A reading of Anglican priest Robert Hawker’s (1753–1827) morning devotional writings from “The Poor Man’s Morning and Evening Portion.”
The music for this reading is “Kestrel” by Chad Crouch and was adapted for length under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
“With purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord .”—Acts 11:23.
My soul! art thou cleaving to thy Jesus? It is a grand thing so to do ; and it must be from continued supplies of grace, in Jesus, if thou art really doing it. A few points will show. Is Jesus thy all ? Is he uppermost in all things? Faith hath for its one object Jesus. Let a true believer be wheresoever he may—at home, or abroad; alone, or in company; the closet, or the church—it is all the same, if he really, truly, cleaves to the Lord with purpose of heart: there is a looking unto Jesus for all things, and in all things. Again, if I cleave to the Lord, I shall do no one thing but in his strength, and deliberately desire nothing but for his glory. The graces of the Holy Spirit, implanted in the souls of the faithful, are fed and kept alive, and brought forth into exercise, by the communications of Jesus. My joy, then, is in Jesus ; not in myself, not in what I feel. These feelings of mine may languish; but while I cleave to the Lord, my spiritual joy will always be the same. “From me,” saith that sweet Lord, “ from me is thy fruit found !” Once more—if I cleave unto Jesus, shall I not find an increasing love for him, an increasing desire for him, and an increasing communion with him, from increasing knowledge of him, and of his love and preciousness ? To be sure I shall. Well then, my soul, art thou indeed cleaving to him? Think how precious Jesus was, when first thou wast brought so savingly acquainted with him as to see thy need of him, and his suitableness and disposition to save thee. Dost thou think of these blessings less now? Oh! no. You love him more, because you know your need of him more, and therefore cleave to him the closer. Lastly, to add no more—Doth my soul truly cleave to Jesus ? Why, then, I am loosening more and more from every thing beside. If Jesus hath my whole heart, then is the world and all creature idols thrown down. One Lord Jesus Christ is portion enough for a whole ransomed church of God to live upon to all eternity. In Him there is portion enough for me. Oh! then, precious Lamb of God! be thou my portion; for in thee I have all things.
