The Joy and Rejoicing in God's Word
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." -Jeremiah 15:16 [KJV]
Yea, Lord, I have indeed found Thy words most precious, and, through Thy grace, I have eaten them, and they are as honey and the honey-comb to my soul. In them I find my God and Father in His covenant engagements, all pledged in faithfulness to His dear Son, to be the everlasting and unchanging portion of His redeemed. Oh! what unknown, what unspeakable blessedness do I find in that one promise; "I will be their God, and they shall be My people!" Here also I find Christ and His fulness; the Holy Ghost and His graces; the whole covenant and its rich promises: all, all secured, made over, and co-operating to the assurance of salvation!
And how then can Thy word, Lord, wherein Thou hast caused me to hope, be otherwise than "the joy and rejoicing of mine heart?" I have Jesus in all, and His promises in all, and therefore can never fail of all that is here engaged, since all the promises of God in Christ "are yea and amen!" Oh then, let Thy word continue "as a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path;" which will shine all the way through, even to lighten up the dark valley of the shadow of death, until I come "to dwell in the house of my God for ever!"
-preacher Robert Hawker (1753-1827 A.D.)
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