"O GOD, INCLINE THINE EAR UNTO ME." Do you doubt His readiness to answer? Is He not a God of all compassion and love? He has already shown it by taking us into the nearest, sweetest, and most profitable relation to Himself. What love to call a worm His child! A sinful and polluted worm His bride! He pledged Himself to us in order to banish our fears, encourage our confidence, and raise our expectations. His lovingkindness is love in the most attractive form, love acting in the kindest manner, love robed in tenderness, benevolence, and condescension. For Jesus our Lord to show marvellous lovingkindness is to bestow divine favours such as reason or custom could not permit us to expect; favours which only faith would look for, or a God of love bestow. Yet such favours we may ask, and having asked in faith, expect. Beloved, never forget, our God rejoices to do us good; He takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants, and He delights to give us good things. If we were but humble, simple minded, living in the daily exercise of faith, He would deny us nothing. We have not, but it is because we ask not, or because we ask amiss. Yet His lovingkindness is marvellous.

For Meditation:
O Thou, all gracious Lord most high.
On Thee alone I must rely;
To me Thy gracious ear incline,
And aid me with Thy power divine.
To me while journeying here below,
Thy marvellous lovingkindness show.