A tiny insect at the door of My all-sufficiency

(Charles Spurgeon)

"Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for 
 I Myself will help you," declares the LORD, your
 Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 41:14

Let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: 

"I Myself will help you! It is but a small thing for Me,
your God, to help you. Consider what I have done
already. What! not help you? Why, I bought you with
My blood! What! not help you? I have died for you!
And if I have done the greater, will I not do the less?
What! not help you? I have done more, and will do more.
Before the world began I chose you. I laid aside My glory
and became a man for you. I gave up My life for you! And
if I did all this, I will surely help you now! In helping you,
I am giving you what I have bought for you already. If you
had need of a thousand times more help, I would give it to
you. You require little compared with what I am ready to
give. It is much for you to need, but it is nothing for Me
to bestow. What! not help you? Don't be afraid! If there
were an ant at the door of your granary asking for help,
it would not ruin you to give him a handful of your wheat;
and you are nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My
all-sufficiency. I Myself will help you!"

O my soul, is not this enough? Do you need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Do you need
more wisdom than exists in the Father; more love than
displays itself in the Son; or more power than is manifest
in the influences of the Spirit? Bring here your empty pitcher!
Surely this river will fill it. Hasten! gather up your needs, and
bring them all here—your emptiness, your woes, your wants!
Behold, this river of God is full for your supply! What can you
desire besides? Go forth, my soul, in this your might—the
Eternal God is your helper!

"Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for 
 I Myself will help you," declares the LORD, your
 Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 41:14

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He makes us kings!

(Horatius Bonar, "The Chief Among Ten Thousand")

"He has made us kings!" Revelation 1:6

Such is the height of dignity to which Jesus raises
us! He gives us a kingdom; and in that kingdom He
makes us kings, not subjects. It is the throne that
is ours—not a home in it merely, or wealth in it, or
a place of honor in it. It is nothing short of the
throne and the crown!
"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to
 sit with Me on My throne!" Revelation 3:21
 
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The little firefly

(John MacDuff, "The Story of Naaman the Syrian")

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to
 one of these little ones because he is My disciple,
 I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his
 reward." Matthew 10:42

God is glorified by obedience to His will in LITTLE things. 
They most glorify God, who, without the often false
incentive of outward and ulterior motives, gladly perform
their humble, unostentatious deeds and services—which
are unacknowledged and unapplauded by the world. Such,
assuredly, will not be unowned or rejected by the Great
Recompenser, because they have nothing better or
costlier to offer.

Motive is everything with the omniscient Heart-searcher!
And He is satisfied, if we fulfill with a good conscience our
apportioned place and lot, however lowly that may be.

The little firefly, illuminating its little sphere, is one of the
tiniest lamps in God's magnificent Temple of night—a mere
'glimmering spark' compared with the nobler Altar-fires of
moon and stars, in the same great sanctuary. But that
tiny insect is content to shine with the luster assigned to
it, in its humble place in the universe—and the Creator is
glorified by it.

"She has done what she could," is the divine word of
approval. The 'widow's mite' and the 'cup of cold water'
are owned and accepted by God. And the 'intention' and
'desire' would be accepted, if there were no mite and
no cup to give.

See the old man rise and fume!

(author unknown)

We must have . . .
  our idols exposed,
  our lusts dragged forth from their holes,
  our carnal religion made loathsome in our eyes,
  our own righteousness shown to be filthy rags.

Heart-searching preaching, where it does not convince,
is sure to offend. Nothing is so cutting to an unrenewed
heart, especially when there is a decent outside, as to
have its rottenness exposed, its refuge of lies swept
away, and the pillow of 'forms' whereon it was sleeping
removed from under its head. Whoever attempts this,
must expect to see the old man rise and fume.

He has blotted out this whole fearful record!

(Stephen Tyng, "Practical Meditations")

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions,
 for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more."
     Isaiah 43:25

What an amount of guilt has He pardoned! 
It is impossible to overstate this. No view
that I can now take of it ascends to the truth.

My original debasement,
my wayward youth,
my rejection of His love,
my rebellion against His authority,
my forgetfulness of His goodness,
my backslidings from His way,
my inconsistent profession,
my vain and sinful example,
the wickedness of my unconverted state,
the errors of my renewed state.
Alas! every day and every act brings up its
separate testimony. And all condemn me!

But He has freely pardoned!

He has blotted out this whole fearful record!

He will remember it no more!

"Once again you will have compassion on us.
 You will trample our sins under Your feet and
 throw them into the depths of the ocean!"
     Micah 7:19

It is I

("The Fruits and Marks of the Lord Being Our God"
 J. C. Philpot, Providence Chapel, London, 1849)

"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Mark 6:50

It is I who formed you in the womb, and brought you
forth into your present existence. It is I, the Lord your
God, who has fed you, and clothed you from that hour
up to the present moment. It is I, the Lord your God,
who has preserved you on every side. When you were
upon a sick bed, it was I, the Lord your God, who
visited your soul, raised up your body, and gave you
that measure of health which you do now enjoy. It is
I, the Lord your God, who placed you in the situation
of life which you do now occupy.

It is I, the Lord your God . . .
  who deals out to you every trial,
  who allots you every affliction,
  who brings upon you every cross,
who works in you everything according
to My own good pleasure.

When we can thus believe that the Lord our God is
about our bed and our path, and spying out all our
ways; when we can look up to Him, and feel that
He is the Lord our God, there is no feeling . . .
  more sweet,
  more blessed,
  more heavenly!

"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Mark 6:50

He has a healing balm for all

(John MacDuff, "The Throne of Grace") "The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress." Rom. 8:26 You cannot live without the Holy Spirit. There cannot be . . .   one heavenly aspiration,   one breathing of love,   one upward glance of faith without His gracious influences. Apart from Him, there is . . .   no preciousness in the Word,   no blessing in ordinances,   no permanent, sanctifying results in affliction. The Holy Spirit . . .   directs His people to the waters of comfort,   gives new glory to the promises, and   invests the Savior's character and work,     with new loveliness and beauty. Come, then, with your affliction! Come with your infirmity! Come with your need! Come with your wounded spirit! Come with your broken heart! Whatever, then, be your present situation, seek the promised help of the Holy Spirit. He has a healing balm for all . . .   the weak,   the tempted,   the sick,   the sorrowing,   the bereaved,   the dying. "The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress." Rom. 8:26

A marvelous combination of all that is lovely and beautiful!

(George Everard, "Counsels to Christians on the Details of Every-day Life!" 1866)

"We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."John 1:14
In Christ is a marvelous combination of all that is lovely and beautiful. Whatever virtue or grace that was ever witnessed in another — was fully, preeminently in Him.
The faith of Abraham,
the godly fear of Isaac,
the meekness of Moses,
the patience of Job,
the holiness of Isaiah,
the devout prayerfulness of David,
the integrity of Daniel,
the sincerity of Nathanael,
the fervency of Peter,
the zeal of Paul,
the tenderness of John —
all these, in their brightest colors, shone forth in Him, who was full of grace and truth.
"Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!" Song of Songs 5:16

In our measure, let us follow Christ in this beautiful harmony of Christian graces. Let no part of His character be left out of sight. This coat of many colors which was worn by our Joseph — may be also upon us His brethren. "Leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps." 1 Peter 2:21

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