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Daily devotions for 02-19-2005:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: The Forerunner of Mercy
Evening Title: The Pattern of Finding
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Morning: The Forerunner of Mercy
"Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of
Israel, to do it for
them." --Ezekiel 36:37
Prayer is the forerunner of mercy. Turn to sacred history, and you will find
that scarcely ever did a great mercy come to this world unheralded by
supplication. You have found this true in your own personal experience. God has
given you many an unsolicited favour, but still great prayer has always been
the prelude of great mercy with you.
When you first found peace through the blood of the cross, you had been praying
much, and
earnestly interceding with God that He would remove your doubts, and deliver
you from your
distresses. Your assurance was the result of prayer. When at any time you have
had high and
rapturous joys, you have been obliged to look upon them as answers to your
prayers. When you have had great deliverances out of sore troubles, and mighty
helps in great dangers, you have been able to say, "I sought the Lord, and He
heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."
Prayer is always the preface to blessing. It goes before the blessing as the
blessing's shadow.
When the sunlight of God's mercies rises upon our necessities, it casts the
shadow of prayer far down upon the plain. Or, to use another illustration, when
God piles up a hill of mercies, He Himself shines behind them, and He casts on
our spirits the shadow of prayer, so that we may rest certain, if we are much
in prayer, our pleadings are the shadows of mercy.
Prayer is thus connected with the blessing to show us the value of it. If we
had the blessings
without asking for them, we should think them common things; but prayer makes
our mercies more precious than diamonds. The things we ask for are precious,
but we do not realize their
preciousness until we have sought for them earnestly.
"Prayer makes the darken'd cloud withdraw;
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw;
Gives exercise to faith and love;
Brings every blessing from above."
Evening: The Pattern of Finding
"He first findeth his own brother Simon." --John 1:41
This case is an excellent pattern of all cases where spiritual life is
vigorous. As soon as a
man has found Christ, he begins to find others. I will not believe that thou
hast tasted of the
honey of the gospel if thou canst eat it all thyself. True grace puts an end to
all spiritual
monopoly. Andrew first found his own brother Simon, and then others.
Relationship has a very
strong demand upon our first individual efforts.
Andrew, thou didst well to begin with Simon. I doubt whether there are not some
Christians
giving away tracts at other people's houses who would do well to give away a
tract at their
own--whether there are not some engaged in works of usefulness abroad who are
neglecting their special sphere of usefulness at home. Thou mayst or thou mayst
not be called to evangelize the people in any particular locality, but
certainly thou art called to see after thine own servants, thine own kinsfolk
and acquaintance. Let thy religion begin at home. Many tradesmen export their
best commodities--the Christian should not.
He should have all his conversation everywhere of the best savour; but let him
have a care to put forth the sweetest fruit of spiritual life and testimony in
his own family. When Andrew went to find his brother, he little imagined how
eminent Simon would become. Simon Peter was worth ten Andrews so far as we can
gather from sacred history, and yet Andrew was instrumental in bringing him to
Jesus.
You may be very deficient in talent yourself, and yet you may be the means of
drawing to Christ one who shall become eminent in grace and service.
Ah! dear friend, you little know the possibilities which are in you. You may
but speak
a word to a child, and in that child there may be slumbering a noble heart
which shall stir the
Christian church in years to come. Andrew has only two talents, but he finds
Peter. Go thou and do likewise.
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Daily devotions for 02-20-2005:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: The True Comforter
Evening Title: We Will Be Tempted
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Morning: The True Comforter
"God, that comforteth those that are cast down." --2 Corinthians 7:6
And who comforteth like Him? Go to some poor, melancholy, distressed child of
God; tell him
sweet promises, and whisper in his ear choice words of comfort; he is like the
deaf adder, he
listens not to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. He is
drinking gall and
wormwood, and comfort him as you may, it will be only a note or two of mournful
resignation that you will get from him; you will bring forth no psalms of
praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful
sonnets. But let God come to His child, let Him lift up his countenance, and
the mourner's eyes glisten with hope. Do you not hear him sing--
"'Tis paradise, if thou art here; If thou depart, 'tis hell?"
You could not have cheered him: but the Lord has done it; "He is the God of all
comfort." There is no balm in Gilead, but there is balm in God.
There is no physician among the creatures, but the Creator is Jehovah-rophi. It
is marvellous
how one sweet word of God will make whole songs for Christians. One word of God
is like a piece of gold, and the Christian is the goldbeater, and can hammer
that promise out for whole weeks. So, then, poor Christian, thou needest not
sit down in despair. Go to the Comforter, and ask Him to give thee consolation.
Thou art a poor dry well.
You have heard it said, that when a pump is dry, you must pour water down it
first of all, and
then you will get water, and so, Christian, when thou art dry, go to God, ask
Him to shed abroad His joy in thy heart, and then thy joy shall be full. Do not
go to earthly acquaintances, for you will find them Job's comforters after all;
but go first and foremost to thy "God, that comforteth those that are cast
down," and you will soon say, "In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy
comforts delight my soul."
Evening: We Will Be Tempted
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil."
--Matthew 4:1
A Holy character does not avert temptation--Jesus was tempted. When Satan
tempts us, his sparks fall upon tinder; but in Christ's case, it was like
striking sparks on water; yet the enemy continued his evil work. Now, if the
devil goes on striking when there is no result, how much more will he do it
when he knows what inflammable stuff our hearts are made of. Though you become
greatly sanctified by the Holy Ghost, expect that the great dog of hell will
bark at you still. In the haunts of men we expect to be tempted, but even
seclusion will not guard us from the same trial. Jesus Christ was led away from
human society into the wilderness, and was tempted of the devil.
Solitude has its charms and its benefits, and may be useful in checking the
lust of the eye and the pride of life; but the devil will follow us into the
most lovely retreats. Do not suppose that it is only the worldly-minded who
have dreadful thoughts and blasphemous temptations, for even spiritual-minded
persons endure the same; and in the holiest position we may suffer the darkest
temptation. The utmost consecration of spirit will not insure you against
Satanic temptation.
Christ was consecrated through and through. It was His meat and drink to do the
will of Him that sent Him: and yet He was tempted! Your hearts may glow with a
seraphic flame of love to Jesus, and yet the devil will try to bring you down
to Laodicean lukewarmness. If you will tell me when God permits a Christian to
lay aside his armour, I will tell you when Satan has left off temptation. Like
the old knights in war time, we must sleep with helmet and breastplate buckled
on, for the arch-deceiver will seize our first unguarded hour to make us his
prey. The Lord keep us watchful in all seasons, and give us a final escape from
the jaw of the lion and the paw of the bear.
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