My dear readers,

(Extracts from The Leader magazine and Daily Remembrancer by Pastor James Smith, edited by Dr SH Tow)

1. New Year’s Blessings

God bless thy year
Thy coming in, thy going out,
Thy rest, thy travelling about,
The rough, the smooth,
The bright, the drear;
God bless thy year!
– Prayers collected from “Scouter’s 5 Cutouts” The Leader magazine

2. "As thy days, so shall thy strength be" Deut 33:25 (June 14 MORNING)

“THE ETERNAL GOD IS THY REFUGE AND UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS.” Happy is the man who trusts in the Lord. No man can possibly tell what is before him: but our God knows, and He has promised His people strength sufficient for their trials. We should not be anxious, for with the trial comes the strength. Our troubles are not greater than God’s mercies. Temporal prosperity without a blessing from God will prove to be a curse; it always brings a solemn responsibility with it. We have always found our God faithful; He always has given strength according to the days; and why should we now doubt? We may look forward and suppose the worst, and then say, "I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation." We go from strength to strength, and every true believer shall appear in Zion before God. He will perfect that which concerns us, but will never forsake the work of His own hands. Let us then expect the Lord to give when we want, as we want, all we want; let us believe that our strength will be equal to our burden, to our days. The promise is plain, it is positive, it is sure, and our God is faithful.

God is kind, and will not leave you,
When you most His kindness need;
God is true, nor can deceive you,
Though your faith be weak indeed.

3. "Ask what I shall give thee" 1 Kgs 3 : 5 (December 13 MORNING)

“IN GIBEON THE LORD APPEARED TO SOLOMON.” Solomon had to make a choice and a request of God. We too. We are not straitened in our God; He has boundless resources, and is constantly calling upon us to ask and receive. What do we want this morning? Is it not more holiness? We want our understandings enlightened, our wills brought into perfect conformity to the will of God, and our affections fixed on holy and heavenly things. Let us agree to ask these things of our God. He will give freely, cheerfully, and plentifully. Let us ask as Solomon did, for wisdom, even that wisdom which comes from above, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits. This wisdom will guide our hearts and direct our ways; it will lead us safely to a city of habitations; it will lead us to do God's will with pleasure and delight. It will make us wise to escape Satan's snares, to avoid temptation, and to do good unto all men. How important and needful is this wisdom! Our Lord Jesus stands before us this morning, saying, "Ask what I shall give thee." In Him dwells all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and everyone who asks receives.

O sovereign Lord to Thee I cry;
Give me Thyself or else I die:
Save me from death, from hell set free,
Death, hell, are but the want of Thee!
My life, my joy, my heaven Thou art!
Let me crown Thee Lord of my heart!

4. "Delight thyself also in the Lord" Ps 37:4 (February 14 EVENING)

“THE LORD KNOWETH THE DAYS OF THE UPRIGHT.” He also delights in us. Ought we not also to delight ourselves in Him? In order to do this, we must have correct views of His loveliness in our minds; we must meditate on His glorious perfections as they are revealed to us in Jesus; we must realize our interest in His lovingkindness and perfect salvation, and turn from every other object to contemplate His beauty, His benevolence and goodwill to us. We should look to Him as the fountain of all good; hope in Him as the promise-performing God; wait on Him as our bountiful benefactor; trust in Him as our Father and Friend; and delight in Him, as our everlasting portion. Let us endeavour to take off our affections more and more from things below, and fix them upon the Lord. How few truly delight in God! How seldom do we ourselves! If we read of Him, think of Him, call on Him, believe in Him, hope in Him, and feel a little love to Him, we think it enough. But it is not. For even should we delight in Him with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength, we can never repay the debt of love we owe.

O Lord, I would delight in Thee,
And on Thy care depend;
To Thee in every trouble flee,
My best, my only Friend.

5. "The Lord delighteth in thee" Isa 62:4 (February 14 MORNING)

“THE LORD HATH SWORN.” He has an unchanging everlasting plan to save and to bless. He makes no mistake. Even poor, depraved, unworthy creatures, can be the objects of Jehovah's delight! Yes, the infinite love of God has been fixed upon us from eternity: because He loved us, He sent His only begotten Son to die for us; He sent His Holy Spirit into our hearts and gave us good hope through grace. Hear the Apostle: "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ: by grace ye are saved." Jehovah views us in Jesus, and loves us with an infinite love. Yea, He has loved us, as He has loved Him. Every believer, though his faith may be weak, his fears many, his corruptions strong, his trouble great, and his temptations sore, is the object of Jehovah's delight. Let us therefore endeavour to pass through this day, yea, and every day, believing and realizing, "I am Jehovah's delight; the object of His highest love, the subject of His sweetest thoughts, and His portion for evermore." O incomparable privilege! Source of comfort, holiness, and love! Thou hast more cause for gratitude than an angel, just because the Lord delighteth in thee.

The glories of eternal love
What angel tongue can tell?
O may I to God’s glory prove
The gift unspeakable!

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service, 

Dr SH Tow, Founding Pastor