Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: April 17th

Ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls.- 1 Peter 2:25.

Scripture allusions continually remind us, "that salvation is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who sheweth mercy: therefore, not unto us, not to our free will, but to thy free grace, O Lord, be all the glory. Like that poor silly creature, a sheep, we naturally stray into all kind of danger, but are unapt to return of ourselves. We never should unless the shepherd sought us. "We have turned every one to his own way," have lost ourselves in the wilderness of sin, are wounded by the wolf of prey, blinded by pride, self-will, and self-righteousness. We delight in our distance from the good shepherd. We please ourselves in feeding on carnal lusts and sensual vanities, while our poor souls are in a starving, perishing condition. Unparalleled love! the sheep’s wounds are healed by the shepherd’s stripes; pardon is obtained by the bishop’s sufferings and death. All this is proclaimed by the shepherd’s voice. But, "O! what fools! how slow of heart to believe this!" This keeps many poor sheep from returning to Jesus; and those that have heard his voice, and are returned to him, do not keep so close to him as is their interest and happiness. The loving shepherd complains of this- Jeremiah 2:31 - "Have I been a barren wilderness unto you, O ye sheep of my pasture?" No, truly: our souls can never be healthy and thriving but while our shepherd is in view, and we are feeding in the green pastures of his love by the still waters of his salvation.

It behoves Christ’s sheep to consider daily how dear they are to him; what sweet relation he stands in to them; what love and care he has for them; that so Jesus may be more endeared to them, and his pastoral instructions, cautions, and directions, may influence their walk and conversation; for the adversary is ever working upon our treacherous nature to make us conceive of Jesus otherwise than a faithful shepherd and loving overseer, that so, as terrified sheep, we may fly from him, and cease to love and follow him. Yea, to this end the father of lies thus preaches: ’Though you are returned to your shepherd, yet after all he may cease to care for you, and let you perish.’ This is the doctrine of devils, let who will preach it; for it gives the lie to Jesus, THE TRUTH, who says, "I give unto them eternal life; they shall NEVER PERISH, neither shall ANY pluck them out of my hands."- John 10:28. "We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices,"- 2 Corinthians 2:11 -nor "of the cunning craftiness of those who lie in wait to deceive."- Ephesians 4:14.

The Lord my shepherd is,

I shall be well supply’d;

Since he is mine, and I am his,

What can I want beside!

If e’er I go astray,

He doth my soul reclaim,

And guides me in his own right way

For his most holy name.

Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the LORD JESUS. Colossians 3:17.

I have sometimes thought, how is it possible that a believer in Christ can ever willingly and deliberately commit any one sin? It is hardly to be conceived, that such can live and walk under the power of sin. I am sure all sin is as contrary to the nature of a new-born soul, as heaven to hell: yet nothing is more plain, from the word of God, and the experience of his saints, than that sin dwells in them. But they are solemnly forbidden to “let sin reign in them, that they should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Romans 6:12.) And if our souls are not striving against sin, and pressing after holiness, I know not where to find one text, in the word of God, to encourage us to believe and hope, that we are the children of God. I dread not the Satanic grin of licentious Antinomians. Does their infectious breath pronounce this legal? It only proclaims their unregenerate enmity against God’s truth, his grace, and his glory.

Ye believers in, and lovers of the Lord Jesus! here is a short, but most blessed and comprehensive rule, for your walk and conduct. Does Satan tempt, the world allure, and the flesh lust? Gratify them, if ye can; only see that you do it according to this apostolic rule: yea, get drunk, game, go to plays, routs, take your full swing in carnal pleasures and sensual delights, and mix with the wicked and profane-only see that you do all this as here commanded, “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Does your heart recoil? It must, if the name of the Lord Jesus is music to your ears, and the joy of your soul: you can no more take delight in these things, than in the music of hell. O the matchless charms of that precious name! Lord, never, never suffer them to wear off our hearts. Thy name charms away the power of sin, the love of the world, and the pleasures of sense: it charms our souls into the presence of God, fellowship with God, and into the joys of heaven. Right welcome are we to God, fully reconciled to him, and perfectly accepted with him, in the name of the Lord Jesus. O, my dear, dear Saviour! it is in thy precious name my heart would now indite. O for the pen of a ready writer, to display the glories of thy precious name, my King and my Lord! May the readers of these meditations, find the odour of thy name in them, “As ointment poured forth, that they may love thee.” (Song of Solomon 1:3.) To us, sinners, “the name of Jesus is above every name.” Philippians 2:9.

Thy words & deeds, thou matchless Lamb,

Proclaim thy love to me:

O! may I live and love thy name,

And ever honour thee.

This wicked world, with all its charms,

Put underneath my feet:

Keep me encircled in thine arms,

Where all my comforts meet.