Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, March 28th, 2024
Maundy Thursday
There are 3 days til Easter!
Attention!
We are taking food to Ukrainians still living near the front lines. You can help by getting your church involved.
Click to donate today!

Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
Devotional: February 23rd

Resource Toolbox

February 23—Morning—Jeremiah 11:11

"Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit."—Jeremiah 2:11.

Pause, my soul, over these words! Was it ever known that any nation changed their dunghill gods for others? Such regard had they for whatever ignorance had set up, that the veneration never after ceased. But Israel, above every other nation of the earth, manifested folly, and even exceeded the most senseless and stupid of men. My soul! dost thou not in Israel’s folly behold thy own? Was there ever one, when the Lord first called thee, less deserving? A transgressor, as the Lord knew thee, from the womb! And yet this did not prevent the Lord from calling thee. He loved thee because he would love thee; gave thee his Christ,—gave thee his Holy Spirit—gave thee the name, the privilege, the adoption of a son. What returns hast thou made? How often since hath thy backslidings, thy coldness, thy departures, been like Israel? What vanity, what pursuit, what unprofitable employment, hath not at times been preferred to thy God? Oh how do I see my daily, hourly, continual need of thee, thou that art the hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof! Keep me, Lord, near thyself; for without thee I am nothing.

February 23—Evening—Revelation 2:17

"The hidden manna."—Revelation 2:17.

We have an authority from Jesus himself, to say, that He, and He alone, is the manna of the gospel; for in his discourse with the Jews, he called himself, in allusion to the manna of the wilderness," the living bread," and" the bread of God which came from heaven," of which, he said, "whosoever should eat, should live for ever." But when Jesus imparts this blessed food to his people, it is hidden. And, indeed, many of the properties of it are made more blessed, from the very nature of its secresy. My soul, ponder over the subject a few moments, this evening, and behold in it, how truly gracious it is in the Lord, to hand to his people in secret, those enjoyments of himself, of which the world is altogether unconscious. Mark the outlines of it, and trace it in its effects in thine own experience. Though Jesus was preached to the world, both by the law and the prophets; and when appearing in substance of our flesh manifested forth his glory; yet was he known only to his disciples: the great mass of men neither knew him, nor regarded him. If he was preached in types and sacrifices, under the old testament dispensation, or in open gospel under the new, few believed the report; the cry still went forth, "is not this the carpenter’s son?" But say, my soul, is not Jesus still "the hidden manna?" Dost thou discover him in his holy word? still is the word hidden: for though it is read openly by all, yet the mystery of it is known but to few. Doth the Holy Ghost testify to thee of Jesus, in thy desires after him; in thy communions with him; in the actings of thy faith upon him; and in thy enjoyments from him? Nevertheless in all these, however certain and refreshing to thee, thy pleasures are hidden from the world. This is mercy, personal and peculiar; strangers do not, cannot, intermeddle with this joy. Precious Lord Jesus! give me larger and fuller enjoyments of thee day by day; and night by night let my secret and retired meditations of thee be sweet! Oh! for grace to live more and more upon those hidden privileges, and more and more to prize them. Come to me, dear Lord! and give me such rich participations of thyself, in the fulness of thy person, blood, and righteousness, that receiving from thee "the hidden manna," I may say in thine own precious words, "I have meat to eat which the world knows not of."

Subscribe …
Get the latest devotional delivered straight to your inbox every week by signing up for the "The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions" subscription list. Simply provide your email address below, click on "Subscribe!", and you'll receive a confirmation email from us. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your subscription to this list.
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile