June 10

Rest in God alone, O my soul, for my hope comes from Him. — Ps 62:5 BSB

Before the Lord communicates a real blessing to the souls of His poor and needy children, He first shows them by the Spirit the depth of their poverty—their truly ruined and lost state by nature, and their complete lack of goodness. At the same time, He mysteriously opens their eyes to see certain blessings stored up in Christ. They see righteousness to cover their nakedness, blood to atone for their sins, grace that overflows and surpasses all their sin, faith as the evidence of unseen things, hope as an anchor within the veil, and love as a foretaste of eternal joy.

The Lord presents these blessings to their eyes and gives them spiritual understanding that these mercies are stored up in Christ. As He shows them that these blessings are not found in themselves, but only in Christ, He stirs up their hearts to desire and long for these blessings. Nothing else will satisfy them, ease their minds, heal their wounds, or pour oil and wine into their troubled consciences.

In this way, the Lord brings them to His feet as beggars, feeling unworthy and sinful. Yet, despite knowing their unworthiness, there is a mysterious attraction of the Spirit. Their poverty draws them to Christ’s righteousness, their nakedness to His justifying robe, their helplessness to His almighty strength. They cannot be satisfied unless they experience and enjoy this union in their hearts.