Seasonable Grace

In chapter 5 of Owen's On Communion with God, which speaks of communion with the Son Jesus Christ, there is a marvelous section that deals with Jesus' tenderness and compassion toward the saints in and under their temptations and afflictions.  Owen calls the help that Jesus is eager and ready to give "seasonable."  I like that.  Seasonable grace. 

Owen speaks of how eager the Lord Jesus is to tenderly and compassionately give aid to his own when they are severely tempted.  I'm often tempted to think that he is standing over me in the midst of temptations waiting to whack me if I stumble.  This is slander.  The Lord Jesus ever lives to intercede for his own, to bring help in time of need, to give seasonable grace.  In fact, Owen avers that "the sorer our temptations are, the more ready will he be to succor us."  I have simply melted in recent days under the fresh awareness of this love, care, provision, compassion, and tenderness of the Lord Jesus toward his own in the midst of our temptations and afflictions. 

How does this look?  How does the Lord Jesus come to us with seasonable grace to help in time of need?  Owen gives examples.  Here is one of the ways Jesus does this:

By taking away the temptation itself, when it grows so strong and violent that the poor soul knows not what to do.  This is called delivering the godly out of temptation (2 Pet. 2:9), as a man is plucked out of the snare, and the snare left behind to hold another.  This have I known to be the case of many, in sundry perplexing temptations.  When they have been quite weary, have tried all means of help and assistance, and have not been able to come to a comfortable issue, on a sudden, unexpectedly, the Lord Christ, in his tenderness and compassion, rebukes Satan, that they hear not one word more of him as to their temptation.  Christ comes in the storm, and says, "Peace, be still." 

Hallelujah!  What a Savior!