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Daily Devotionals
Mornings and Evenings with Jesus
Devotional: October 16th

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Morning Devotional

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. - 2 Timothy 3:16.

“HOLY men of God,” says Peter, “spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” And, says Dr. Watts,-

“The prophets’ pens succeed their breath,

To save the holy words from death.”

We are here reminded of the origin of the Scriptures,-with the committing of the mind and will of God to writing. This is important for two purposes. First, because the knowledge of them must be preserved and extended. Without the knowledge of them they cannot be felt; they cannot be acted upon; they can neither become the rule of our conduct nor the source of our consolation. Therefore says the apostle, “How can they believe on him of whom they have not heard?” Therefore says God, “By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many.” Therefore says the church, “That thy way may be known on earth, thy saving health among all nations.”

And, Secondly, because there was no way of preserving and extending this knowledge to be compared to this. Thus, both with regard to extensiveness and security, Scripture surpasses oral tradition. We all know, in the common affairs of the world, how a thing is altered by repeated relation. There are some persons who never regard accuracy at all; others seem incapable of it,-some from lack of memory, others from fervency of feeling and circumstances; and it is well known how a single term will express too much or too little to define properly the true meaning of a case. It is proverbially said there is no believing one-half of what we hear. What should we have known of the history of our own country without written documents? A number of facts might have reached us orally, but then they would have been altered in the lapse of years; and therefore the earliest part in the history of every nation, previous to the acquisition of written records, is always deemed fabulous. And what was derived from this source when it was unrecorded became more and more indistinct and corrupt.

This was natural and unavoidable; but in the family of Abraham, and in the nations of the Jews, it was otherwise. There revelation was, after a while, committed to writing. Thus it became fixed and certain. Thus appeals could be made to it, and mistakes could be corrected by it. The original copy was kept in the ark of the Lord. Every king of the Jews, when he came to his throne, was commanded to transcribe it for his own use. At every public festival it was brought forth and read in the audience of the people. This would keep up an acquaintance with it. The pious would of course soon multiply copies, and they would lend and read these transcriptions to their relations, neighbours, and friends. The highest honour, therefore, that can attach to writing is, that by means of it the words of eternal life have come down to us unimpaired. And, as Dr. Watts says,-

“The bright inheritance of heaven

Is by the sweet conveyance given.”

Evening Devotional

And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine that we may enter into them; and forthwith Jesus gave them leave. - Mark 5:12-13.

IF we reflect, on the one hand, on the extreme limitation of our faculties, and, on the other, on the depth of God’s designs, we shall not wonder at being called to walk by sight, and not by faith. Well, a period of development is hastening along, when we shall understand what we now believe. Now, even now, we are able to trust the Lord in the darkness, and now, even now, we may study his doings, and the discoveries we make will amply reward our diligence. The narrative before us affords materials for a variety of reflections. One view of it only we intend to notice; that is, prayer-the prayer of devils: “And all the devils besought Jesus.”

Here is their acknowledgment of the Saviour’s power over them. They could not injure even brutes without his permission. Their creed is beyond that of many who profess and call themselves Christians. None of the devils in hell disbelieve the Divinity of Christ. They believe and tremble. And so do men. How many things do they admit to be right, and yet in their practice deny or oppose their convictions. And all Christians know with regard to themselves, that the contemplative and the speculative surpasses that which is experimental and practical in religion.

Our truest wisdom will be, not in yielding submission to the dictates of philosophy, falsely so called, in disbelieving the existence and agency of evil Spirits, but in resisting the devices of beings of whom we are necessarily ignorant. Blessed be God that we are conscious the tremendous power of our adversaries is limited and completely controlled by him who is our Saviour and our Friend, who loved us and died for our sakes.

But will devils pray, and will they be heard? Yes: “And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. Astonishing! Was it out of affection for them, or sympathy with their design? Impossible! But what was the design of their request? It was founded on malice and mischief. No longer permitted to torment the man, they entreat permission to enter the swine; not out of spite to injure the property of the Gadarenes, but to render Christ obnoxious to them through the spoiling of their goods. And so it fell out. These Gadarenes, though dwelling on the other side Jordan, were Jews, and possessed of and engaged in the disposal of contraband property-property which it was unlawful to sell, to eat, to touch, or to possess. Satan knew that they were expressly violating the Divine command. He knew as well as Paul what was the “root of all evil.” He was acquainted with the history of Achan and of Gehazi, and knew that man would sell body and soul, God and heaven, and everything else, for profit. He knew their hate would drive off the Messiah, who interrupted these unrighteous and sordid gains. Therefore this permission to enter the swine was sought by these evil Spirits.

Permission was given. Yes; in judgment, and deserved judgment. This is an awful part of the subject. Satan desired to have Peter that he might sift him as wheat is sifted. Thus Satan desired to have Job; and he destroyed all he had, not in spite against his sons and daughters whom he killed, or against his servants whom he had taken captives, or against his flocks and herds. No; but it was solely in malice against the proprietor. “Yet in all this Job sinned not.” He triumphed in his trial, which was found unto praise and glory and honour. The same permission was given to Satan to tempt the Gadarenes. How different the result!

The gold will endure the furnace; the dross will be consumed. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried he shall receive a crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

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