Morning"And
so all Israel shall be saved."
Romans 11:26 Then Moses sang at the Red Sea, it was his joy to know that all Israel were safe. Not a drop of spray fell from that
solid wall until the last of God's Israel had safely planted his foot on the other side the flood. That done, immediately
the floods dissolved into their proper place again, but not till then. Part of that song was, "Thou in thy mercy hast
led forth the people which thou hast redeemed." In the last time, when the elect shall sing the song of Moses, the servant
of God, and of the Lamb, it shall be the boast of Jesus, "Of all whom thou hast given me, I have lost none." In
heaven there shall not be a vacant throne. "For all the chosen race Shall meet around the throne, Shall
bless the conduct of his grace, And make his glories known." As many as God hath chosen, as many as Christ
hath redeemed, as many as the Spirit hath called, as many as believe in Jesus, shall safely cross the dividing sea. We are
not all safely landed yet: "Part of the host have crossed the flood, And part are crossing now." The
vanguard of the army has already reached the shore. We are marching through the depths; we are at this day following hard
after our Leader into the heart of the sea. Let us be of good cheer: the rear-guard shall soon be where the vanguard already
is; the last of the chosen ones shall soon have crossed the sea, and then shall be heard the song of triumph, when all are
secure. But oh! if one were absent--oh! if one of his chosen family should be cast away--it would make an everlasting discord
in the song of the redeemed, and cut the strings of the harps of paradise, so that music could never be extorted from them. Evening"He
was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and
now shall I die for thirst?"
Judges 15:18 Samson was thirsty and ready to die. The difficulty was totally different from any which the hero had met before. Merely
to get thirst assuaged is nothing like so great a matter as to be delivered from a thousand Philistines! but when the thirst
was upon him, Samson felt that little present difficulty more weighty than the great past difficulty out of which he had so
specially been delivered. It is very usual for God's people, when they have enjoyed a great deliverance, to find a little
trouble too much for them. Samson slays a thousand Philistines, and piles them up in heaps, and then faints for a little water!
Jacob wrestles with God at Peniel, and overcomes Omnipotence itself, and then goes "halting on his thigh!" Strange
that there must be a shrinking of the sinew whenever we win the day. As if the Lord must teach us our littleness, our nothingness,
in order to keep us within bounds. Samson boasted right loudly when he said, "I have slain a thousand men." His
boastful throat soon grew hoarse with thirst, and he betook himself to prayer. God has many ways of humbling his people. Dear
child of God, if after great mercy you are laid very low, your case is not an unusual one. When David had mounted the throne
of Israel, he said, "I am this day weak, though anointed king." You must expect to feel weakest when you are enjoying
your greatest triumph. If God has wrought for you great deliverances in the past, your present difficulty is only like Samson's
thirst, and the Lord will not let you faint, nor suffer the daughter of the uncircumcised to triumph over you. The road of
sorrow is the road to heaven, but there are wells of refreshing water all along the route. So, tried brother, cheer your heart
with Samson's words, and rest assured that God will deliver you ere long. |
