Daily Devotionals

The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions

Devotional: March 19th

March 19—Morning—Job 23:3-4; Job 23:6

"Oh that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me."—Job 23:3-4; Job 23:6.

My soul, are these thy breathings? Dost thou really long, and, like David, even pant, to come before the throne of grace? Art thou at a loss how to come, how to draw nigh? Wouldest thou fill thy mouth with arguments, and have thy cause so ordered as to be sure not to fail? Look to Jesus! Seek from him the leadings of the Spirit; and while thine eye is steadily fixed on thy great High Priest within the vail, still wearing a vesture dipped in blood, see to it that thy one great plea is, for a perfect and complete justification before God and thy Father, upon the sole footing of righteousness. Yes, my soul, plead earnestly, heartily, steadily; and, like Jacob, wrestling with God, upon the sole footing of righteousness: Wouldest thou fear on this ground? Yes, thou wouldest have cause enough to fear and tremble, if thy plea was with the least reference to any righteousness of thine. But, my soul, remember it is Jesus’s righteousness, and his only, with which, like Job, thy mouth must be filled with arguments. This is the strength thy God and Father will put in thee: and it is a strength of Jehovah’s founded in his justice. As a poor guilty sinner, thou couldest have nothing to plead but free grace and rich mercy. But when thou comest in Jesus, thy Surety’s righteousness, thou mayest appeal, and art expected so to do, to God’s holiness and his justice also. Oh, how sweet the assurance, how unanswerable the plea, how secure the event! Jesus hath fulfilled the law - Jesus hath paid the penalty of justice; and God hath promised to pardon and bless his seed, his redeemed in him. Hence, the apostle Paul, in the contemplation of death and judgment, while looking at his everlasting security in Jesus, cries out, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them that love his appearing. "Behold then, my soul, thy vast privilege; and when, like Job, thou art desiring to approach a throne of grace now, or looking forward to a throne of judgment hereafter-never, never for a moment forget that this is the way, and the only way, (for a blessed sure way it is,) maintaining communion with God in Christ. Thy God, thy Father, will not plead against a righteousness of his own appointing; but he will put Jesus, his strength, in thee. Hallelujah!

March 19—Evening—Psalms 106:15

"And he gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul—Psalms 106:15.

Here is a very solemn subject to exercise the mind of a child of God. My soul, take it for thine own exercise this evening. In the part of the church’s history alluded to, it should seem that they were just arrived on the borders of Canaan: they had been all along fed and sustained by God’s bounty; and the manna, as usual, came fresh and pure from heaven every morning; but tired and dissatisfied with the table of God’s providing, they demanded flesh to eat, and the Lord gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. Happy would it have been for the church of God, if such rebellions had been confined to that period of its history. But, alas! in all ages, God’s children too often manifest the like temper. My soul! bring the subject home; thy God, thy Jesus, hath appointed thee the very path best suited for thee. Had a synod of angels been convened to choose what would be most conducive to thy present and everlasting welfare, never could they have arranged either thy state or circumstances better than Jesus hath done. Surely, his infinite wisdom and love are manifested in all the appointments by the way, which he hath made for thee as well in providence as in grace. And yet how often hast thou thought, that such an- attainment, or such a possession, would have been for thy good! And how often hast thou felt displeased when matters appeared to thee discouraging! and in the fulness of thy thoughts, thou hast at times felt disposed to tell thine heavenly Master that such an exercise might have been spared; or that such a temporal portion might have been given thee! And hast thou not, more than once, afterwards discovered that had Jesus granted what thy wayward heart perversely coveted, evil, and not good, would have followed? If thou wouldest gather improvement from the church’s history, in the striking instance before thee, see the sad consequences of having any earthly desire gratified, which for the most part bringeth leanness into the soul. Ask the question from any of the chosen few, whose situations are among the great or affluent, whether their souls do not go lean, from their bodies being better fed than others? Prosperity in this world is too dangerous to God’s dear children; which very fully explains why Jesus, for the most part, keeps his people humble. When the Lord made Israel to ride upon the high places of the earth, and caused him to drink of the pure blood of the grape; the next account is, "Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked," Deuteronomy 32:14-15. Precious Lord Jesus, do thou choose for me, in every thing, and for every state; for then I am sure, I shall be well provided for, and well taken care of. Never, dearest Lord, grant any request of mine, which, in the weakness and perversity of my heart, I might be tempted to put up, lest a state, so truly awful as that of Israel should follow; and while the flesh sought ease and fulness, there should be a leanness of soul!