He satisfies your desires with good things Psalm 103:5

• DAY 20 MORNING PSALM 102-103

• DAY 20 EVENING PSALM 104

A well-known rich gentleman, 'Mr Nash' who lived in the city of Bath was strongly opposed to John Wesley. In June 1739 the two of them met and had a short conversation which Wesley relates in his Journal:-

Tuesday June 5 1739.

There was great expectation at Bath of what a noted man was to do to me there; and I was much entreated not to preach because no one knew what might happen. By this report I also gained a much larger audience, among whom were many of the rich and great. I told them plainly the Scripture had concluded them all under sin — high and low, rich and poor, one with another. Many of them seemed to be a little surprised and were sinking apace into seriousness, when their champion appeared and, coming close to me, asked by what authority I did these things.I replied, “By the authority of Jesus Christ, conveyed to me by the (now) Archbishop of Canterbury, when he laid hands upon me and said, ‘Take thou authority to preach the gospel.’” He said, “This is contrary to Act of Parliament: this is a conventicle.” I answered, “Sir, the conventicles mentioned in that Act (as the preamble shows) are seditious meetings; but this is not such; here is no shadow of sedition; therefore it is not contrary to that Act.” He replied, “I say it is: and beside, your preaching frightens people out of their wits.”“Sir, did you ever hear me preach?” “No.” “How, then, can you judge of what you never heard?” “Sir, by common report.” “Common report is not enough. Give me leave, Sir, to ask, is not your name Nash?” “My name is Nash.” “Sir, I dare not judge of you by common report: I think it not enough to judge by.” Here he paused awhile and, having recovered himself, said, “I desire to know what this people comes here for”: on which one replied, “Sir, leave him to me: let an old woman answer him. You, Mr. Nash, take care of your body; we take care of our souls; and for the food of our souls we come here.” He replied not a word, but walked away.

• Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. You satisfy our desires with good things. We come to you for the food of our souls. We would feast on the abundance of your house and drink of your river of delights.Our food is to do your will and to finish your work. Help us Lord to put shoulder to the plough and not to look back, to cleave to and yield to your purposes....and TO TAKE CARE to preach your word in and out of season and to put it into practice in our lives, methodically, relentlessly and devotedly.

Wesley, J. Journal, June 5th 1739 , Vol 1, 198, 199