Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: October 23rd

The Lord is a God of judgment. - Isaiah 30:18.

THERE are some who deny the moral attributes of Jehovah, and there are some who deny his punitive justice. By punitive justice we mean nothing of vindictiveness or revenge, but simply the love of rectitude, a determination to maintain law, and a resolution to punish crimes. There can be no government without laws, and laws are nothing without sanctions; and if laws be good in themselves they must be good in their execution. Crimes, therefore, are always punished in every properly regulated state.

We should not be able either to esteem or love God, if we supposed him destitute of it; if we suppose that, in his disposition and conduct, he would make no difference between truth and falsehood, between cruelty and kindness, between a Nero and a Howard: it is impossible that we could esteem or love such a being. He is the Supreme Governor of the world. Suppose we were to take before a magistrate the incendiary of our property or the murderer of our children, and he should turn away and say, “This does not concern me: I do nothing that is cruel.” Cruel! cruel! Why, it would be his kindness to the criminal that would be cruel, both to him and to the community. Why, the magistrate is only the minister of God for good, when he does not bear the sword in vain,-when he is “a terror to evil doers, as well as a praise to them who do well.”

Then there are others who practically deny this truth. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, their hearts are fully set,” Solomon says, “to do evil.” They are evil because God is good; because he is merciful they trifle with him, they continue to offend, yea, they lay hold of his numerous benefits, and pervert them into weapons of rebellion against their Benefactor. God is merciful, but he is only merciful through a Mediator. While, therefore, sinners neglect the Saviour, there is no more mercy for them than for a demon; they do not confess sin on the head of the appointed victim, and therefore the guilt of their sins rests upon their own head; their religion is no better than the worship of Cain, who brought God indeed an offering without a sacrifice, and God will not accept such offerings at their hand.

God is merciful, but his mercy is not connivance at sin; God is merciful, but he cannot be merciful to a sinner unless he delivers him from his sins. He is merciful, but it is to the broken in heart and to the contrite in spirit. “If we confess our sins,” says the apostle, “God is merciful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” With regard to others he will say, “Because they are people of no understanding, therefore he that made them will not have mercy upon them, and he that formed them will show them no favour.”

The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed he the name of the Lord. - Job 1:21.

IN all Job’s trials and under his most painful bereavements, privations, and losses, it is said that he “sinned not, nor charged God foolishly,” but blessed the Lord for having “taken away,” as well as for what he “gave.” And so we may and should be thankful for our bitter mercies as well at our sweet mercies. But we have been reproached and persecuted; we have had a succession of losses and bereavements.

What! are we to bless God for them? Why not? If “all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth,” why not these, for they are “a part of his ways?” If “all things work together for good to them that love God,” why should not these? “Shall we,” says Job, “receive good at the hands of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil?” Not that we are required to bless God for these things themselves. The things may be considered in themselves as evils; and we are not allowed to make any evil thing the object of our desire or of our praise. But we may and we should be thankful for the principle by which these are sent to us; the covenant love of God in Christ. “Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” We should therefore be thankful for the love which sends them and attends them, and for the end which they are designed to accomplish; for;” these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

When a child comes of age, he feels thankful for many restraints and corrections which he thought hardly of during his minority. So will it be with tried Christians. “When Messias cometh he will show us all things.” In his light we shall see light, and be able to discern that “he hath done all things well,” that “God is a rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are done in judgment; a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” Even before they reach Immanuel’s land, or walk the golden streets, they shall see enough in God’s dealings with them to produce acquiescence and submission, and to answer Job’s inquiry, “Show me wherefore thou contendest with me.” But then they will see more fully what evil it has prevented, and what good it has been the means of procuring. And not only do they see enough even here to produce this submission, but to call forth their gratitude and praise. And how many have been able to say,

“’Tis my happiness below

Not to live without the cross,

But the Saviour’s power to know,

Sanctifying every loss.

Trials must and will befal,

But with humble faith to see

Love inscribed upon them all,

This is happiness to me.”