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Daily Devotionals
Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God
Devotional: December 15th

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Morning Devotional

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.- 1 Corinthians 16:13.

Believers in the Lord Jesus now partake of an everlasting salvation. No enemy can deprive them of the full enjoyment of it in glory; because "they are kept by the mighty power of God." But we are daily to consider, it is "through faith,"- 1 Peter 1:5. Do we believe in the atonement of Jesus’ blood; do we rely on the perfection of his righteousness? Why so? Because the word of the Lord is the warrant for our faith. Hence, O soul, the exhortations from the same word to duty are equally binding on thy belief and practice. The same Lord who has saved us from our enemies, calls us to watch against them. Jesus, who is gone to prepare a place for us in glory, directs us how to demean ourselves in the way to it. Shall the Christian soldier neglect the command of the captain of his salvation, when the glory of God and the peace and comfort of his own soul are equally concerned? Surely not.

Through watchfulness many evils are prevented, many blessings enjoyed. When a Christian is off his guard, or asleep when he should watch, how is he exposed to the attacks and temptations of the enemy! It is for our good that the Lord commands it as our duty. It is through his power that hereby the good soldier of Jesus Christ is enabled to stand fast in the profession, power and comfort of faith. It was Paul’s joy in the views of death, that he had "kept the faith,"- 2 Timothy 4:7. Would we enjoy the same comfort? Strive in the strength of the Lord to follow his example. Check the risings of unbelief. Oppose the workings of carnal reason. Resist stedfastly in the faith the subtle devices of Satan. This is your duty and wisdom. So shall we quit ourselves like men of valour and courage: like victorious saints of old, "who overcame every enemy through the blood of the Lamb." Droop not, O believer, thy strength is the Lord’s omnipotence. Lift up thy head with boldness, thine enemies are vanquished by thy conquering Jesus. Be strong. Look off thyself. Look to the strong for strength. Look unto Jesus continually. Rely only on the power of his might hourly. His arm is not shortened. The reliance of faith engages his power. The cry of faith obtains victory. There is an open and effectual door by which thou shalt enter into glory; but thou must fight thy way through. Consider daily this is our motto, "More than conquerors through JESUS who hath loved us."- Romans 8:37.

Dear Lord, my thankful heart receives

The hope thine invitation gives:

To thee my joyful lips shall raise

The voice of prayer, the voice of praise.

I am my love’s, and he is mine,

Our hearts, our hopes, our passions join;

Nor let a motion, or a word,

Nor thought arise to grieve my Lord.

Evening Devotional

Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of GOD. Mark 4:11.

When the Son of God came from heaven to earth, then was the mystery of eternity revealed and the kingdom of God made manifest to the sons of men. What, to all of them? No: many, when Christ was on earth, and ever since, have neither eyes to see, ears to hear, nor hearts to understand the mystery of the kingdom of God. The God of this world blinds their eyes, stops their ears, and shuts their hearts against spiritual mysteries. And they are honest enough to proclaim it with their tongues, saying, Where mysteries begin, there religion ends. Lord, why am not I left in natural blindness, ignorance, and stupidity of soul! O why me, Lord, and not others! (1st.) The mystery of the kingdom of God is that revealed truth, whereby the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, will get everlasting honour and glory to all the attributes and perfections of the godhead, through the incarnate Jesus: in the salvation of miserable sinners, in setting up the kingdom of God in their hearts, upon the ruin of sin, and by the destruction of Satan. “This is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh.” (1 Timothy 3:16.) This mystery, “angels desire to look into.” (1 Peter 1:12.) O my soul, O my fellow-sinners, we are much more concerned in it than they. Let us pry into it daily, with the greatest earnestness and the deepest attention. (2d.) What is it to know this mystery? It is spiritually, savingly and experimentally to see it-understand the grace and mercy of it-to believe its suitableness to us-our want of it-the hope, peace, and joy, which are brought to our souls by it-so as heartily to approve of God’s bringing an atonement for our sins, righteousness for our justification, and salvation to our souls, by his beloved Son, the MAN Christ Jesus. (3d.) How do we know this? By the revelation of the word, and the inspiration of the Spirit. It is given us to know it. The Spirit opens our eyes to see it, and our hearts to understand and believe it, as revealed in his word. (4th.) Who? Even ALL whom the Lord shall call. In the days of his flesh, Jesus called unto him whom he would, (Mark 3:13.) So in the days of the Spirit’s power, he enlightens whom he will to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. (5th.) We know the sweet “fellowship of this mystery:” (Ephesians 3:9.) Our hearts are in love with the doctrines of grace, and our affections swayed by them, for we understand them, and our judgments approve of them. Thus we have joyful fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ in the truth, through the grace of the Spirit. The more we know of this mystery, the more comfort. Study the love of Christ, that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:19.

“Just like his nature is his grace,

All sovereign and all free:

Great God, how searchless are thy ways!

How deep thy judgments be!”

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