TDR: 17 May (Zephaniah 3:17)

‘He will quiet you with His love’ (Zephaniah 3:17)

Human love is changeable, being a passion; God’s love is unchangeable, being a perfection. Having loved, He will always love. Nothing can occur in time except what He knew in eternity; consequently there can be no reason today, why God should not love me, but what He knew would be before He set His heart upon me.

He fixed His love upon us with the fore-view of all that would be done by us, or felt within us; and He connected us with Jesus, that He might never withdraw His love from us. Oh, to be able to say with the Apostle John, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love!” [1 John 4:16].

The love of God is from everlasting to everlasting; without variableness or the shadow of a turn. Here God rests, and here we should rest. Herein is love, that God should take such poor, vile, ungrateful, wretched creatures, and make them the bride of His Son, the delight of His soul, and His portion for evermore.

Oh, the riches of divine love! Admire it, trust it, rejoice in it; and make it the subject of your daily meditation. HE WILL QUIET YOU WITH HIS LOVE. On this rock we may rest with confidence; on this pillow we may relax in peace.

The cov’nant of grace all blessings secures;
Believer, rejoice, for all things are yours;
And God from His purpose shall never remove,
But love thee, and bless thee, and rest in His love.

THE DAILY REMEMBRANCER by James Smith (1802-1862)

Journal Jottings

‘From this day I propose to pray especially for five things:

1) That the Lord will entirely remove the debt from the chapel.
2) That the power of God may attend the word preached, in a more eminent degree than heretofore, that sinners may be savingly converted, believers edified, and the place be crowded with hearers.
3) That every one of my children may be called by grace, and that soon.
4) That I may enjoy much more of the power of religion, especially in fellowship and communion with God.
5) That a divine influence may spread through the whole church over which I preside, producing love, zeal, humility, faith and wrestling prayer. O Jesus! Thou hast said, “Whatsoever ye ask in my name, ye shall receive” – help me so to ask, that I may receive!’