Devotions

​"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually" (Heb_13:15).

​A city missionary, stumbling through the dirt of a dark entry, heard a voice say, "Who’s there, Honey?" Striking a match, he caught a vision of earthly want and suffering, of saintly trust and peace, "cut in ebony"-- calm, appealing eyes set amid the wrinkles of a pinched, black face that lay on a tattered bed. It was a bitter night in February, and she had no fire, no fuel, no light. She had had no supper, no dinner, no breakfast. She seemed to have nothing at all but rheumatism and faith in God. One could not well be more completely exiled from all pleasantness of circumstances, yet the favorite song of this old creature ran:

​"Nobody knows de trouble I see,
Nobody knows but Jesus;
Nobody knows de trouble I see--
Sing Glory Hallelu!

"Sometimes I’m up, sometimes I’m down,
Sometimes I’m level on the groun’’,
Sometimes the glory shines aroun’’
Sing Glory Hallelu!"
And so it went on: "Nobody knows de work I does, Nobody knows de griefs I has," the constant refrain being the "Glory Hallelu!" until the last verse rose:

"Nobody knows de joys I has,
Nobody knows but Jesus!"

​"Troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." It takes great Bible words to tell the cheer of that old negro auntie.
Remember Luther on his sick-bed. Between his groans he managed to preach on this wise: "These pains and trouble here are like the type which the printers set; as they look now, we have to read them backwards, and they seem to have no sense or meaning in them; but up yonder, when the Lord God prints us off in the life to come, we shall find they make brave reading." Only we do not need to wait till then. Remember Paul walking the hurricane deck amid a boiling sea, bidding the frightened crew "Be of good cheer," Luther, the old negro auntie-- all of them human sun-flowers. -- Wm. G. Garnett

​"And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day" (Gen_32:24).

​Left alone! What different sensations those words conjure up to each of us. To some they spell loneliness and desolation, to others rest and quiet. To be left alone without God, would be too awful for words, but to be left alone with Him is a foretaste of Heaven! If His followers spent more time alone with Him, we should have spiritual giants again.
The Master set us an example. Note how often He went to be alone with God; and He had a mighty purpose behind the command, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray."
The greatest miracles of Elijah and Elisha took place when they were alone with God. It was alone with God that Jacob became a prince; and just there that we, too, may become princes-- "men (aye, and women too!) wondered at" (Zec_3:8). Joshua was alone when the Lord came to him. (Jos_1:1) Gideon and Jephthah were by themselves when commissioned to save Israel. (Jdg_6:11; Jdg_11:29) Moses was by himself at the wilderness bush. (Exo_3:1-5) Cornelius was praying by himself when the angel came to him. (Act_10:2) No one was with Peter on the house top, when he was instructed to go to the Gentiles. (Act_10:9) John the Baptist was alone in the wilderness (Luk_1:80), and John the Beloved alone in Patmos, when nearest God. (Rev_1:9)
Covet to get alone with God. If we neglect it, we not only rob ourselves, but others too, of blessing, since when we are blessed we are able to pass on blessing to others. It may mean less outside work; it must mean more depth and power, and the consequence, too, will be "they saw no man save Jesus only."
To be alone with God in prayer cannot be over-emphasized.

"If chosen men had never been alone,
In deepest silence open-doored to God,
No greatness ever had been dreamed or done."