“Salvation is of the Lord.”
— Jonah 2:9
Salvation is the work of God. It is he alone who quickens the soul
“dead in trespasses and sins,” and it is he also who maintains the soul
in its spiritual life. He is both “Alpha and Omega.” “Salvation is of
the Lord.” If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I have graces,
they are God’s gifts to me; if I hold on in a consistent life, it is
because he upholds me with his hand. I do nothing whatever towards my
own preservation, except what God himself first does in me. Whatever I
have, all my goodness is of the Lord alone. Wherein I sin, that is my
own; but wherein I act rightly, that is of God, wholly and completely.
If I have repulsed a spiritual enemy, the Lord’s strength nerved my
arm. Do I live before men a consecrated life? It is not I, but Christ
who liveth in me. Am I sanctified? I did not cleanse myself: God’s Holy
Spirit sanctifies me. Am I weaned from the world? I am weaned by God’s
chastisements sanctified to my good. Do I grow in knowledge? The great
Instructor teaches me. All my jewels were fashioned by heavenly art. I
find in God all that I want; but I find in myself nothing but sin and
misery. “He only is my rock and my salvation.” Do I feed on the Word?
That Word would be no food for me unless the Lord made it food for my
soul, and helped me to feed upon it. Do I live on the manna which comes
down from heaven? What is that manna but Jesus Christ himself
incarnate, whose body and whose blood I eat and drink? Am I continually
receiving fresh increase of strength? Where do I gather my might? My
help cometh from heaven’s hills: without Jesus I can do nothing. As a
branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the vine, no more
can I, except I abide in him. What Jonah learned in the great deep, let
me learn this morning in my closet: “Salvation is of the Lord.”
On this day...
- ABANDONMENT - 2009
- Jonah 1:3 - 2009
- Grace Has Two Meanings - 2007
- The Power of His Word - 2007
- How to recieve a blessing - 2007
- Prayer of Prayers - 2007
- The Name’s and Numbers used in the Scriptures - 2007
- Genesis 46:3,4 - 2007
- John 14:21 - 2007
- We Have It Good - 2007
If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I have graces,
they are God’s gifts to me; if I hold on in a consistent life, it is
because he upholds me with his hand. I do nothing whatever towards my
own preservation, except what God himself first does in me. Whatever I
have, all my goodness is of the Lord alone. Wherein I sin, that is my
own; but wherein I act rightly, that is of God, wholly and completely.
Where do I gather my might? My
help cometh from heaven’s hills: without Jesus I can do nothing. As a
branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the vine, no more
can I, except I abide in him.