Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: May 21st

But he giveth more grace.- James 4:6.

It is a sure mark that the true grace of God, by Jesus Christ, is conceived in the heart, when the cry of the soul is for more grace. Thus there is a harmony between the Father’s promises and the children’s wants. God giveth more grace: I daily need more, saith the sensible soul. "He that drinketh of the water of life, saith Jesus, shall never thirst again:" he shall never thirst after any other fountain; he shall seek to no other spring but ME. There is no grace, favor or good will from God to sinners, but what is by Jesus, through him, in him, and communicated from him. Here is the believer’s mercy; he has not a stock of grace stored up in his own heart to live upon, which may be expended, and he is at last lost for want of more. No. But all the kindness and love of God towards him is treasured up in Jesus. Here is the humility of believers; they come, like Joseph’s brethren, to Jesus, who is their elder brother, for every supply; out of his fulness they receive grace upon grace. Jesus is an inexhaustible storehouse, therefore his members cannot want. God the Father gave them grace at first in Christ Jesus; he called them by his sovereign grace; he justified them fully by grace; he saves them daily by grace; he sanctifies them freely by grace; he comforts them continually by his grace; and he will glorify them according to the exceeding riches of his grace. Thus all is of grace, freely given to, and richly bestowed upon poor, vile, undeserving sinners.

I know there are these reasonings in every humbled sinner’s heart, ’What suitable return do I make? or what reward shall I give unto the Lord for all his blessings of grace? O what a poor, unloving, ungrateful wretch am I! how do I requite the Lord my God!’ Such is the genuine language of gracious heart. The aboundings of grace make sinners humble, self hateful, and sin abominable: "Not rather as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say, Let us do evil that good may come, whose damnation is just."- Romans 3:8. If God giveth "more grace," then not one of his children that ever had a single spark of the grace of Jesus, shall ever go to hell for want of grace. It is equally as impossible, that a gracious soul should fall from God’s love and grace, turn hater of him; and so be a prey to the devil, as it was for Lazarus to quit Abraham’s bosom, for the flames of hell. The holy fire of grace being once kindled in the soul, never goes out. The fire of the altar was an emblem of this. It is as true in this respect of gracious souls, as it is of the wicked in another, "their fire never goes out." Why not? because "grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life."- Romans 5:21.

I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:3.

Our Lord spake these words to his disciples, who had faith in him, and yet had troubled hearts. Is this your case? They are suited to all such. They are to strengthen the faith and comfort the hearts of disciples. O this coming again of Christ will be the crowning work of all! To whom? awful to think of! The greatest part of the world believe nothing of Christ’s first coming, and care nothing about his second coming. It will be a dreadful coming to them. “I will come again.” A second coming implies a first. If Christ has come in the power of his Spirit to our hearts, so that we have seen his glory, and believed on him, we shall look with pleasure, and long with joy, for his coming again. This is a sure mark, that we shall “receive a crown of righteousness, if we love the appearing of Christ.” (2 Timothy 4:8.) Now, to your hearts by faith: hereafter, by sight. “I will receive you unto myself.” Glory to thee, my dear Lord: O! make my heart to love and thank thee more and more, that, vile, filthy, polluted, and abominable as I am, thou hast received me, washed me in thy blood, justified me in thy righteousness, caused me to see thee, and hast given me the privilege of becoming a son of God. O what a day of joy and glory will that be, when our dear Lord shall receive us unto himself! That is a sweet word, full of precious mystery, “That Christ might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.” “For he hath sanctified and cleansed us in his own blood.” (Ephesians 5:27.) O what love has Christ to us! what pains does he take with us! with what joy will he receive us! Never, never did the most affectionate bridegroom receive his bride, or the most tender parent his beloved child from the jaws of death, with such joy as Christ will receive and welcome us. “That, where am, there ye may be also.” O my soul! what words are these? Enough to make my drooping spirit exult with joy, under all its burdens, sorrows, and difficulties. Is a sense of Christ’s absence, thy present pain? Is the sense of his presence now, thy greatest joy? Then soon, very soon, thou shalt be for ever with thy Lord. For, so sure as Jesus spake these words on earth, ALL his believing members shall be with him in glory. O then, welcome pains, sickness, temptations, losses, crosses, afflictions of every kind, yea, death itself, whenever, and by whatever way it comes! for ye are all, but as so many love tokens from my Lord, crying,

Arise, my fair one, come away-

No mortal joys are worth thy stay.