From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Daily devotions for 05-03-2004:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: Expecting Trouble
Evening Title: Using Jesus
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Morning: Expecting Trouble
"In the world ye shall have tribulation." --John 16:33
Art thou asking the reason of this, believer?
Look upward to thy heavenly Father, and behold
Him pure and holy. Dost thou know that thou art
one day to be like Him? Wilt thou easily be
conformed to His image? Wilt thou not require
much refining in the furnace of affliction to
purify thee? Will it be an easy thing to get rid
of thy corruptions, and make thee perfect even as
thy Father which is in heaven is perfect? Next,
Christian, turn thine eye downward. Dost thou
know what foes thou hast beneath thy feet? Thou
wast once a servant of Satan, and no king will
willingly lose his subjects. Dost thou think that
Satan will let thee alone? No, he will be always
at thee, for he "goeth about like a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour." Expect trouble,
therefore, Christian, when thou lookest beneath
thee. Then look around thee. Where art thou? Thou
art in an enemy's country, a stranger and a sojourner.
The world is not thy friend. If it be, then thou
art not God's friend, for he who is the friend of
the world is the enemy of God. Be assured that
thou shalt find foe-men everywhere. When thou
sleepest, think that thou art resting on the
battlefield; when thou walkest, suspect an ambush
in every hedge. As mosquitoes are said to bite
strangers more than natives, so will the trials
of earth be sharpest to you. Lastly, look within
thee, into thine own heart and observe what is
there. Sin and self are still within. Ah! if thou
hadst no devil to tempt thee, no enemies to fight
thee, and no world to ensnare thee, thou wouldst
still find in thyself evil enough to be a sore
trouble to thee, for "the heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked." Expect
trouble then, but despond not on account of it,
for God is with thee to help and to strengthen
thee. He hath said, "I will be with thee in
trouble; I will deliver thee and honour thee."
Evening: Using Jesus
"A very present help." --Psalm 46:1
Covenant blessings are not meant to be looked at
only, but to be appropriated. Even our Lord Jesus
is given to us for our present use. Believer,
thou dost not make use of Christ as thou oughtest
to do. When thou art in trouble, why dost thou
not tell Him all thy grief? Has He not a
sympathizing heart, and can He not comfort and
relieve thee? No, thou art going about to all thy
friends, save thy best Friend, and telling thy
tale everywhere except into the bosom of thy
Lord. Art thou burdened with this day's sins?
Here is a fountain filled with blood: use it,
saint, use it. Has a sense of guilt returned upon
thee? The pardoning grace of Jesus may be proved
again and again. Come to Him at once for
cleansing. Dost thou deplore thy weakness? He is
thy strength: why not lean upon Him? Dost thou
feel naked? Come hither, soul; put on the robe of
Jesus' righteousness. Stand not looking at it,
but wear it. Strip off thine own righteousness,
and thine own fears too: put on the fair white
linen, for it was meant to wear.
Dost thou feel thyself sick? Pull the night-bell
of prayer, and call up the Beloved Physician! He
will give the cordial that will revive thee. Thou
art poor, but then thou hast "a kinsman, a mighty
man of wealth." What! wilt thou not go to Him,
and ask Him to give thee of His abundance, when
He has given thee this promise, that thou shalt
be joint heir with Him, and has made over all
that He is and all that He has to be thine? There
is nothing Christ dislikes more than for His
people to make a show-thing of Him, and not to
use Him. He loves to be employed by us. The more
burdens we put on His shoulders, the more
precious will He be to us.
"Let us be simple with Him, then,
Not backward, stiff, or cold,
As though our Bethlehem could be
What Sinai was of old."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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