the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
September 13—Morning—Deuteronomy 6:9
"And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."—Deuteronomy 6:9.
See, my soul, what a gracious provision the Lord made for the glory and honour of his Israel, that ever traveller passing by might say, ’Here dwelleth an Israelite indeed; he hath the name of the Lord of Hosts upon his house.’ And did it please the Lord God of Israel so to have his people known, and shall it be not my desire to have thy name, Lord, upon the gates of my house. Shall any pass by my door, ignorant that a lover of the Lord Jesus dwelleth there? Nay, shall I not esteem it my highest honour to have it known whose I am, and whom I serve, in the gospel of’ his dear Son? Shall I be ashamed of that name before which every knee bows in heaven and in earth? Oh Lord Jesus, not only write thy name upon the gates of my house, but engrave it in the centre of my heart, my affections, my first, and last, and earliest, and latest thoughts! Let it be my rapture and my joy, to speak out of the abundance of my heart concerning thee and thy great salvation. In all I say, in all I do, let it be manifest that I am in pursuit of him whom my soul loveth. Let every action tend to recommend thy dear name; and whether at home or abroad, in my house or family, when lying down or when rising up, let all creation witness for me, that the love, the service, the interest, the glory, of my God in Christ, is the one only object of my soul’s desire; and let every thing speak this language; "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth I desire but thee; and though my flesh and heart fail, yet thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."
September 13—Evening—Luke 17:7-8
"But which of you having a servant plowing, or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?"—Luke 17:7-8.
I have often thought that the Lord Jesus, the bountiful Lord of all his servants, and who giveth largely to the supply of all his household, hath a more special and suited food for his servants in the ministry, who are employed by him to set forth his table for others. They are, as the servant here described, in the field, plowing, and engaged in every branch of the spiritual husbandry. But when they return, their peculiar privilege is to wait upon their Master. And well is it for them; for in the faithful discharge of their labours, so great and constant are their engagements in following up the several departments of it, that, while keeping the vineyard, the church, their own interests would be sadly neglected and forgotten. Yet it is a most certain truth, that no servant in a family can be faithful to his Lord’s interest, who is not faithful to himself. No minister of the Lord Jesus can be concerned for other men’s souls, who hath no concern for his own. How very blessed is it then, that the Lord Jesus hath made suitable provision in this particular, that when the public service of the day is over, he opens to the private enjoyment of his people in himself alone. My soul, hath not Jesus, in this delightful scripture, taught thee this sweet lesson? Public ordinances will be doubly blessed, when, in the after-retirement, we wait upon Jesus in private. And in the most busy life, there will be always some moment found to do this. Jesus himself, "when he had sent the multitudes away, went up into the mountain, apart, to pray." The night opened to him the pleasures of communion, when the public services had engaged him all the day. And will not thou, dear Lord, while thy servant is waiting upon thee at thy table, bless him with some glimpse of thy glory? Shall he not find himself, refreshed in hearing the gracious words which drop from thy sacred lips? Will he not indeed esteem "thy words more than his necessary food?" Yea, Lord, thou wilt thyself be both his meat and his drink; and to wait on thee at thy table will be found more blessed than all the unsanctified tables of those who fare sumptuously every day!
