Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: July 15th

Show me a token for good. - Psalms 86:17.

LET us glance at those tokens by which God can satisfy the inquiring mind. We will arrange these under four classes. The first we shall call supernatural. Many of these are in Scripture. “When God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, and said he would give him the land of Canaan to inherit, Abraham said, “Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” So God gave him to see “a burning furnace, and flames ascending to heaven.” This was a real miracle. An angel appeared of old to a thresher when he was in his barn, and said unto him, “The Lord is with thee.” Gideon said unto him, “If the Lord be with us, why then hath all this evil befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” And he could not be prevailed on to take the command of the army which was to put to flight the Midianites, unless God should show him a sign, and make the fleece of wool wet with dew while all the earth was dry; And then he wished to prove God by the fleece being dry while all the earth was wet. And God complied with his weakness: so good is he! But the age of miracles is gone by, and we are not to look for supernatural appearances.

The second class we call superstitious or enthusiastical. The one arises from the warmth of imagination or from the buoyancy of hope, and the other from the apprehension of fear. But it is not necessary to distinguish between them in the article before us when referring to these delusive tokens. For instance: if some people open the book of God and hit upon any thing delightful, they are immediately encouraged. But if they meet with any thing dreadful they are as soon depressed, as if some awful thing were about to befall them from God. Now, this is very wrong; for, though God may have appeared to his people in this way, it is not his ordinary way. “We have a more sure word of prophecy.” “If they speak not according to the law and the testimony, it is because there is no light in them.” There are some who throw open their Bibles accidentally and decide upon the first passage that meets their eye; whereas we should let the “word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom,” and we are to use it wisely and apply it. Any passage that thus occurs to our reflection we may improve in various ways, but not depend upon it in deciding the state of our souls or our path of duty. How well was Satan acquainted with Scripture, especially with the book of Psalms! for he was accurate in his quotations when tempting the Saviour, but only to oppose it. Again, the Saviour says, “It is written,” and we must take one part of Scripture with another, or else we may be led into all kinds of delusion. The word of our God contains all the information we need while here. Some make much of events that occur; but how can they determine the will of God? Suppose our way be prosperous: does not prosperity attend wicked men? And how frequently have good men been tried! When they have sailed at the command of Christ, and with him on board too, the wind has been contrary. As we go along through life, many an opening will appear, not for us to enter, but to shun. This may be intended for our trial. When Jonah wished to flee from the presence of the Lord, he found a ship ready to sail in. How providential! Yes, it was providential. But this providence was to try his obedience, not to encourage his disobedience. And we know this ship, so ready at hand, carried him into the belly of hell, and when he got out he said, “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercies.”

Let us now consider the third class of tokens; namely, those which are favourable but insufficient. It is well to have a good report from others, for enemies to say nothing against us, as in the case of Daniel, “except it be touching the law of our God.” It is well to have a good report from all the brethren. But what know they of our inward frame, of our motives and our hearts? “If our hearts condemn us not, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things.” Judas stood well with his fellow-disciples, not one of whom entertained the least doubt with regard to him; and yet he was the betrayer of our Lord. It is well to see a man reformed from profligacy, to see the drunkard give up his cups, the swearer fearing an oath, and the profaner of God’s day keeping it holy. But, though this is favourable, it is not absolutely satisfactory. There may be reformation without an inward change. There may be morality without piety. A man may have another heart, and not a new one. He may go. far in religion, so that it may be said of him, “He is not far from the kingdom of God,” and yet perish after all. How dreadful will it be for him to sink just at the entrance of that kingdom!

The last class of evidences are those that are genuine and decisive. Of such, we make no scruple at once to say, is a brokenness of heart and contrition of spirit. “The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” “To that man will I look,” saith the Lord, “who is humble and of a contrite spirit, and who trembleth at my word.” A natural man may learn to imitate the language of the penitent, but he cannot experience his feelings. If our hearts be broken for sin, and we are brought from its power and practice, then have we the evidence of being the children of God.

Then, tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. - Acts 11:22.

THIS little sketch of biography is very pleasing, valuable, and useful. The ancestors of Barnabas had left Judea, and had settled in the island of Cyprus, for what purposes we know not. There Barnabas was born. He was called at first Joses, but after his conversion to Christianity, Barnabas, which signifies “the son of consolation.” For this change in his name, two reasons, not at all incompatible with each other, are assigned. First, Because of his benevolent disposition. He was a wealthy man, and had disposed of his landed property, and “brought the money and laid it at the Apostles’ feet,” for the purpose of relieving the necessities and miseries of the poor and afflicted members of the church.

And secondly, Because of the distinguishing character of his preaching, it being eminently calculated to console the people of God, and to encourage poor awakened sinners to come to Christ; and because, being full of the Holy Ghost himself, in his public ministering he always dealt much in “the comforts of the Holy Ghost.” In this respect ministers often differ very considerably from each other.

Some may be called “Boanerges,” that is, “Sons of thunder,” their ministrations being bold and striking, and very alarming to the consciences of the unconverted. Others are more gentle and persuasive, having “the tongue of the learned, that they should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.”

Ministers should never be placed in opposition to each other, or be put in comparison with each other, thereby to inflame or blow up one pile of straw, and trample under foot another. But they should be viewed in reference to their station and circumstances, to their work, and to their adaptation. If this is always done in charity, they will be found equally respectable and worthy of regard. However they may differ in their situation, their position, their natural or acquired endowments, their gifts, or their graces, the church needs them, and can fully employ them all. Let Paul therefore plant, and Apollos water; let one “comfort the feeble-minded,” another be “set for the defence of the gospel;” one lay the “foundation,” and another build thereon. Each has his own proper work assigned him, and each shall have his own proper reward.

It was Barnabas who introduced Paul to the disciples of Jerusalem, when they were afraid of him, and drew back as he approached them, as a number of sheep and lambs would have drawn back in a field if a wolf was approaching them; and it was not until Barnabas had convinced them of Paul’s conversion that they received him into fellowship with them. From thence he was now sent on a missionary business to the newly-planted church at Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians. It is much to be regretted that they have ever been called by any other name. And “when he was come to this city, and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.”