the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ.- 1 Corinthians 1:9.
While we entertain a notion of a God out of Christ, it affords no comfort to the mind to hear of God’s faithfulness. Nay, if we were not blind to our state, as sinners, the thought would fill us with dread and horror. For how awful, how terrifying is this declaration from a faithful God: "I will by no means clear the guilty."- Exodus 34:7. But "we know that the Lord our God, he is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations."- Deuteronomy 7:9. O this is the life of poor sinners’ souls! this is the joy of their hearts! For whenever one reads of the COVENANT, it reminds of Jesus the surety, the mediator, of God in Christ, the God of love, our reconciled God and Father. We have no immediate access to the Father but by his Son Jesus Christ. When called into fellowship, intercourse, familiarity, and sweet converse with Jesus by faith, then we have free access to the Father’s throne of grace, and his heart of love. We glory in his great and precious promises, and triumph in his declarations of faithfulness and truth.
The faithfulness of God is the foundation of all present grace; the security of future glory. Many weak disciples are perplexed with dark and disturbing thoughts in this matter. Their hearts are not carried up to rest in the love of the Father, where all is serene and quiet; but they rest below, in the regions of doubts and fears, storms and clouds. Their souls may be exercised, and often distressed; but they are safe, because called to the knowledge of faith in and fellowship with their elder brother, Jesus. This is by the love of the Father through the power of the Spirit. And God is faithful to his covenant, to his Son, to his people, to his own word to them, and his work in them. "For whom he calls, them he glorifies." Faithful to support them under all present dejections of mind and sinking of spirits: faithful to preserve them in all times of danger, and to give them living comforts in a dying hour.
Now, O believer, thou art called to honor the faithfulness of thy God, by trusting in his word of truth; glorying in his promises of grace at all times. Yea, at thy worst of times and frames, even when sense, reason, feelings, and appearances are all against thee, then the Lord is for thee. "The Lord is faithful, who SHALL stablish you, and keep you from all evil."- 2 Thessalonians 3:3. Faithful "to confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus."- 1 Corinthians 1:8.
Our God, how firm his promise stands,
E’en when he hides his face!
His trust’s in our Redeemer’s hands,
His glory and his grace.
Then why my soul these sad complaints,
Since Christ and we are one!
Thy God is faithful to his saints,
Is faithful to his Son.
My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Psalms 104:34.
Sweet meditation of the Lord causes gladness in the Lord, inspires us with the love of the Lord, and inclines us to ascribe the glory of all we enjoy to the Lord. It is said of Constantine the Great, that, after God had honoured him with many victories, as the effigies of other emperors were set up in a triumphant manner, with their victories engraven upon their loins, he desired that his might be set in a posture of prayer, kneeling, that he might manifest to the world, that he attributed all his victories more to his prayers than his sword.
This was the result of sweet meditation. What great gain do souls reap by spiritual meditation! Strangers to this delightful exercise, know not what others gain, nor their own loss. A day spent without some meditation of the sinner’s Redeemer and Saviour, is a day lost. For Jesus gets no glory from our hearts. We get no comfort from his love. Paul the aged exhorts his son Timothy, “Meditate on these things.” (1 Timothy 4:15.) What things? the Scriptures, which testify of Christ, and the peace and salvation which are brought unto poor sinners by him. O, how sweet is this! Saints, in all ages, have one and the same delightful object to meditate upon. The soul, under the sweet exercise of grace, knows no end of it; nor how to leave off meditating on HIM, who hath loved us, sinners, with an everlasting love, and saved us with an everlasting salvation. His person is wonderful,-God and man in one Christ. The love of Christ passeth knowledge. The offices of Christ, as King, Priest, Prophet, Mediator, Surety, Redeemer, Saviour, how glorious in their nature! how interesting to us sinners! The blood of Christ, how precious! his righteousness, how perfect! his death, how affecting! his resurrection, how joyful! the salvation of Christ, how comforting! his intercession, how prevailing! his grace in the heart, how sin-subduing and soul-purifying! his almighty power, in keeping us through faith unto eternal salvation, how animating! and the perfect sight and full enjoyment of Jesus in glory, how transporting! Contemplations on these blessed subjects, will cause us to cry out with David, “My mediation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.” Now, do you complain for want of gladness in the Lord? It is because your heart is carried away after other things. You meditate too much on them, and too little on your God, who saith, “I will not forget thee.” Isaiah 49:15.
My soul is never well, but when
I on my best Beloved dwell:
He’s fairer than the sons of men-
His love and grace unsearchable.
Tho’ in myself I’m nought but sin,
Yet in my Lord I will be glad:
His blood doth cleanse and keep me clean,
And in his righteousness I’m clad.
