Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: February 7th

If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. - John 8:51.

CHRISTIANS are mortal like other men. Will they not therefore die? “No,” says the Saviour, “they will not die.” Death comes to them so changed, so glorious, so beatific, that we will not use the name. They “shall not see death.” What then? They shall go home; they shall be gathered to their own people; they shall depart to be with Christ, which is far better; they shall fall asleep in Jesus. “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord.” Oh, surely he is a conqueror of death who will be delivered from the state as well as the sting of death; and this is the case with regard to every Christian.

Mark, therefore, the language of the apostle in reference to them, when he says, “The body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,”-(here Paul attaches two limitations to the death of the believer, it only affects his poor body,)-“the body is dead because of sin”-the soul is not touched-“the spirit is life because of righteousness,” and it immediately joins the spirits of just men made perfect. Then in the next place he says it is only temporary; the part affected will not remain under its grasp; no, the body will be revived, and will live as well as the spirit, and become immortal:-“But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Thus the Christian has a prospect, therefore, not only of being delivered from the sting of death, but also from the very state itself.

When Jacob was going down into Egypt, though it was even to see his son Joseph, and he had said, “It is enough; Joseph, my son, is yet alive, and I will go down and see him before I die,” yet when he came to the verge of Egypt his old withered frame began to tremble, so that God appeared to him and said, “Jacob, fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will make of thee a great nation; I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will surely bring thee up again.” And this is what God says to every believer with regard to the grave:-“Be not afraid to go down into the grave; I will go down with thee, and I will bring thee up again.”

And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lag down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed. - Genesis 28:10-12

THE life of Jacob was a very chequered scene, and one remark may be made on the whole of his history. His greatest trials sprung from his greatest comforts, and his greatest comforts sprung from his greatest trials. He passed through a great number of trials, one of which arose from the resentment of his brother Esau; to preserve him from Esau’s fury Jacob was sent to his uncle Laban, who dwelt in Padan-Aram. This journey must have exercised Jacob very severely. He was now parted from his parents; the journey was long, he had been tenderly brought up; he was alone-no beast to carry him, no guide to direct him, nor companion to soothe his mind by conversation. After a journey of forty miles, his safety prevented his going further that night. What will he do for a lodging? Here is no building near him, no materials to build even a temporary shelter. The clouds serve him for a tent, the darkness for his curtains, and the ground for his bed; “and he took of the stones of the place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.”

How happy in trouble, and how safe in danger, are they who have the all-sufficient Jehovah to watch over them and to preserve them in their going out and in their coming in! Jacob slept, but his heart waked. We have every reason to suppose that what he had most reflected upon in the day continued to occupy and impress his thoughts in the night season. God, therefore, took advantage of this; and though much that is here is supernatural, yet we may be fully assured that if God had more of our waking thoughts he would have more of our sleeping thoughts too. “A dream cometh through the multitude of business.” Jacob dreamed. Dreams are generally frivolous and absurd, yet there are some good, though weak, persons who lay much stress upon them; hence they are depressed or elated according to the character of their dreams. This is unquestionably wrong; for though God has spoken to his people in this way, it is not his ordinary way. “We have a more sure word of prophecy, to which we do well to take heed, as unto a light shining in a dark place.” If from this blessed Book we have reason to conclude that we are the servants of God, we may rely on him to take care of us and to provide for us in whatever circumstances we are placed. But the circumstances of his dream are worthy of our attention, because they have the signature of God upon them.