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Daily devotions for 06-27-2004:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: Wilderness of Separation
Evening Title: Serving in Your Calling
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Morning: Wilderness of Separation
"Only ye shall not go very far away." --Exodus 8:28
This is a crafty word from the lip of the
arch-tyrant Pharaoh. If the poor bondaged
Israelites must needs go out of Egypt, then he
bargains with them that it shall not be very far
away; not too far for them to escape the terror
of his arms, and the observation of his spies.
After the same fashion, the world loves not the
non-conformity of nonconformity, or the
dissidence of dissent, it would have us be more
charitable and not carry matters with too severe
a hand. Death to the world, and burial with
Christ, are experiences which carnal minds treat
with ridicule, and hence the ordinance which sets
them forth is almost universally neglected, and even condemned.
Worldly wisdom recommends the path of compromise,
and talks of "moderation." According to this
carnal policy, purity is admitted to be very
desirable, but we are warned against being too
precise; truth is of course to be followed, but
error is not to be severely denounced. "Yes,"
says the world, "be spiritually minded by all
means, but do not deny yourself a little gay
society, an occasional ball, and a Christmas
visit to a theatre. What's the good of crying
down a thing when it is so fashionable, and everybody does it?"
Multitudes of professors yield to this cunning
advice, to their own eternal ruin. If we would
follow the Lord wholly, we must go right away
into the wilderness of separation, and leave the
Egypt of the carnal world behind us. We must
leave its maxims, its pleasures, and its religion
too, and go far away to the place where the Lord
calls His sanctified ones. When the town is on
fire, our house cannot be too far from the
flames. When the plague is abroad, a man cannot
be too far from its haunts. The further from a
viper the better, and the further from worldly
conformity the better. To all true believers let
the trumpet-call be sounded, "Come ye out from
among them, be ye separate."
Evening: Serving in Your Calling
"Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called."
--1 Corinthians 7:20
Some persons have the foolish notion that the
only way in which they can live for God is by
becoming ministers, missionaries, or Bible women.
Alas! how many would be shut out from any
opportunity of magnifying the Most High if this
were the case. Beloved, it is not office, it is
earnestness; it is not position, it is grace
which will enable us to glorify God.
God is most surely glorified in that cobbler's
stall, where the godly worker, as he plies the
awl, sings of the Saviour's love, ay, glorified
far more than in many a prebendal stall where
official religiousness performs its scanty
duties. The name of Jesus is glorified by the
poor unlearned carter as he drives his horse, and
blesses his God, or speaks to his fellow labourer
by the roadside, as much as by the popular divine
who, throughout the country, like Boanerges, is
thundering out the gospel.
God is glorified by our serving Him in our proper
vocations. Take care, dear reader, that you do
not forsake the path of duty by leaving your
occupation, and take care you do not dishonour
your profession while in it. Think little of
yourselves, but do not think too little of your
callings. Every lawful trade may be sanctified
by the gospel to noblest ends. Turn to the Bible,
and you will find the most menial forms of labour
connected either with most daring deeds of faith,
or with persons whose lives have been illustrious
for holiness. Therefore be not discontented with your calling.
Whatever God has made your position, or your
work, abide in that, unless you are quite sure
that he calls you to something else. Let your
first care be to glorify God to the utmost of
your power where you are. Fill your present
sphere to His praise, and if He needs you in
another He will show it you. This evening lay
aside vexatious ambition, and embrace peaceful content.
Daily devotions for 06-28-2004:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: From Self to Jesus
Evening Title: Aaron's Rod
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Morning: From Self to Jesus
"Looking unto Jesus." --Hebrews 12:2
It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our
eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is
just the opposite of this, for he is constantly
trying to make us regard ourselves instead of
Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great
for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent
enough; you will never be able to continue to the
end; you have not the joy of His children; you
have such a wavering hold of Jesus." All these
are thoughts about self, and we shall never find
comfort or assurance by looking within.
But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away
from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but
that "Christ is all in all." Remember, therefore,
it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee--it
is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves
thee--it is Christ; it is not even faith in
Christ, though that be the instrument--it is
Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so
much to thy hand with which thou art grasping
Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but
to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy
faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith.
We shall never find happiness by looking at our
prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what
Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the
soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have
peace with God, it must be by "looking unto Jesus."
Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His
sufferings, His merits, His glories, His
intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou
wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou
liest down at night look to Him. Oh! let not thy
hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus;
follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.
"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness:
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name."
Evening: Aaron's Rod
"But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." --Exodus 7:12
This incident is an instructive emblem of the
sure victory of the divine handiwork over all
opposition. Whenever a divine principle is cast
into the heart, though the devil may fashion a
counterfeit, and produce swarms of opponents, as
sure as ever God is in the work, it will swallow up all its foes.
If God's grace takes possession of a man, the
world's magicians may throw down all their rods;
and every rod may be as cunning and poisonous as
a serpent, but Aaron's rod will swallow up their rods.
The sweet attractions of the cross will woo and
win the man's heart, and he who lived only for
this deceitful earth will now have an eye for the
upper spheres, and a wing to mount into celestial
heights. When grace has won the day the worldling
seeks the world to come. The same fact is to be
observed in the life of the believer.
What multitudes of foes has our faith had to
meet! Our old sins--the devil threw them down
before us, and they turned to serpents. What
hosts of them! Ah, but the cross of Jesus
destroys them all. Faith in Christ makes short
work of all our sins. Then the devil has launched
forth another host of serpents in the form of
worldly trials, temptations, unbelief; but faith
in Jesus is more than a match for them, and
overcomes them all.
The same absorbing principle shines in the
faithful service of God! With an enthusiastic
love for Jesus difficulties are surmounted,
sacrifices become pleasures, sufferings are
honours. But if religion is thus a consuming
passion in the heart, then it follows that there
are many persons who profess religion but have it
not; for what they have will not bear this test.
Examine yourself, my reader, on this point.
Aaron's rod proved its heaven-given power. Is your religion doing so? If Christ be
anything He must be everything. O rest not till love and faith in Jesus be the master
passions of your soul!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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