From: Suzianty Herawati
"His bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the
hands of the mighty God of Jacob."
--Genesis 49:24
That strength which God gives to His Josephs is real strength; it is not a
boasted valour, a fiction, a thing of which men talk, but which ends in smoke;
it is true--divine strength. Why does Joseph stand against temptation? Because
God gives him aid. There is nought that we can do without the power of God. All
true strength comes from "the mighty God of Jacob."
Notice in what a blessedly familiar way God gives this strength to Joseph--"The
arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob."
Thus God is represented as putting His hands on Joseph's hands, placing His
arms on Joseph's arms. Like as a father teaches his children, so the Lord
teaches them that fear Him. He puts His arms upon them.
Marvellous condescension! God Almighty, Eternal, Omnipotent, stoops from His
throne and lays His hand upon the child's hand, stretching His arm upon the arm
of Joseph, that he may be made strong! This strength was also covenant
strength, for it is ascribed to "the mighty God of Jacob."
Now, wherever you read of the God of Jacob in the Bible, you should remember
the covenant with Jacob. Christians love to think of God's covenant. All the
power, all the grace, all the blessings, all the mercies, all the comforts, all
the things we have, flow to us from the well-head, through the covenant. If
there were no covenant, then we should fail indeed; for all grace proceeds from
it, as light and heat from the sun. No angels ascend or descend, save upon that
ladder which Jacob saw, at the top of which stood a covenant God. Christian, it
may be that the archers have sorely grieved you, and shot at you, and wounded
you, but still your bow abides in strength; be sure, then, to ascribe all the
glory to Jacob's God.
CH Spurgeon
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From: Suzianty Herawati
"He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever."
--John 14:16
Great Father revealed Himself to believers of old before the coming of His
Son, and was known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the God Almighty. Then Jesus
came, and the ever-blessed Son in His own proper person, was the delight of His
people's eyes. At
the time of the Redeemer's ascension, the Holy Spirit became the head of the
present dispensation, and His power was gloriously manifested in and after
Pentecost. He remains at this hour the present Immanuel--God with us, dwelling
in and with His
people, quickening, guiding, and ruling in their midst. Is His presence
recognized as it ought to be?
We cannot control His working; He is most sovereign in all His operations, but
are we sufficiently anxious to obtain His help, or sufficiently watchful lest
we provoke Him to withdraw His aid? Without Him we can do nothing, but by His
almighty energy the most extraordinary results can be produced: everything
depends upon his manifesting or concealing His power. Do we always look up to
Him both for our inner life and our outward service with the respectful
dependence which is fitting? Do we not too often run before His call and act
independently of His aid? Let us humble ourselves this evening for past
neglects, and now entreat the heavenly dew to rest upon us, the sacred oil to
anoint us, the
celestial flame to burn within us.
The Holy Ghost is no temporary gift, He abides with the saints. We have but to
seek Him aright, and He will be found of us. He is jealous, but He is pitiful;
if He leaves in anger, He returns in mercy.
Condescending and tender, He does not weary of us, but awaits to be gracious
still.
Sin has been hammering my heart
Unto a hardness, void of love,
Let supplying grace to cross his art
Drop from above.
CH Spurgeon
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From: Suzianty Herawati
"And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the
"And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily
rate for every day, all the days of his life."
--2 Kings 25:30
Jehoiachin was not sent away from the king's palace with a store to last him
for months, but his provision was given him as a daily pension. Herein he well
pictures the happy position of
all the Lord's people. A daily portion is all that a man really wants. We do
not need tomorrow's supplies; that day has not yet dawned, and its wants are as
yet unborn. The thirst which we
may suffer in the month of June does not need to be quenched in February, for
we do not feel it yet; if we have enough for each day as the days arrive we
shall never know want. Sufficient for the day is all that we can enjoy. We
cannot eat or drink or wear more than the day's supply of food and raiment; the
surplus gives us the care of storing it, and the anxiety of watching against a
thief. One staff aids a traveller, but a bundle of staves is a heavy burden.
Enough is not only as good as a feast, but is all that the veriest glutton can
truly enjoy. This is all that we should expect; a craving for more than this is
ungrateful. When our Father does not give us more, we should be content with
his daily allowance. Jehoiachin's case is ours, we have a sure portion, a
portion given us of the king, a gracious_ portion, and a perpetual portion.
Here is surely ground for thankfulness.
Beloved Christian reader, in matters of grace you need a daily supply. You
have no store of strength. Day by day must you seek help from above. It is a
very sweet assurance that a daily portion is provided for you. In the word,
through the ministry, by meditation, in prayer, and waiting upon God you shall
receive renewed strength. In Jesus all needful things are laid up for you. Then
enjoy your continual allowance. Never go hungry while the daily bread of grace
is on the table of mercy.
CH Spurgeon
