May 20

Morning

Marvellous lovingkindness. — Ps 17:7

When we give our hearts with our alms—we give well but we must often plead to a failure in this respect. Not so our Master and our Lord. His favors are always performed with the love of His heart. He does not send to us the cold meat and the broken pieces from the table of His luxury but He dips our morsel in His own dish, and seasons our provisions with the spices of His fragrant affections. When He puts the golden tokens of His grace into our palms, He accompanies the gift with such a warm pressure of our hand, that the manner of His giving is as precious as the blessing itself. He will come into our houses upon His errands of kindness, and He will not act as some austere visitors do in the poor man’s cottage but He sits by our side, not despising our poverty, nor blaming our weakness.

Beloved, with what smiles does He speak! What golden sentences drop from His gracious lips! What embraces of affection does He bestow upon us! If He had but given us pennies, the manner of His giving would have gilded them; but as it is, the costly alms are set in a golden basket by His pleasant manner of giving. It is impossible to doubt the sincerity of His charity, for there is a bleeding heart stamped upon the face of all His blessings. He gives liberally and upbraids not. Not one hint that we are burdensome to Him; not one cold look for His poor pensioners; but He rejoices to show mercy to us and presses us to His bosom—while He is pouring out His life for us. There is a fragrance in His spikenard, which nothing but His heart could produce; there is a sweetness in His honeycomb, which could not be in it unless the very essence of His soul’s affection had been mingled with it. Oh! the rare communion which such singular heartiness effects! May we continually taste and know the blessedness of His marvelous loving-kindness!

Evening

I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love. — Hos 11:4

Our heavenly Father often draws us with the cords of love; but ah! how backward we are to run towards Him! How slowly do we respond to His gentle impulses! He draws us to exercise a more simple faith in Him; but we have not yet attained to Abraham’s confidence; we do not leave our worldly cares with God—but, like Martha, we cumber ourselves with much serving. Our meager faith brings leanness into our souls; we do not open our mouths wide, though God has promised to fill them.

Does He not this evening draw us to trust Him? Can we not hear Him say, “Come, My child and trust Me. The veil is rent; enter into My presence, and approach boldly to the throne of My grace. I am worthy of your fullest confidence, cast your cares on Me! Shake yourself from the dust of your cares and put on your beautiful garments of joy.” But, alas! though called with tones of love to the blessed exercise of this comforting grace—we will not come.

At another time He draws us to closer communion with Himself. We have been sitting on the doorstep of God’s house, and He bids us advance into the banqueting hall and sup with Him but we decline the honor. There are secret rooms not yet opened to us; Jesus invites us to enter them but we hold back. Shame on our cold hearts! We are but poor lovers of our sweet Lord Jesus, not fit to be His servants, much less to be His brides, and yet He has exalted us to be bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh, married to Him by a glorious marriage-covenant. Herein is love! But it is love which takes no denial.

If we do not obey the gentle drawings of His love—He will send affliction to drive us into closer intimacy with Himself. Have us nearer He will. What foolish children we are to refuse those cords of love, and so bring upon our backs that scourge of small cords, which Jesus knows how to use!