Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?
Luke 24:38
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God?'"1 The Lord cares for everything, and the smallest creatures share in His universal providence, but His particular providence is over His saints. "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him."2 "Precious is their blood in his sight."3 "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints."4 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."5 Let the fact that He is the Savior of all men but is specially the Savior of those who believe cheer and comfort you.
You are His peculiar care, His royal treasure that He guards as the apple of His eye, His vineyard over which He watches day and night. "Even the hairs of your head are all numbered."6 Let the thought of His special love to you be a spiritual painkiller, a soothing balm to your woe: "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."7 God says that just as much to you as to any saint of old. "Fear not . . . I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."8We lose much consolation by the habit of reading His promises for the whole Church instead of taking them directly home for ourselves.
Believer, grasp the divine Word with a personal, appropriating faith. Imagine that you hear Jesus say, "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail."9 Imagine you see Him walking on the water of your trouble, for He is there, and He is saying, "Do not fear—it is I." These are sweet words of Christ! May the Holy Spirit make you feel them as if they were spoken to you; forget others for a while—accept the voice of Jesus as addressed to you and say, "Jesus whispers consolation; I cannot refuse it; I will sit under His shadow with great delight."10
1) Isaiah 40:27
2) Psalm 34:7
3) Psalm 72:14
4) Psalm 116:15
5) Romans 8:28
6) Matthew 10:30
7) Hebrews 13:5
8) Genesis 15:1
9) Luke 22:32
10) See Song of Solomon 2:3
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From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
