the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
The Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.- Psalms 94:14.
Therefore, drooping soul, cast not off thy confidence in him. A meteor will expire when the earthly matter is spent that maintained the blaze for a time. Profession may carry to a high elevation. Persons may appear as fixed stars in the church of Christ, but time may discover them to be no other than shining meteors, or shooting and falling stars. Yea, angels kept not their first estate. But the Lord’s chosen people is his portion. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church of Christ. "All those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God."- Psalms 92:13. Here is the consolation of Christ, the comfort of love, the fellowship of the Spirit, "He that believeth in Jesus shall be saved;" not for days, months, years, but saved with an everlasting salvation. For all such are the objects of the everlasting love of an unchangeable God. He never casts off nor forsakes them. Even when in the furnace of trials and afflictions, hear the declarations of love concerning them: "They SHALL call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, it is my people." Hear the claim of faith: "Then shall they say, The Lord is MY God."- Zechariah 13:9.
David knew that friends had cast him off: yea, father and mother might forsake him; his frames and feelings had forsaken him, his joys had withered, and his comforts seemed all blasted in an hour. But says he, age and observation have fully confirmed me in this truth, "I never saw the righteous forsaken of his God:" "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down." Why so? Truly, saith he, "The Lord upholdeth him with his hand."- Psalms 37:24. Falls may wound the soul, bruise the spirit, cause sinkings of heart, and dejections of mind. Satan may sadly daub and bespatter the poor child of God, and endeavour to persuade him that he is in such a filthy condition, that his Father doth not know him, will not own him. The Lord help us to fear such a state, and to watch and pray that we may stand! Yet the Lord will not cast away his people whom he did foreknow, nor forsake his chosen inheritance. There is balm in Gilead. Jesus is the skilful physician; he will heal and restore his beloved members; he knows them, he loves them, they are his property. O how should this endear Jesus to our souls! cause us to cleave unto him with full purpose of heart; embitter sin, and cause us to cry continually, "Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not."- Psalms 17:5.
Praise to the goodness of the Lord,
Who rules his people by his word,
And there, as strong as his decrees,
He sets his kindest promises.
Whence then should doubts and fears arise?
Why trickling sorrows drown our eyes?
Slowly, alas, our mind receives
The comforts that our Saviour gives.
Awake to righteousness, and sin not. 1 Corinthians 15:34.
What St. Paul says of natural death, “Some are fallen asleep,” (verse 6,) may be applied, in a spiritual sense, to professors. There are many such in this day. It is a very bad frame to live in and indulge. Such bring no honour to God, credit to the gospel, or profit to their brethren. One would think, such sit all the year under that word, and heartily obey it, “Sleep on, and take your rest.” Can such be said to be running in the heavenly race, fighting the good fight of faith, wrestling with spiritual enemies, and pressing towards the mark, for the prize of their high calling of God in Christ Jesus? No; no more than a man in a midnight sleep, can be said to be active in worldly affairs. But, what is worst of all, such sleepers dream that all is safe, and well with them.
St. Paul, like a faithful watchman, cries out to such, Awake: “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?” What do they answer? “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding the hands to sleep.” (Proverbs 6:9-10.) If you jog them, and strive to arouse them to the exercise of grace, and the discharge of duty, they will answer in a sleepy fit, “We know the doctrines of grace; do not disturb us with your legal notions about sin and righteousness.” Good Lord! keep our souls from such a dreadful frame. Take heed, O Christian, of such. Beware you get no harm from them, so as to catch the infection from them, and lie down to sleep by them. From whence do such sleepy frames proceed? (1st.) Says wisdom, “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep.” (Proverbs 19:15.) Slothfulness in the ways of the Lord will bring on deep sleep of soul. (2d.) Sitting under drowsy, lethargic preachers, who aim more to fill the head with notions of light, than to warm the heart by the fire of love. (3d.) Love of the world, and eager pursuits after the riches, honors, and pleasures of it, are sleeping opiates to the soul. O Christian! consider the unintermitting zeal and activity of the Lord, for thy salvation! Wrestle hard with him, to quicken and keep thy soul alive to righteousness, that thou mayest not sin to dishonor him: but live and walk, love and obey, so as to glorify him. Lord, let us never lose our feeling convictions of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the dreadful effects of it upon our souls. O! let conscience rather smart with pain, than sleep in stupid security.
My God, awake my drowsy soul,
Important truths to see:
Do thou my ev’ry pow’r control,
To walk in love with thee.
The heavy chains of carnal sloth,
Lord, from my mind remove:
Make me to feel thy heav’nly truth,
In all its pow’r and love.
