Promises of God From the Night
Watches by John McDuff For all of God's promises have been fulfilled
in Him. 2 Corinthians 1 verse 20 God
has made a will or testament in behalf of His people. It is
signed and sealed. It cannot be altered. Nothing
can divest us of our inheritance. The bequest is His own exceeding
great and precious promises. What a heritage! All that the
sinner requires. All that the sinner's God can
give. In this testamentary deed, there are no contingencies, no
peradventures. The testator commences it with
a sure guarantee for its every jot and title being fulfilled. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He endorses every promise and every page with a yes and amen."
God, willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise
the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath. But
who provided such a rich promise treasury? What is the source? Where is the fountainhead from
which these streams of mercy flow to the Church? In Him, Believer. From Jesus, every promise is
derived. In Jesus, every promise centers. Pardon, peace, adoption, consolation,
eternal life, all in Him. In Him, you are chosen, called,
justified, sanctified, and glorified. You have in possession all the
blessings of present grace. You have in reserve all the happiness
of coming glory. And He is faithful that promised. Your friend may deceive you.
The world has deceived you. He never will. Myriads in glory
are there to tell how not one thing has failed of all that
the Lord their God has spoken. Rely on this faithfulness. He
gave His Son for you. After the greater blessing, surely
for subordinate ones you may trust Him. And where do these
promises beam most brightly? Like the stars, it is in the
night, in the midnight of trial, when the sun of earthly prosperity
has set, when deep is calling to deep and wave to wave, when
tempted, bereaved, beaten down with a great fight of afflictions,
the spiritual firmament with its galaxy of promises is brightest
and clearest. Oh, who could bear life's stormy
doom? Did not your word of love come
brightly bearing through the gloom, a palm branch from above? Then sorrow touched by you grows
bright with more than rapture's ray, as darkness shows us worlds
of light we never saw by day. But do not be deceived. The night
of sorrow cannot in itself give you the comfort of the divine
promises. It may be night, and yet the
star is invisible. It is only in Him these promises
can be discerned in their luster. reader. If you are out of Christ,
these stars of gospel promise shine in vain to you. They have
to the unspiritual eye no beauty or brightness. In the midnight
battle of Barak, the stars in their course fought against Sizarah. They shone on Israel, but denied
their light to the enemies of God. The guiding pillar, so lustrous
to the chosen people, was a column of portentous gloom to Pharaoh's
host. But, in him, as heirs of God,
you are inheritors of all the promises. All the promises. Oh, would such a pillow were
on to rest your aching head, you may well resume your nightly
song. I will lie down and sleep in
peace. For you alone, O Lord, make me
dwell in safety. Psalm 4 verse 8