September 16—Morning—Zechariah 10:12
"I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in His name, says the Lord." — Zechariah 10:12

My soul, mark these words and see how precious they are; and note the Speaker and Promiser, and consider how certain they are. Is this not God the Father speaking of the church, graciously assuring the church that He will strengthen it in Jesus, the church's glorious Head? Is this not said with reference to Christ, who is represented elsewhere in this blessed prophecy as calling upon the church to attend to Him, who has come to build the temple of the Lord and to bear all the glory? He specifically states that the church will know that He, the Lord of Hosts, is sent by the Lord of Hosts to His people. Who but the Lord of Hosts could build the temple of the Lord of Hosts, or who else could bear all the glory? (Zechariah 6:12).

So then, my soul, observe that Christ is the strength as well as the righteousness of His redeemed. And also consider that whenever you are strengthened in Jesus, it is the Father's gracious hand and work that is shown in this merciful act. If you are drawn to Jesus at any time, it is the Father's sweet, compelling love working upon your soul (John 6:44). If you ever enjoy some new and delightful revelation of Jesus, which lifts you up with unspeakable joy, remember, my soul, from whom the blessing comes; and learn to attribute the mercy—the distinguishing mercy—as the apostle did, to the Father's grace, when it pleased Him to separate you from your mother's womb and call you by His grace to reveal His Son in you (Galatians 1:15-16).

Yes, Almighty Father, it is Your special mercy to give Your Son, and with Him all things, to the highly favored objects of Your everlasting love. You are the One who, from all eternity, planned, ordered, willed, appointed, and prepared the great salvation of the gospel, choosing Christ as the Head and the church as the body of this wondrous work of redemption. You are the One who has carried out and executed all the great designs, and it is You who strengthens and completes the whole in the final salvation of all its members, in grace here and in glory hereafter.

Blessed, holy, compassionate Lord God! For Jesus's sake, fulfill this promise daily in my soul; uphold me, carry me through, and strengthen me in the Lord my God, that I may indeed walk in His name until You bring me to see His face in Your eternal home and dwell under the light of His countenance forever.
 

September 16—Evening—Genesis 24:63
"And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at evening." — Genesis 24:63

My soul, every season is suited for meditation if the Lord, the Holy Spirit, prepares the mind for the task. But unless He prepares the heart, no season will be found suitable. How many are there whose unthinking minds neither the morning breeze nor the evening call, in the Lord's mercies in providence and grace, affect in any way? They rise as they lay down, unconscious and unconcerned as to whom they owe for keeping their bodies and homes safe. They put on garments to cover and adorn their bodies but are unaware that their souls are without clothing! They wash and refresh their bodies, but they do not see the pollution of their souls! They are anxious to preserve the casket, but the jewel it contains falls under their feet as an object of no value!

My soul, look at the patriarch Isaac and take him for your example. He went out "to meditate in the field at evening!" He turned his back on the house and family and sought, in the solitude of the field, to have his mind disengaged from men so that he might be wholly engaged in devout communion with God. And is not the present evening suited to you for this purpose? It is a calm and serene time, and everything invites you to the task. Your wants and necessities; the solemn inquiry into how you are progressing in grace and in the knowledge of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; the awareness that another day of your pilgrimage has ended, bringing you nearer to your eternal home; every significant matter belonging to a dying creature in a dying world presses upon you the need to ponder the path of your feet, which in every step is leading you to eternity.

Go then, if not to the field of nature, then to the field of grace, and if you have no closet to retire to, yet retire to your own heart, and there meditate on all those important subjects that belong to an immortal soul. Jesus waits to meet you, to be gracious to you, and He will show you His secret. Oh, dear Lord of Your people! Cause me to delight in those sweet and sacred meetings! Let every evening toll the bell of recollection to call home my wandering heart; and when the tumult of a busy, unsatisfying, and troublesome world is over, Oh, for grace to do as my Lord did: "send the multitude away, and go apart into the holy mountain" of faith and love in the Lord Jesus, "to meditate and pray!"