Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: March 13th

Ye greatly rejoice. - 1 Peter 1:6.

CHRISTIANS, then, are no strangers to joy; at least they ought not to be.

“Who can have greater cause to sing-

Who greater cause to bless-

Than children of the heavenly King,

Who Jesus Christ possess?”

Yea, they are commanded to “rejoice in him,” and to “rejoice in him always,” “for he is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” “The world knoweth us not,” says John. They consider the lives of Christians to be “madness,” as well as “their end to be without honour;” and they commonly consider this madness as not of the most lively and cheerful kind either, but as made up of mopishness and melancholy in which we must bid adieu to every thing like happiness. And woe to those professors of religion who confirm their prejudices by wearing long faces, by groaning and sighing as if they were always at funerals; by their disconsolation in all their troubles, and their murmurings and repinings, and their sinking under their cares, for by these things “the way of truth is evil spoken of,” as well as by their falls and miscarriages. Christians should be careful not only to be, but to appear, not only the heirs of this joy, but the subjects of it too, evermore confirming the divine testimony:-“Blessed are the people who are in such a case, yea, blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.”

If they are workers, they should be concerned to sing at their work in order to tell others that they do not find their employer a hard master, nor the work drudgery. Or, if they are travellers, they should go on their way singing,- “singing in the ways of the Lord,” as David has it,-to recommend them, and to say virtually to all around them, “Come with us and we will do you good, for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.”

Now we add another thing here. It may be conceded that religion does require us to give up the pleasures of sin (if they deserve the name of pleasures) and also the dissipations of the world; but then it substitutes other pleasures in their room infinitely superior to them. It only requires us to exchange the dunghill for the throne; the filthy puddle for the spring of living waters; the leeks, and garlic, and onions of Egypt, for the grapes of Canaan, and the produce of the land flowing with milk and honey. Oh! Christians may look the world in the face and say,-

“The men of grace have found

Glory begun below;

Celestial fruits on earthly ground

From faith and hope may grow,”

and do grow.

“The hill of Zion yields

A thousand sacred sweets

Before we reach the heavenly fields

Or walk the golden streets.”

Wilt thou be made whole? - John 5:6

TWO things are implied in the question. First, That the disease is curable; for our dear Saviour would not raise our attention to trifle with us, much less to deceive us. The case is indeed desperate with regard to our own ability, and with regard to the sufficiency of all creatures.

“The help of man and angels join’d

Could never reach our ease;

Nor could we hope relief to find

But in his boundless grace.”

But there is hope in Israel concerning this thing, and nowhere else. But while all others address the sinner in vain, and in withdrawing say, “Help is not in me,” He, blessed be his name, comes forward bringing health and cure, and saying, “I will come and heal him.” O, how many millions have experienced the efficacy of his cross and grace, who are now before the throne; and how many thousands are there now living on earth who are witnesses for him! For though not free from infirmity, though they complain of inward corruption, yet are they new creatures; yet old things have passed away, and all things have become new; yet they are walking by faith, having their conversation in heaven, looking for that blessed hope.

Secondly, It is here implied that willingness to be cured is essential to recovery. This cure is not forced upon any, neither is it accomplished by an operation of which we are insensible, or by a charm. The method of cure is one which requires thought, conviction, recollection, inclination, choice. There is no deviation from this, even in the work of the Spirit himself.

The way he heals is by opening the eyes of the understanding, and showing us what is the hope of our calling, and what is the glory of the riches of his inheritance. He “works in us” “to will and to do.” He draws, and we run after him. His way is, by a divine influence to make us sensible of our need of the blessing, to lead us to prize it, to long for it, to seek for it, and then the attainment will render both blessed and grateful.

Thus Mary, we are told, chose the good path which should not be taken from her. “He that feareth the Lord, him shall he teach in the way.” What way? The way he shall choose. “Wilt thou be made whole?”