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Daily devotions for 05-31-2005:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: Small Things
Evening Title: Why Return?
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Morning: Small Things
"Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines." --Song of Solomon
2:15
A little thorn may cause much suffering. A little cloud may hide the sun.
Little foxes spoil the
vines; and little sins do mischief to the tender heart. These little sins
burrow in the soul, and
make it so full of that which is hateful to Christ, that He will hold no
comfortable fellowship and communion with us. A great sin cannot destroy a
Christian, but a little sin can make him miserable. Jesus will not walk with
His people unless they drive out every known sin. He says, "If ye keep My
commandments, ye shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's
commandments and abide in His love." Some Christians very seldom enjoy their
Saviour's
presence. How is this? Surely it must be an affliction for a tender child to be
separated
from his father. Art thou a child of God, and yet satisfied to go on without
seeing thy Father's
face? What! thou the spouse of Christ, and yet content without His company!
Surely, thou hast fallen into a sad state, for the chaste spouse of Christ
mourns like a dove without her mate, when he has left her. Ask, then, the
question, what has driven Christ from
thee? He hides His face behind the wall of thy sins. That wall may be built up
of little
pebbles, as easily as of great stones. The sea is made of drops; the rocks are
made of grains: and the sea which divides thee from Christ may be filled with
the drops of thy little sins; and the rock which has well nigh wrecked thy
barque, may have been made by the daily working of the coral insects of thy
little sins. If thou wouldst live with Christ, and walk with Christ, and see
Christ, and have fellowship with Christ, take heed of "the little foxes that
spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes." Jesus invites you to go
with Him and take them. He will surely, like Samson, take the foxes at once and
easily.
Go with Him to the hunting.
Evening: Why Return?
"That henceforth we should not serve sin." --Romans 6:6
Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already?
Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou hast already been
between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den? Hast
thou not had enough of the old serpent? Did he not poison all thy veins once,
and wilt thou play upon the hole of the asp, and put thy hand upon the
cockatrice's den a second time? Oh, be not so mad! so foolish! Did sin ever
yield thee real pleasure? Didst thou find solid satisfaction in it? If so, go
back to thine old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee. But
inasmuch as sin did never give thee what it
promised to bestow, but deluded thee with lies, be not a second time snared by
the old fowler--be free, and let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid
thee to enter the net again! It is contrary to the designs of eternal love,
which all have an eye to thy purity and holiness;
therefore run not counter to the purposes of thy Lord. Another thought should
restrain thee from sin.
Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity.
Transgression destroys
peace of mind, obscures fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness
over the soul;
therefore be not the serf and bondman of sin.
There is yet a higher argument: each time you "serve sin" you have "Crucified
the Lord afresh,
and put Him to an open shame." Can you bear that thought? Oh! if you have
fallen into any special sin during this day, it may be my Master has sent this
admonition this evening, to bring you back before you have backslidden very
far. Turn thee to Jesus anew; He has not forgotten His love to thee; His grace
is still the same. With weeping and repentance, come thou to His footstool, and
thou shalt be once more received into His heart; thou shalt be set upon a rock
again, and thy goings shall be established.
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Morning, May 30
"And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh
with me."
- Genesis 21:6
It was far above the power of nature, and even contrary to its laws, that the
aged Sarah should be honoured with a son; and even so it is beyond all ordinary
rules that I, a poor, helpless,
undone sinner, should find grace to bear about in my soul the indwelling Spirit
of the Lord Jesus. I, who once despaired, as well I might, for my nature was as
dry, and withered, and barren, and accursed as a howling wilderness, even I
have been made to bring forth fruit unto holiness. Well may my mouth be filled
with joyous laughter, because of the singular, surprising grace which I have
received of the Lord, for I have found Jesus, the promised
seed, and he is mine for ever. This day will I lift up psalms of triumph unto
the Lord who has remembered my low estate, for "my heart rejoiceth in the Lord;
mine horn is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies,
because I rejoice in thy salvation. "
I would have all those that hear of my great deliverance from hell, and my most
blessed visitation from on high, laugh for joy with me. I would surprise my
family with my abundant peace; I would delight my friends with my
ever-increasing happiness; I would edify the Church with my grateful
confessions; and even impress the world with the cheerfulness of my daily
conversation.
Bunyan tells us that Mercy laughed in her sleep, and no wonder when she dreamed
of Jesus; my joy shall not stop short of hers while my Beloved is the theme of
my daily thoughts.
The Lord Jesus is a deep sea of joy: my soul shall dive therein, shall be
swallowed up in the delights of his society. Sarah looked on her Isaac, and
laughed with excess of rapture, and all
her friends laughed with her; and thou, my soul, look on thy Jesus, and bid
heaven and earth unite in thy joy unspeakable.
Evening, May 30
"He openeth, and no man shutteth." - Revelation 3:7
Jesus is the keeper of the gates of paradise and before every believing soul he
setteth an open door, which no man or devil shall be able to close against it.
What joy it will be to find that faith in him is the golden key to the
everlasting doors. My soul, dost thou carry this key in thy bosom, or art thou
trusting to some deceitful pick-lock, which will fail thee at last? Hear
this parable of the preacher, and remember it.
The great King has made a banquet, and he has proclaimed to all the world that
none shall enter but those who bring with them the fairest flower that blooms.
The spirits of men advance to the gate by thousands, and they bring each one
the flower which he esteems the queen of the garden; but in crowds they are
driven from the royal presence, and enter not into the festive halls.
Some bear in their hand the deadly nightshade of superstition, or the flaunting
poppies of Rome, or the hemlock of self- righteousness, but these are not dear
to the King, the bearers
are shut out of the pearly gates.
My soul, hast thou gathered the rose of Sharon? Dost thou wear the lily of the
valley in thy bosom constantly? If so, when thou comest up to the gates of
heaven thou wilt know its value, for thou hast only to show this choicest of
flowers, and the Porter will open: not for a moment will he deny thee
admission, for to that rose the Porter openeth ever. Thou shalt find thy way
with the rose of Sharon in thy hand up to the throne of God himself, for heaven
itself possesses nothing that excels its radiant beauty, and of all the flowers
that bloom in paradise there is none that can rival the lily of the valley. My
soul, get Calvary's blood-red rose into thy hand by faith, by love wear it, by
communion preserve it, by daily watchfulness make it thine all in all, and thou
shalt be blessed beyond all bliss, happy beyond a dream. Jesus, be mine for
ever, my God, my heaven, my all.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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