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 “Red-tailed Hawk” by Chad Crouch and was adapted for length under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
And has feared continually every day, because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy; and where is the fury of the oppressor?—Isaiah 15:13
Pause, my soul, over those sweet expostulating words of thy God. Wherefore should the fear of man bring a snare? How much needless anxiety should I spare myself, could I but live, amidst all my changeable days and changeable circumstances, upon my unchangeable God? Now mark what thy God saith of thy unreasonable and ill-grounded fears:—“Where is the fury of the oppressor?” Can he take from thee thy Jesus? No! Shouldst thou lose all thy earthly comforts, Jesus ever liveth, and Jesus is thine. Can he afflict thee if God saith no? That is impossible. Neither men nor devils can oppress without his permission. And sure enough thou art, thy God and Saviour will never allow any thing to thy hurt; for all things must work for good. And canst thou lessen the oppressor’s fury by anxious fears? Certainly not. Thou mayst, my soul, harass thyself and waste thy spirits, but never lessen the fury of the enemy thereby. And wherefore, then, shouldst thou crowd the uncertain evils, and the maybe’s of tomorrow, in the circumstances of this day’s warfare, when, by only waiting for the morrow, and casting all thy care upon Jesus, who careth for thee, his faithfulness is engaged to be thy shield and buckler? Peace, then, my soul, thou shalt be carried through this oppression, as sure as thou hast been through every former; for Jesus is still Jesus, thy God, and will be thy guide even unto death.
