Daily Devotionals

Bowen's Daily Meditations

Devotional: December 13th

" For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." - Romans 10:12.

There is a beautiful conception of the character of God involved in the use of the word "rich" in this connection. For he is said to be rich not in respect of what he has, but of what he bestows. Used of men the word indicates one to whom much has accrued; but it is used here of God to designate one from whom infinite wealth of blessing accrues to the sons of men. It is for us he is rich, his wealth is ours; we have a marvellous and inexhaustible treasury in him. God, in fact, proposes to take sinful men and make each of them a treasury full of the wealth of God.

He is rich unto all that call upon him. They call, and he answers by communications of his wealth. There is of course an agreement between God and them, as to what constitutes wealth. They have been taken into the divine laboratory, and have seen the various things called wealth in earth and in heaven, seen them subjected to powerful tests and their true nature revealed. What is called wealth among men has lost its value; for they have seen it tested by an infallible chemistry; and especially has the knowledge of heaven’s wealth made them look disparagingly upon it. They have seen and appropriated the jasper of faith; the sapphire of love; the chalcedony of joy; the emerald of hope; the sardonyx of humility; the sardius of self-knowledge; the chrysolite of sincerity; the beryl of holiness; the topaz of contentment; the chrysoprasus of long-suffering; the jacinth of patience; the amethyst of self-denial. To the eye of an angel they have a breast-plate radiant with surpassing riches; though to man they may seem clothed in a wretched garb.

The same God is rich unto all. Oh, let us entertain no contracted view of the fulness of blessing that dwelleth in our reconciled God! Let us neither exclude ourselves, nor others. The God of Daniel, Paul, and John, that same God that was found so rich by them is ours, is yours, is mine. And that same God whom you approach, that same Saviour in whom you delight, is your neighbor’s. Oh, what a bond should this create between you and him! The same love that fills you with such rapture is shed abroad in his heart; the same visions of a beatific hour to come are yours and his; the same sacred pierced hand that fills your cup each morning with the wine and milk of divine grace, fills his cup. Consider this; and beware how you look coldly on him on whose eye of faith the smile of Christ is ever breaking.

-