The Believer's Daily Remembrancer

THE longer the Christian lives, the more he learns; and the more the Spirit teaches him, the more he loathes himself and renounces his own righteousness as filthy rags. He hoped sensibly to grow in holiness, to feel his corruptions subdued, and to enjoy without interruption the presence of his God; but instead of this he seems to grow more like Satan, corruption appears to get stronger and stronger, and the depravity of his nature appears so dreadful, that he enjoys scarcely anything. He...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! - Philippians 4:4 NIV

THIS is a very difficult precept; sometimes the Lord hides His face; we fear and doubt our interest in His love; we are almost bewildered through the powerful workings of corruption within us; we are bowed down by Satan's sore temptations; and the dispensations of providence are so perplexing, that we are ready to cry out, All things are against us.

But we are not bidden to...

OUR afflictions do not flow from sovereignty, but from our Father's wisdom, holiness and love. He finds no pleasure in our pains, groans, and sighs. He is never hasty in using the rod; mercy flies to help us, but He is slow to anger and of great kindness. He never afflicts us without a sufficient cause; either sin has been committed; duties neglected; mercies slighted; lukewarmness discovered; worldly-mindedness tolerated; privileges abused; warnings despised; temptations trifled with; or...

THE glory of grace is its FREENESS: it fixes upon objects that are most unworthy; bestows upon them the richest blessings; raises them to the highest honour; promises them the greatest happiness; and all for its own glory. Nothing can be freer than grace, the glory of grace is its POWER: it conquers the stubbornest sinner; subdues the hardest hearts; tames the wildest wills; enlightens the darkest understandings; breaks off the strongest fetters; and invariably conquers its objects. Grace is...

BELOVED, it is your privilege in every perplexity and trial to go to the Lord, to spread your case before Him, to plead His precious promises, and to wait expecting Him to appear for you. Wait on Him for light to discover the nature and design of your trouble; for wisdom that you may act honourably, and endure scripturally; for power to sustain you under, and bring you through it; and for consolation to make you happy and resigned under it. Wait upon the Lord in earnest, simple, persevering...

WHAT tenderness, mercy, and love are here! Friends forget us, relatives are careless about us, and we sometimes fear our God has forgotten us; but here He assures us that we shall never be forgotten of Him. Our names are in His book, our Representative is always before His throne, and we are the objects of His constant care. He cannot forget us while Jesus pleads for us; and if He does not forget, He will never neglect. There is only one thing He is ever said to forget, and that is our sins;...

IN prayer we must approach God as a Father, ask of Him what we really need, and expect to receive according to His wisdom and word. Our wants are constantly returning, therefore our prayers should be constantly ascending. The ear of God is always open. He is ever ready to listen to us. He invites, exhorts, and commands us to pray always, in everything. Every object that meets the eye, every circumstance that occurs, every employment in which we engage, would afford matter for prayer if...

BELOVED, let us visit Gethsemane this morning, and see this strange sight. Here is our SURETY, the only-begotten Son of God; the brightness of Jehovah's glory, and the express image of His person; groaning on the cold ground, and baptized in blood. He is sore amazed. His heart is filled with horror, and His mind with dread. His soul is troubled, tossed with tempests and not comforted. He is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. The sorrows of death encompass Him, and the pains of hell have...

SIN brings sickness. The believer can only be healthful as he walks with God, lives above the world, and looks for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the feet of Jesus we are safe, and shall be healthy; but if we wander from Him, spiritual diseases will seize upon us. The backslider feels too weak, to run in the way of God's commands; too confused, to read his interest in God's promises; too guilty to call God Father; too wretched to rejoice in hope. He has no liberty in prayer; no...

THE Lord's people need counsel, and Jesus is given to them as a COUNSELLOR. He is exactly suited to their needs, being possessed of infinite wisdom, unbounded benevolence, great experience, and high honour. He never lost a cause. He counsels freely, cheerfully, and successfully. He turns the counsel of all our foes into foolishness. But though we have this Wonderful Counsellor, we neglect to consult, employ or trust Him; and it may often be demanded of us, Is thy Counsellor perished? If not,...

NEVER rest satisfied with present attainments. God has much to bestow, and we are capable of receiving, enjoying, and using it to His glory. As the tree planted in a good soil grows both in the root and the branches, so should the Christian; he should be rooted in the love of God, and grow up in conformity to Jesus. If we grow in grace, we shall discover more of our own wretchedness, misery, and weakness; and more of the preciousness, fulness, and glory of Christ. We shall be humble before...

NO man can be a loser by adhering to God's holy word, for he is promised a hundred-fold...

WE were once blind, but now our eyes are open; but still we are absolutely dependent on divine teaching, or we shall never become truly wise. If God teach us, self will become vile; the world vanity; sin bitter; the blood of Christ most precious; His righteousness glorious; His name our only hope; His love our joy; His Spirit our strength; His glory our aim; and "Teach Thou me," our daily prayer. We see but little of what Christ is in Himself; of what He hath done for His people; of what He...

REAL saints always feel themselves to be poor sinners. Many of God's people are really poor in reference to the things of time, for God hath chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him. They are often persecuted, tried, tempted and cast down; so was the church in Smyrna; but Jesus says to her, "THOU ART RICH." So are all the Lord's people. Rich by relation--God is their Father, and Jesus their elder Brother. Rich by...