"Salvation is of the LORD." -Jonah 2:9

The eternal purpose of the Lord in the salvation of sinners shall be fulfilled, “I bring near My righteousness; it shall not be far off, and My salvation shall not tarry; and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel My glory” ( Isaiah 46:13 ). Though the Lord’s chosen people are all unrighteous by nature ( Romans 3:10 ), God determined He would bring forth righteousness for them through the perfect life, sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection of Christ Who is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” ( Jeremiah 23:6 ). Note that the everlasting rescue of sinners from sin, Satan and the curse of the law is said by Jehovah to be “My salvation.” Salvation is His to give or withhold, according to His sovereign will. “Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth” ( Romans 9:18 ). Pay attention also to the Lord’s pledge of the fulfillment of His decree of salvation: it “shall NOT tarry.” Tarry means to delay, to hinder, to fall behind. ...

" The L ORD ... be gracious unto thee." -Numbers 6:25 [KJV] How sweet the gospel is! But what makes the gospel sweet? That one word which sheds a perfume through the whole— grace . Take grace out of the gospel and you destroy the gospel; you nullify and overthrow it; it is the gospel no more. Grace pervades every part and every branch of the blessed gospel; it is the life of the gospel; in a word, it is the gospel itself. "Be gracious unto thee." In what, then, is God gracious? In a broken law? What does that know of grace? In resolutions of amendment, creature performances, and human righteousness? Can the Lord, will the Lord shew Himself gracious in these? I have read of a project for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers. We might as well expect to make sunbeams out of cucumbers as to make grace out of the law; it is cold as cucumbers; there is no sun in it. Grace, to be grace, must come out of the gospel. It is in the gospel, and out of the gospel...

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - I Thess alonians 5:18 [KJV] As believers we have so much to be thankful for! Who can measure the abundance of God's grace and goodness showered so freely upon us ( Ps alm 40:5 & 130:7 )? Who among us can determine how many unseen dangers we have been delivered from by the hand of God's almighty power ( Dan iel 4:35 )? Who is able to sufficiently honor and praise God for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that freely, sovereignly and eternally justifies the ungodly from all sin ( Ps. 115:1 ; Rom. 3:24 ; 8:32 )? And yet we do give thanks to God for all things ( Rom ans 11:36 ). Not like we should, not like we will some day, but we are humbled and thankful unto our sovereign Lord for all blessings both physical and spiritual ( Eph. 5:20 ; 1 Cor. 1:30-31 ). How could we complain of anything, when we realize that we are an heir of all grace now...

“ Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” -Isaiah 59:1 [KJV] Let us learn never to despair of the salvation of anyone--as long as they live. Fathers ought never to despair of prodigal sons. Mothers ought never to despair of self-willed, headstrong daughters. Husbands should never despair of wives, nor wives of husbands. There is nothing impossible with God. The arm of grace is very long and can reach those who seem very far off. Let us pray on, and hope on, for others--however unlikely their salvation may appear to be at present. -copied

" The L ORD make H is face shine upon thee ." -Numbers 6:25 [KJV] The allusion here seems, to my mind, to be to the sun. Sometimes the natural sun has not risen; and the world must needs be dark if the sun be still beneath the horizon. So with many gracious souls; it is darkness with them, midnight darkness, Egyptian darkness, darkness to be felt, because at present neither the Day-star has appeared nor the Sun of righteousness risen upon them with healing in H is wings. It will and must be dark with them till the Sun rise. But sometimes after the sun has risen we see not his face; clouds, deep, dark clouds, may obscure the face of that bright luminary throughout the whole day, and we may not get a single ray from him through the whole period that he is above the visible horizon. So, many of the Lord’s family, after the Sun has risen upon them in the morning of their spiritual life, may pass, perhaps, much of their subsequent time in the dark shadow, till perhaps ...

Jesus, once for sinners slain, From the dead was raised again; And in heav'n is now set down, With His Father on His throne, With His Father on His throne. There He reigns a King supreme; We shall also reign with Him; Feeble souls, be not dismayed; Trust in His almighty aid, Trust in His almighty aid. He has made an end of sin; And His blood hath washed us clean; Fear not! He is ever near; Now, ev'n now, He's with us here, Now, ev'n now, He's with us here. Saints on earth, with saints above, Celebrate His dying love; And let every ransomed soul, Sound His praise from pole to pole, Sound His praise from pole to pole. - Gospel report by preacher Joseph Hart -Tune: “Take My Life and Let It Be” – by H.A.C. Malan

"The L ORD keep thee." -Numbers 6:24 [KJV] How we need the Lord to keep us! We stand upon slippery places. Snares and traps are laid for us in every direction. Every employment, every profession in life, from the highest to the lowest, has its special temptations. Snares are spread for the feet of the most illiterate as well as the most highly cultivated minds; nor is there any one, whatever his position in life may be, who has not a snare laid for him, and such a snare as will surely prove his downfall if God keep him not. When Elisha sat upon the mountain and his servant was distressed lest his master should be taken away by violence, the prophet prayed the Lord to open his servant’s eyes. What then saw he? Chariots and horses of fire all round about the mountain guarding the prophet. Perhaps if the Lord were to open our eyes as he opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant, we might see devils where he saw angels, see ourselves surrounded by Beelzebub and his legions,...