weakness. In the night I have buried yesterday’s fatigue, and in the morning take a new lease of energy. Blessed is the day whose morning is sanctified! Successful is the day whose first victory was won in prayer! Holy is the day whose dawn finds thee on the top of the mount!
My Father, I am coming. Nothing on the mean plain shall keep me away from the holy heights. At Thy bidding I come, so Thou wilt meet me. Morning on the mount! It will make me strong and glad all the rest of the day so well begun.
—Joseph Parker.

Still, still with Thee, when purple morning breaketh,
When the bird waketh, and the shadows flee;
Fairer than morning, lovelier than daylight,
Dawns the sweet consciousness, I am with Thee.

Alone with Thee, amid the mystic shadows,
The solemn hush of nature newly born;
Alone with Thee in breathless adoration,
In the calm dew and freshness of the morn.

As in the dawning o’er the waveless ocean,
The image of the morning-star doth rest,
So in this stillness, Thou beholdest only
Thine image in the waters of my breast.

When sinks the soul, subdued by toil, to slumber,
Its closing eyes look up to Thee in prayer;
Sweet the repose, beneath Thy wings o’er shadowing,
But sweeter still to wake and find Thee there.
—Harriet Beecher Stowe.
My mother’s habit was every day, immediately after breakfast, to withdraw for an hour to her own room, and to spend that hour in reading the Bible, in meditation and prayer. From that hour, as from a pure fountain, she drew the strength and sweetness which enabled her to fulfill all her duties, and to remain unruffled by the worries and pettinesses which are so often the trial of narrow neighborhoods. As I think of her life, and all it had to bear, I see the absolute triumph of Christian grace in the lovely ideal of a Christian lady. I never saw her temper disturbed; I never heard her speak one word of anger, of calumny, or of idle gossip; I never observed in her any sign of a single sentiment unbecoming to a soul which had drunk of the river of the water of life, and which had fed upon manna in the barren wilderness.—Farrar.
Give God the blossom of the day. Do not put Him off with faded leaves.

13 SEPTEMBER

Plead for all this

‘Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.’ Psalm 119:132
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 119:129–144

This prayer is like a letter with a direction. It was used by one who loved the Lord’s name, and had nothing else to plead, and it is recorded for the use of all who are like-minded.
The character: they love thy name, that is, his person, revelation and will—all that by which he is known—and it expresses the manner of their affection: they love him so that they love his very name. Conversation or preaching that is not seasoned with his name is unpleasant to them.
How the Lord used to deal with such: he looks upon them with an eye of favour, they are accepted in the beloved, having protection, Psalm 91:14 [Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name] and compassion. He is merciful to them, in pardoning their sins, accepting their poor services, supplying their wants, preparing a kingdom.
Now if you love the name of Jesus you may, you ought, to expect and plead for all this. He has not excepted you? Why should you except yourself?
Shall I tell you how the Lord ‘used to do’ to those who love not his name, when his gospel is preached? He warns them. It is seldom but he strives with them for a season by his Word, Spirit and providence. He bears a while with them, he endures them with much patience and longsuffering. At length he punishes, either by leaving them to the hardness of their own hearts and Satan, and then how awful they turn out, or cutting them off with stroke. In either case they fall into his hands. Terrible thought.
FOR MEDITATION:
I’ll cast myself before his feet,
Ye burdened souls approach with me,
I see him on his mercy-seat,
And make the Saviour’s name your plea;
(’Tis sprinkled with atoning blood)
Jesus will pardon all who come,
There sinners find access to God:
And strike our fierce accuser dumb.

SERMON: PSALM 119:132 [1/1]

September 12th

By spiritual confusion

Ye know not what ye ask. Matthew 20:22.

There are times in spiritual life when there is confusion, and it is no way out to say that there ought not to be confusion. It is not a question of right and wrong, but a question of God taking you by a way which in the meantime you do not understand, and it is only by going through the confusion that you will get at what God wants.
The Shrouding of His Friendship. Luke 11:5–8 . Jesus gave the illustration of the man who looked as if he did not care for his friend, and He said that that is how the Heavenly Father will appear to you at times. You will think He is an unkind friend, but remember He is not; the time will come when everything will be explained. There is a cloud on the friendship of the heart, and often even love itself has to wait in pain and tears for the blessing of fuller communion. When God looks completely shrouded, will you hang on in confidence in Him?
The Shadow on His Fatherhood. Luke 11:11–13 . Jesus says there are times when your Father will appear as if He were an unnatural father, as if He were callous and indifferent, but remember He is not; I have told you—“Everyone that asketh receiveth.” If there is a shadow on the face of the Father just now, hang onto it that He will ultimately give His clear revealing and justify Himself in all that He permitted.
The Strangeness of His Faithfulness. Luke 18:1–8 . “When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” Will He find the faith which banks on Him in spite of the confusion? Stand off in faith believing that what Jesus said is true, though in the meantime you do not understand what God is doing. He has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you ask.

September 12

“Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” (S. of Sol. 8:5.)

SOME one gained a good lesson from a Southern prayer meeting. A colored brother asked the Lord for various blessings—as you and I do, and thanked the Lord for many already received—as you and I do; but he closed with this unusual petition: “And, O Lord, support us! Yes support us Lord on every leanin’ side!” Have you any leaning sides? This humble man’s prayer pictures them in a new way and shows the Great Supporter in a new light also. He is always walking by the Christian, ready to extend His mighty arm and steady the weak one on “every leanin’ side.”

“Child of My love, lean hard,
And let Me feel the pressure of thy care;
I know thy burden, child. I shaped it;
Poised it in Mine Own hand; made no proportion
In its weight to thine unaided strength,
For even as I laid it on, I said,
‘I shall be near, and while she leans on Me,
This burden shall be Mine, not hers;
So shall I keep My child within the circling arms
Of My Own love.’ Here lay it down, nor fear
To impose it on a shoulder which upholds
The government of worlds. Yet closer come:
Thou art not near enough. I would embrace thy care;
So I might feel My child reposing on My breast.
Thou lovest Me? I knew it. Doubt not then;
But loving Me, lean hard.”

12 SEPTEMBER

A continual supply of the Spirit

‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ Hebrews 13:20–21
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Ephesians 1:15–2:10

Make you perfect in every good work. Besides his disposing and preparing us for his service, there is working in us by an immediate and effectual operation. The first is grace in habit; this second petition is grace in exercise. The instrument, though tuned, will yield no music of itself. We need a continual supply of the Spirit, without which we can do nothing—this is needful as wind to the ship, or water to the mill.
The words through Jesus Christ may be understood: (i) that he is the medium of communication of grace. Of his fullness alone can we receive. Or, (ii) that all which is wrought in us is only acceptable through him and for his sake.
From hence observe:
(i) how entirely all is of grace—that we can will and that we can do and that when we have done we can find acceptance—all is of grace.
(ii) what encouragement for those who find they have nothing and can do nothing. Here is all provided and engaged for.
(iii) how great the sin and ingratitude of those who refuse this great Shepherd and the assistance of his grace.
FOR MEDITATION: The power of grace
Happy the birth where grace presides
Thy wondering saints rejoice to see
To form the future life!
A wretch, like me, restored,
In wisdom’s paths the soul she guides,
And point, and say, ‘How changed is he,
Remote from noise and strife.
Who once defied the Lord!’

O thou whose voice the dead can raise,
Grace bid me live, and taught my tongue
And soften hearts of stone,
To aim at notes divine;
And teach the dumb to sing thy praise,
And grace accepts my feeble song,
This work is all thine own!
The glory, LORD, be thine!

SERMON SERIES: HEBREWS 13:20–21, NO. 4 [2/2]