Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: February 9th

Keep yourselves in the love of God.- Judges 1:21.

The LOVE OF GOD, like every other attribute and perfection of Jehovah, is everlasting and unchangeable; even as the essence of God himself. This love is manifested to his people in Christ Jesus; he is the object in whom they are viewed and loved by the Father. As "Jesus is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," so is God’s love towards them. Time, with all its concurring circumstances, can make no alteration or change, increase or diminution herein. But as to the sense and enjoyment of this love, the word of truth and experience of saints plainly testify of its ebbing and flowing, its fervor and abatement in the soul. Hence the necessity of those tender calls, kind warnings, and loving counsels, addressed to believers, in the word of truth; because they are ever to be active as those who are made alive to God, and have their senses exercised to discern between good and evil.

Exhortations excite to jealousy, and quicken to diligence. The enjoyment of the love of God is our heaven below; to keep ourselves in the happy sense of it, is our highest privilege, our greatest happiness. Keep OURSELVES in the love of God! Yes: How? Use every means which love commands; avoid all things which love forbids. Account not this LEGAL. Those who do, have only the notion of love in the head, but are strangers to the constraints of love in the heart.

Wouldst thou ever enjoy love, O Christian? Be much in meditation upon it-think daily, constantly of that unparalleled instance of it, God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten son Jesus to atone for sin by his precious blood-to justify sinners by his perfect righteousness. Dost thou know this by the gospel? This is love revealed. Dost thou believe this in thine heart by the Spirit? This is love felt and enjoyed. All, all flows from the rich, transcendently rich love of God in Christ Jesus. O be concerned daily to keep thy soul in and under a lively sense of this love! and also keep thyself by this love from worldly lusts, carnal indulgences, and sensual gratifications. These are forbidden fruits; thy flesh may long for and covet them, but by the love of God, by his mercies in Christ Jesus, and for thy soul’s sake, abstain from them. Know verily, as hurtful food will impair the health of thy body; so these things as certainly will rob thy soul of its peace-damp the warm sense of God’s love, and render thee cool, indifferent, and lifeless, to the love of God. Thus saith the God of love, "Consider your ways." Haggai 1:5.

My God, permit my tongue

This joy, to call thee mine;

And let my constant cries prevail

To taste thy love divine.

For life without thy love

No relish can afford;

No joy can be compar’d with this,

To serve and please the Lord.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18.

Whenever our Lord denounces his judgments against hardened and impenitent sinners, we are sure to find a word of grace from his precious lips to our dear trembling souls. His loving heart knew that what he had been declaring against others, his people would take to themselves, reason their hearts into dejection and sorrow, and cast away their hopes and their comforts; therefore, as he frequently, in the days of his flesh, turned aside to his disciples and said, “Come now,”-let not trouble arise in your hearts, let not terror and dread seize on your spirits one moment; so here, “Let us reason together.” Do not reason with flesh and blood-with your carnal notions, and your legal hearts; confer not with Satan, who is your enemy and accuser;-but reason with me: I am just. Do you say, ‘Then, I must perish in my sins?’ No. “I am just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26.) I am just to forgive thee thy sins. (1 John 1:9.) Reason with me upon the purity and spirituality of my law. Dost thou say, it pronounces thee cursed, for not continuing in all things written therein? True; but my law has been magnified and made honorable by my Son’s perfect, unspotted obedience. Therefore, I pronounce thee blessed in him; because I impute his perfect righteousness to thee. Come and reason with me at my throne of grace. Plead thy sins; aggravate them to the most enormous size; multiply them to the greatest number, as sands by the sea-side; paint them in the deepest hue, as scarlet and crimson-Blood divine changes their colour to the most perfect whiteness, even as snow and wool. Not the least stain shall remain: not the least spot shall be seen. “His blood cleanseth from all sin.” (1 John 1:7.) Thou art all fair, all pure; without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, in my sight. All the guilt of thy sins are atoned: all taken away, by the sacrifice of my Son. They are all covered from my sight, by his perfect righteousness; and I the Lord pronounce thee blessed. I impute no sin to thee; no more than if thou hadst never sinned. O, my soul, here is reasoning! thy Lord would have thee happy and holy, and full of love; and free from legal terrors and slavish dread. Therefore, he thus calls on thee to reason with him. True, all this is contrary to thy carnal reason: but it is the truth of God, who says, “I am pacified towards thee.” (Ezekiel 16:63.)