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Daily Devotionals
Music For the Soul
Devotional: August 31st

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GOD’S METHOD OF GIVING

He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things? - Romans 8:32

Abraham’s gift of his son to God was but a feeble shadow of God’s gift of His Son to men. And if the surrender on the part of the human friend was the infallible token of his love, surely the surrender on the part of the heavenly Friend is no less the infallible sign of His love to all the world. If we are God’s friends and lovers we shall give Him, in glad surrender, our whole selves. And if you feel that you have separate interests from Him; if you keep things and do not let Him say, "These are Mine "; if you grudge sacrifice, and will not hear of self-surrender, and are living lives centred in, ruled by, devoted to, self, you have little reason to call yourself a Christian. " Ye are My friends if ye," not only "do whatsoever I command you," but "if you give yourself to Me." Yield yourself to God, and in the giving of yourself to Him you will get back yourself glorified and blessed by the gift. There is no friendship where self shuts out the friend from participation in what is the other’s. As long as "mine" lives on this side of a high wall, and " thine " on the other, there is but little friendship. Down with the wall, and say about everything, "Ours"; and then you have a right to say, " I am the friend of God."

"I am thy shield; fear not, Abraham," said God, when His friend was in danger from the vengeance of the Eastern kings whom he had defeated. And all through life the same strong arm was cast around him. And Abraham had to stand up for God amidst this heathen people. If we are God’s friends and lovers He will take up our cause. Be sure that if God be for us it matters not who is against us. What would you think of a man who, in going away to a far-off country, said to some friend, " I wish you would look after so-and-so for me as long as I am gone "; and the friend would say, " Yes!" and never give a thought nor lift a finger to discharge the obligation? God trusts His reputation to you. He has interests in this world that you have to look after. You have to defend Him as really as He has to defend you. And it is the dreadful contradiction of religious people’s profession of religion that they often care so little, and do so little, to promote the cause, to defend the name, to adorn the reputation, and to further what I may venture to call the interests of their heavenly Friend in the world.

Can you venture to say that you are a friend of God? It you cannot, what are you? Our relations to men admit of our dividing them into three - friends, enemies, nothings. We may love, we may hate, we may be absolutely indifferent and ignorant. I am afraid the three states cannot be transferred exactly to our relations to God. If not His friend, what are you? Have you only a far-off bowing acquaintance with Him? Well, then, that is because you have neglected, if you have not spurned, His offered friendship. And oh! how much you have lost! No human heart is a millionth part so sweet, and so capable of satisfying you, as God’s. All friendship here has its limits, its changes, its end; God’s is boundless, immutable, eternal.

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