Bowen's Daily Meditations

This was one of the wisest apostolic utterances. The world is unconscious of its unbelief. It thinks that the reason why it has not more faith, is that there is no more evidence given to it. But no accumulation of evidence would remove the difficulty. A change within, a couching of the moral vision; this is that which is necessary.

The Lord answers this prayer, not in general by giving new evidence, but by inclining us to view and appreciate the evidence before our minds. By leading...

The Christian must be weak that he may be strong; weak in the deprivation of those things which the world connects with the idea of strength; deficient in the strength that men seek and extol; emptied of all thoughts of his own independent and personal power; stripped of his own righteousness and wisdom; sensible of the mighty power of the enemy; a mere ruin and a wreck, apart from Christ. Then there is in deed a preparation for strength. A foundation is laid upon which Christ will build....

Sometimes the soul gets angry with the instruction and says, " I will not believe that this is from the Lord my God. The Lord my God is one that loveth me and taketh pleasure in granting the desires of my heart. But this providence is rude and withering; my hopes are blasted, my expectations mocked, my trust belied. What could mine enemy do to me, more severe, more crushing, than this that has come upon me? And shall I be told that it is the Lord my God teaching me to profit?"

" Yes,...

This probably means that time, instead of diminishing the strength and crippling the energies of the people of God, shall be commissioned to convey unto them increase of spiritual strength, and to render them day by day, month by month, year by year, more vigorous and more victorious in the conflict with sin, more energetic in faith, more sublime in patience and fortitude, more meek and lowly of heart, more fervent in admiration of Christ, more self-denying and devoted in his service, more...