Where Thou Makest Thy Flock to Rest at Noon
God's love is exclusive and personal, and He can love many people at the same time, providing rest and satisfaction for each individual.
A.B. Simpson speaks about the deep longing for God's peace and presence, emphasizing the desire for rest in the midst of life's struggles and the assurance that in Christ, all questions are answered and every need is met. He invites believers to seek the intimate relationship with God, where they can find solace and exclusive love, akin to lying close to His heart. Simpson illustrates that while God's love is personal and intimate, it is also vast enough to encompass all who seek Him, much like the sun reflected in countless pools of water, each appearing to hold the sun entirely.
Text
Beloved, do you not long for God's quiet, the inner chambers, the shadow of the Almighty, the secret of His presence? Your life has been, perhaps, all driving and doing; or perhaps straining, struggling, longing and not obtaining. You long for rest! you long to lie down close to His heart and know that you have all in Him, that every question is answered, every doubt settled, every interest safe, every prayer answered, every desire satisfied. Lift up the cry, Tell me, 0 thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon! Blessed be His name!
He has for us His exclusive love-a love which each individual feels is all for himself, one in which he can lie alone upon His breast and have a place which no other can dispute.
And yet His heart is so great that He can hold a thousand millions just as near, and each heart seems to possess Him as exclusively for his own as the thousand little pools of water upon the beach can reflect the sun, and each little pool appears to have the whole sun captured in its beautiful depths. Christ can teach us this secret of His inmost love.
Sermon Outline
- The Longing for God's Presence
- The Desire for Rest
- The Secret of God's Love
- Exclusive love for each individual
- A love that can hold many and still be exclusive
Key Quotes
“Tell me, 0 thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon!” — A.B. Simpson
“He has for us His exclusive love-a love which each individual feels is all for himself, one in which he can lie alone upon His breast and have a place which no other can dispute.” — A.B. Simpson
“Christ can teach us this secret of His inmost love.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- Take time to learn the secret of God's inmost love, which Christ can teach you.
- Experience rest in God by lying down close to His heart and knowing that all your needs are provided for in Him.
- Recognize that God's love is exclusive and personal, and He can love many people at the same time.