by Robert Hawker

September 2—Morning—Amos 5:14

"The Lord, the God of Hosts, shall be with you, as you have spoken."—Amos 5:14.

My soul, reflect on this precious scripture and ask yourself: is this promise evident in your experience? Notice how the promise in the Old Testament is confirmed in the New. Jesus assured the same when he said, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." Pause again, my soul, and see how both Testaments affirm the same truth and how the Holy Spirit continually abides with the Lord’s people to confirm his word in their hearts. Are these promises not yours, and are you not eternally enjoying them?

Precious Jesus, morning by morning, I would approach your mercy seat to remind you of this promise, which, in its blessing, encompasses every other. If the Lord, the God of Hosts, is with me; if the Father graciously comes; if the Son himself comes, not just as a traveler who stays for a night, but to make their home with me; and if the Holy Spirit abides with me forever—Oh, the blessedness of such a state, the glory of such company! Lord, I pray, let it be to me according to your word.

September 2—Evening—Song of Solomon 7:11-12

"Come, my beloved, let us go out into the fields; let us spend the night in the villages. Let us rise early and go to the vineyards, let us see if the vine has flourished, if the tender grapes have appeared, and if the pomegranates have budded: there I will give you my love."—Song of Solomon 7:11-12.

My soul, will you do as the church does here and invite Jesus to come with you into a place of quiet, to enjoy sweet fellowship and communion, and to tell him how deeply you love him, or desire to love him? Jesus invites you repeatedly to do this, so why should you not invite him as well? It is blessed to echo the gracious words of your Lord back to him, saying what he first says to you. See Isaiah 26:20, Song of Solomon 2:10, Matthew 11:28, Revelation 22:17.

And where would you ask your Lord to go with you? Surely you would say, to the fields of his Scriptures, to the villages of his people, and to the vineyards of his church; so that Jesus may open his blessed word to you, and you may not merely visit his people with Jesus, but rest with him, and he with you, and rise early to visit the vineyards of his church, the blessed place where his honor dwells. And what is your motive for seeking this divine fellowship with your Lord? Is it not to delight in Jesus and all that concerns him?

His vine is his church (Isaiah 5:7). And oh, how refreshing it is for you to see the church of Jesus flourishing on earth! How truly blessed it is to behold the first signs of grace in new believers, like the appearance of tender grapes; and the more mature faith of seasoned saints, symbolized by the budding of strong pomegranates. Is this your motive, and do you genuinely, sincerely invite your honored Lord to this communion? Will you show him your love there, and tell him how truly lovely and loving he is, that "his love is better than wine," and that you desire to love him, who first loved you; and that you long to see more, and to know more of that love of Jesus "which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God"?

If these are your longings, and you communicate them to Jesus, he will be found by those who seek him; indeed, "before you call, he will answer, and while you are speaking, he will hear." And, precious blessed husband of your church and people! May I not consider this invitation as given also by you to your church, to your people, yes, even to my own soul? It is as if I hear you saying to me, personally, "Come, my beloved; come, let us go out into the fields of my Word alone; let us go together to the villages of my people, and dwell in my house and vineyards: both in private and in public I will manifest myself to you and show you my love."

Oh, bountiful Lord! Your whole heart is love. All is grace, mercy, and kindness in Jesus; and all you are, and all you have, is for your people, your redeemed, your treasured possession, your chosen ones! Lord, give me grace in the lively actings of faith, and my soul shall follow you "wherever you go!"