“Hear ye Him.” Matthew 17:5

Jesus speaks to us in His word; He tells us all His mind; and the Father commands us to hear Him. He speaks to us on a variety of subjects; He instructs, exhorts, warns, directs, and comforts. He always speaks in love. Every word is intended to do us good. Let us then take up His word and say, “I will hear what God the Lord will speak.” How much better this than to listen to Satan, unbelief, carnal reason, or men. Let us believe what He says, for He speaks truth; expect what He promises, for He intends to bestow; practise what He commands, for His ways are peace; and abstain from what He prohibits, for it is sure to be injurious. Hear Him, and plead His word in prayer. Hear Him, and oppose what He says, to fear, Satan, and appearances. Hear Him, and compare all doctrines with His word. Hear Jesus everyday, give Him your attention at least for a few minutes; you can hear nothing better than what He speaks; no one that has a greater claim upon your attention. Hearing Jesus with attention, prayer, and faith, will prevent a great number of real evils. (James Smith, 1840)

“Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory“– Psalms 73:24

All of life is here summed up in one verse.

While I am here on this earth, the psalmist gloats to the Lord, You will guide me. You will give me the direction I need for each step of the way. You will never leave me or forsake me. You will help me when I stumble, and you will steer me when I lose my way.

What’s more is you will guide me with thy counsel. This is no mere human, fallible leader. You are an all-knowing, all-wise escort. You will never give me wrong advice or send me in a wrong direction. I will never meet a problem to which you do not know the solution, and I will never get so off course that you cannot guide me back to safety.

But that is all just life on earth! Afterward, you will receive me to glory. After you have carefully and lovingly directed my way here, you will usher me into your glorious presence in heaven. There is no intermediary state — death is not a tunnel, it is a door. And when you release my hand in this world, you will receive me into the next. There is no “sending”; there is only guiding and then receiving — no time apart from you.

Death, where is your sting; Grave, where is your victory; Devil, where is your terror? My God will guide me with His counsel, and then receive me to His glory.–Baptist Bible Hour

“{A Psalm of David.} Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s”—Psa. 103:1-5

What an enumeration of divine blessings is this!

Any one of them is worth more than all earth’s treasures combined!

If we are not forgiven—we must lie forever under the burden of sin, a weight greater than all the Alps! But God forgives—and forgives all our sins—and forgives freely, fully and forever!

If we are not healed—we must be sick forever, sick with the plague and leprosy of sin! But God heals—and heals all our evils, and heals completely!

If we are not saved from the dangers of this ensnaring world—we never can reach heaven! But God keeps, rescues, and saves our life from all impending destructions!

Earth’s crowns are made of thorns, and at the best are only what the children call, ‘play-crowns’, for they are but of leaves that wither, or of gold and gems that will not last. But God crowns His people with crowns of love and compassion, which are real and radiant, which shall never fade—but shall shine forever, becoming crowns of eternal life and glory in heaven!

This world cannot satisfy our heart’s deepest cravings. Its possessions only make our hunger more intense! But God satisfies the souls of His people, and meets all their cravings and hungers—with truly good and eternal realities!– J. R. Miller