MORNING
"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."
Isaiah 48:10
Comfort thyself, tried believer, with this thought: God saith, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."
Does not the word come like a soft shower, assuaging the fury of the flame? Yea, is it not an asbestos armour, against which
the heat hath no power? Let affliction come--God has chosen me. Poverty, thou mayst stride in at my door, but God is in the
house already, and he has chosen me. Sickness, thou mayst intrude, but I have a balsam ready--God has chosen me. Whatever
befalls me in this vale of tears, I know that he has "chosen" me. If, believer, thou requirest still greater comfort,
remember that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. In that silent chamber of yours, there sitteth by your side
One whom thou hast not seen, but whom thou lovest; and ofttimes when thou knowest it not, he makes all thy bed in thy affliction,
and smooths thy pillow for thee. Thou art in poverty; but in that lovely house of thine the Lord of life and glory is a frequent
visitor. He loves to come into these desolate places, that he may visit thee. Thy friend sticks closely to thee. Thou canst
not see him, but thou mayst feel the pressure of his hands. Dost thou not hear his voice? Even in the valley of the shadow
of death he says, "Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God." Remember that noble speech of Caesar:
"Fear not, thou carriest Caesar and all his fortune." Fear not, Christian; Jesus is with thee. In all thy fiery
trials, his presence is both thy comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom he has chosen for his own. "Fear not,
for I am with thee," is his sure word of promise to his chosen ones in the "furnace of affliction." Wilt thou
not, then, take fast hold of Christ, and say--
"Through floods and flames, if Jesus lead,
I'll follow where
he goes."
EVENING
"He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove."
Matthew 3:16
As the Spirit of God descended upon the Lord Jesus, the head, so he also, in measure, descends upon the members of
the mystical body. His descent is to us after the same fashion as that in which it fell upon our Lord. There is often a singular
rapidity about it; or ever we are aware, we are impelled onward and heavenward beyond all expectation. Yet is there none of
the hurry of earthly haste, for the wings of the dove are as soft as they are swift. Quietness seems essential to many spiritual
operations; the Lord is in the still small voice, and like the dew, his grace is distilled in silence. The dove has ever been
the chosen type of purity, and the Holy Spirit is holiness itself. Where he cometh, everything that is pure and lovely, and
of good report, is made to abound, and sin and uncleanness depart. Peace reigns also where the Holy Dove comes with power;
he bears the olive branch which shows that the waters of divine wrath are assuaged. Gentleness is a sure result of the Sacred
Dove's transforming power: hearts touched by his benign influence are meek and lowly henceforth and forever. Harmlessness
follows, as a matter of course; eagles and ravens may hunt their prey--the turtledove can endure wrong, but cannot inflict
it. We must be harmless as doves. The dove is an apt picture of love, the voice of the turtle is full of affection; and so,
the soul visited by the blessed Spirit, abounds in love to God, in love to the brethren, and in love to sinners; and above
all, in love to Jesus. The brooding of the Spirit of God upon the face of the deep, first produced order and life, and in
our hearts, he causes and fosters new life and light. Blessed Spirit, as thou didst rest upon our dear Redeemer, even so rest
upon us from this time forward and forever.