Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: November 2nd

I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. - Isaiah 42:16.

HERE we view God as our Interpreter. We may observe five instances in which the Lord makes darkness light before his people, and crooked things straight. First, As to doctrine. It is not for us to determine with how much error in judgment real grace may be found in the heart. We find our Saviour one day putting his fingers upon the eyes of a blind man, who afterwards said, “I see men as trees walking:” yet he was under the Saviour’s own operation. And our Lord touched his eyes again, and commanded him to look up, when he saw all things plainly. For a time persons may have very confined and obscure, and sometimes very perplexing, views of some doctrines of the gospel, compared with what others know now and what they shall know by-and-by. God is gradual in all his operations, both in nature and grace. We see in nature things are slow in proportion to their value and importance. But though his mode may be sometimes slow, it is always sure, and under his agency.

Secondly, As to experience. There are many things perplexing here. The temptations that often assail them are among the number; for they hoped to go on in their Christian course without annoyance. Then the Christian’s life must be a warfare. So also with regard to prayer. They are often perplexed; they read that God answers prayer: “But,” says the Christian, “he has not answered mine.” But Christians should learn to distinguish. God immediately hears our prayers, but he does not always immediately answer. “For he is a God of judgment,” and while his mercy constrains him to give, his wisdom leads him to withhold the blessing for a time; but he waits to be gracious.

Sometimes by strange, sometimes by terrible, things in righteousness does he answer his people. It is the same also with regard to joy. Christians read in the Scriptures that religion is friendly to joy; that the redeemed shall come to Zion with songs, and with everlasting joy upon their heads. But many say, “I have so little of this.” But do not we find that religion is described by sorrow as well as joy,-by fear as well as hope? Again, with regard to assurance. “Oh that I knew,” says one, “my interest in that everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure!” Oh that he would say unto my soul, I am thy salvation! I could then face a frowning world and defy the king of terrors: but all is obscurity.

“’Tis a point I long to know,-

Oft it causes anxious thought,-

Do I love the Lord, or no?

Am I his, or am I not?”

The most that I am able to reach at present is peradventure, and to say, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Why, “wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.” Again, with regard to practical duties. With regard to a change of situation, a transition from one business to another, the Christian may be at a loss what step to take, and this will awaken in a pious mind a concern that others never feel; and it is natural he should feel this, because how much depends on every step he takes! And we know a wrong step may give a complexion to the whole of our future lives. We therefore feel a concern to know the way wherein we should walk, and our souls will be lifted up for divine guidance and direction.

When Christians get to heaven, how will these words be realized in their blessed experience! then he will “make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight;” then they will have leisure to survey and capacity to understand the dealings of God, and all his conduct will appear faithfulness and truth; then the future will have been supplied, and all things explained; then they will see how all things advanced their welfare; though many had appeared dark, disorderly, and perplexing, yet all will harmonize, and they will exclaim, “Just and true are thy ways, O thou King of saints.”

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are Spiritually discerned. But he that is Spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. - 1 Corinthians 2:14-15.

THERE is a vast difference between the Christian and a “natural man.” By a natural man the Apostle means a man under the influence of principles and affections which are altogether natural to him. By a “Spiritual man” he means an individual who is renewed in the Spirit of his mind by the operation of the Holy Spirit, by whom he has been made a partaker of the divine nature.

According to the promise, “A new heart will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them;” and therefore we find it stated of Christians that they are “born of the Spirit,” and “live in the Spirit,” and are being “led by the Spirit,” and being “filled with the Spirit.” It is from these circumstances they derive their new and distinguishing characteristics as being Spiritual, and possessed of Spiritual discernment.

The natural man, being altogether under the predominating influence of natural principles and passions, is altogether ignorant of Spiritual things, and with whom there is an absolute inability to judge respecting them. They cannot possibly know what a Christian is, either as to his principles, his conduct, or his resources. Here is the difference between a Christian and a natural man. The Christian knows the natural man, but the natural man does not know the Christian. The natural man has never been in the Spiritual man’s condition; but the Christian has been in that of the natural man. The natural man does not know what the service of God is; but the spiritual man knows what the service of the world is, and he knows it is not pleasantness nor peace, that it is not liberty but bondage: he knows that there is no peace to the wicked. The natural man thinks it strange that Christians do not run with them into the same excesses, that they should turn their backs upon scenes of dissipation and worldly pleasure; that they are tranquil under losses, and are comforted under tribulation. They see their burdens and their afflictions; but they do not see the everlasting arms beneath them, nor do they understand how they have access to the throne of the heavenly grace, or the enjoyments and comforts they receive from the Holy Ghost. They see not the principles by which the Christian is influenced, either in reference to their conduct in suffering or serving. And then this non-discernment of Christians by natural men is often aided by their external circumstances.

“The king’s daughter is all glorious within,” but not without; that is, in the estimation of natural men. Had we seen the tabernacle in the wilderness, we should have seen a common tent covered with badgers’ skins dyed red; but if we had entered in, there was Deity upon the mercy-seat, between the cherubims. It is the same with Christians. The life of the Christian is hid, and it is hid not only in his principles, in his resources, in his experience, but it is hid in the obscurity of his condition, in his penury, in the reproach thrown upon him. The principle by which some men judge of others is external circumstances, worldly power, authority, rank; but if a Christian is to be judged by this standard, “not many wise, not many mighty are called.”