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Daily devotions for 02-01-2005:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: Song of Salvation
Evening Title: Jesus' Love
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Morning: Song of Salvation
"They shall sing in the ways of the Lord." --Psalm 138:5
The time when Christians begin to sing in the ways of the Lord is when they
first lose their
burden at the foot of the Cross. Not even the songs of the angels seem so sweet
as the first
song of rapture which gushes from the inmost soul of the forgiven child of God.
You know how John Bunyan describes it. He says when poor Pilgrim lost his
burden at the Cross, he gave three great leaps, and went on his way singing--
"Blest Cross! blest Sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to shame for me!"
Believer, do you recollect the day when your fetters fell off? Do you remember
the place when
Jesus met you, and said, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love; I have
blotted out as a
cloud thy transgressions, and as a thick cloud thy sins; they shall not be
mentioned against
thee any more for ever." Oh! what a sweet season is that when Jesus takes away
the pain of sin.
When the Lord first pardoned my sin, I was so joyous that I could scarce
refrain from dancing.
I thought on my road home from the house where I had been set at liberty, that
I must tell the
stones in the street the story of my deliverance.
So full was my soul of joy, that I wanted to tell every snow-flake that was
falling from heaven of
the wondrous love of Jesus, who had blotted out the sins of one of the chief of
rebels. But it is
not only at the commencement of the Christian life that believers have reason
for song; as long as they live they discover cause to sing in the ways of the
Lord, and their experience of His constant lovingkindness leads them to say, "I
will bless the Lord at all times: His praise
shall continually be in my mouth." See to it, brother, that thou magnifiest the
Lord this day.
"Long as we tread this desert land, New mercies shall new songs demand."
Evening: Jesus' Love
"Thy love to me was wonderful." --2 Samuel 1:26
Come, dear readers, let each one of us speak for himself of the wonderful love,
not of Jonathan, but of Jesus. We will not relate what we have been told, but
the things which we have tasted and handled-of the love of Christ. Thy love to
me, O Jesus, was wonderful when I was a stranger wandering far from Thee,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Thy love restrained me
from committing the sin which is unto death, and withheld me from
self-destruction. Thy love held back the axe when Justice said, "Cut it down!
why cumbereth it the ground?" Thy love drew me into the wilderness, stripped me
there, and made me feel the guilt of my sin, and the burden of mine iniquity.
Thy love spake thus comfortably to me when, I was ore dismayed--"Come unto Me,
and I will give thee rest." Oh, how matchless Thy love when, in a moment, Thou
didst wash my sins away, and make my polluted soul, which was crimson with the
blood of my nativity, and black with the grime of my transgressions, to be
white as the driven snow, and pure as the finest wool.
How Thou didst commend Thy love when Thou didst whisper in my ears, "I am thine
and thou art Mine." Kind were those accents when Thou saidst, "The Father
Himself loveth you." And sweet the moments, passing sweet, when Thou declaredst
to me "the love of the Spirit." Never shall my soul forget those chambers of
fellowship where Thou has unveiled Thyself to me. Had Moses his cleft in the
rock, where he saw the train, the back parts of his God? We, too, have had our
clefts in the rock, where we have seen the full splendours of the Godhead in
the person of Christ. Did David remember the tracks of the wild goat, the land
of Jordan and the Hermonites? We, too, can remember spots to memory dear, equal
to these in
blessedness. Precious Lord Jesus, give us a fresh draught of Thy wondrous love
to begin the month with. Amen.
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Daily devotions for 02-02-2005:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: Blood is Required
Evening Title: The Eternal Covenant
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Morning: Blood is Required
"Without the shedding of blood is no remission." --Hebrews 9:22
This is the voice of unalterable truth. In none of the Jewish ceremonies were
sins, even
typically, removed without blood-shedding. In no case, by no means can sin be
pardoned without atonement. It is clear, then, that there is no hope for me out
of Christ; for there is no other blood-shedding which is worth a thought as an
atonement for sin. Am I, then, believing in Him?
Is the blood of His atonement truly applied to my soul? All men are on a level
as to their need of Him. If we be never so moral, generous, amiable, or
patriotic, the rule will not be altered to
make an exception for us. Sin will yield to nothing less potent than the blood
of Him whom
God hath set forth as a propitiation. What a blessing that there is the one way
of pardon! Why
should we seek another?
Persons of merely formal religion cannot understand how we can rejoice that all
our sins are forgiven us for Christ's sake. Their works, and prayers, and
ceremonies, give them very poor comfort; and well may they be uneasy, for they
are neglecting the one great salvation, and
endeavouring to get remission without blood. My soul, sit down, and behold the
justice of God as bound to punish sin; see that punishment all executed upon
thy Lord Jesus, and fall down in humble joy, and kiss the dear feet of Him
whose blood has made atonement for thee. It is in vain when conscience is
aroused to fly to feelings and evidences for comfort: this is a habit which we
learned in the Egypt of our legal bondage. The only restorative for a guilty
conscience is a sight of Jesus suffering on the cross. "The blood is the life
thereof," says the Levitical law, and let us rest assured that it is the life
of faith and joy and every other holy grace.
"Oh! how sweet to view the flowing
Of my Saviour's precious blood;,br>
With divine assurance knowing
He has made my peace with God."
Evening: The Eternal Covenant
"And these are ancient things." --1 Chronicles 4:22
Yet not so ancient as those precious things which are the delight of our souls.
Let us for a moment recount them, telling them over as misers count their gold.
The sovereign choice of the Father, by which He elected us unto eternal life,
or ever the earth was, is a matter of vast antiquity, since no date can be
conceived for it by the mind of man. We were chosen from before the foundations
of the world. Everlasting love went with the choice, for it was not a bare act
of divine will by which we were set apart, but the divine affections were
concerned. The Father loved us in and from the beginning. Here is a theme for
daily contemplation.
The eternal purpose to redeem us from our foreseen ruin, to cleanse and
sanctify us, and at
last to glorify us, was of infinite antiquity, and runs side by side with
immutable love and
absolute sovereignty. The covenant is always described as being everlasting,
and Jesus, the
second party in it, had His goings forth of old; He struck hands in sacred
suretyship long ere the first of the stars began to shine, and it was in Him
that the elect were ordained unto eternal life. Thus in the divine purpose a
most blessed covenant union was established between the Son of God and His
elect people, which will remain as the foundation of their safety when time
shall be no more. Is it not well to be conversant with hese ancient things? Is
it not shameful that they should be so much neglected and even rejected by the
bulk of professors? If they knew more of their own sin, would they not be more
ready to adore distinguishing grace? Let us both admire and adore tonight, as
we sing--
"A monument of grace,
A sinner saved by blood;
The streams of love I trace
Up to the Fountain, God;
And in His sacred bosom see
Eternal thoughts of Love to me."
=================================================
Daily devotions for 01-31-2005:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: Completely Perfect
Evening Title: The Level Path
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Morning: Completely Perfect
"The Lord our Righteousness." --Jeremiah 23:6
It will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, ease, and peace, to
think of the
perfect righteousness of Christ. How often are the saints of God downcast and
sad! I do not
think they ought to be. I do not think they would if they could always see
their perfection in
Christ. There are some who are always talking about corruption, and the
depravity of the heart, and the innate evil of the soul. This is quite true,
but why not go a little further, and remember that we are "perfect in Christ
Jesus."
It is no wonder that those who are dwelling upon their own corruption should
wear such downcast looks; but surely if we call to mind that "Christ is made
unto us righteousness," we shall be of good cheer. What though distresses
afflict me, though Satan assault me, though there may be many things to be
experienced before I get to heaven, those are done for me in the covenant of
divine grace; there is nothing wanting in my Lord, Christ hath done it all.
On the cross He said, "It is finished!" and if it be finished, then am I
complete in Him, and can
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, "Not having mine own
righteousness, which is of
the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by
faith." You will not find on this side heaven a holier people than those who
receive into their
hearts the doctrine of Christ's righteousness.
When the believer says, "I live on Christ alone; I rest on Him solely for
salvation; and I believe
that, however unworthy, I am still saved in Jesus;" then there rises up as a
motive of
gratitude this thought-- "Shall I not live to Christ? Shall I not love Him and
serve Him,
seeing that I am saved by His merits?" "The love of Christ constraineth us,"
"that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him
which died for them." If saved by
imputed righteousness, we shall greatly value imparted righteousness.
Evening: The Level Path
"Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi." --2 Samuel 18:23
Running is not everything, there is much in the way which we select: a swift
foot over hill and
down dale will not keep pace with a slower traveller upon level ground. How is
it with my
spiritual journey, am I labouring up the hill of my own works and down into the
ravines of my own humiliations and resolutions, or do I run by the plain way of
"Believe and live"? How blessed is it to wait upon the Lord by faith! The soul
runs without weariness, and walks without fainting, in the way of believing.
Christ Jesus is the way of life, and He is a plain way, a pleasant way, a way
suitable for the tottering feet and feeble knees of trembling sinners: am I
found in this way, or am I hunting after another track such as priestcraft or
metaphysics may promise me? I read of the way of holiness, that the wayfaring
man, though a fool, shall not err therein: have I been delivered from proud
reason and been brought as a little child to rest in Jesus' love and blood? If
so, by God's grace I shall outrun the strongest runner who chooses any other
path. This truth I may remember to my profit in my daily cares and needs. It
will be my wisest course to go at once to my God, and not to wander in a
roundabout manner to this friend and that. He knows my wants and can relieve
them, to whom should I repair but to Himself by the direct appeal of prayer,
and the plain argument of the promise. "Straightforward makes the best runner."
I will not parlay with the servants, but hasten to their master.
In reading this passage, it strikes me that if men vie with each other in
common matters, and
one outruns the other, I ought to be in solemn earnestness so to run that I may
obtain. Lord,
help me to gird up the loins of my mind, and may I press forward towards the
mark for the prize of my high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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