Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: July 1st

Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by tioo immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation. - Hebrews 6:17-18.

AS the object of the Christian’s hope is important and immense, it is obvious it ought to be well founded. A large and lofty structure requires a sure and safe foundation. If a man were erecting an edifice like St. Paul’s, he would be much more concerned to look after the safety of the foundation than if he were only going to build a mud hovel. If a man were going to purchase a house in which his wife and children were to reside, and which was to contain all his treasure, and knew it was exposed to floods and winds, he would inquire whether it was founded upon a rock, or upon the sand. Now, let us observe what a foundation is laid for the salvation of the immortal soul. If this were to give way, the crash would be heard beyond the stars. Let us therefore look at the soundness of the believer’s hope: it is a rock; it is “the Rock of Ages;” it is firmer than the course of nature, surer than the earth or the heaven. “Heaven and earth,” says the Saviour, “shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.”

The hope of the believer is founded on the word of God. We may trust in the word of a man and be ruined, but “the word of the Lord endureth forever.” We know that human promises often fail; but even Balaam said, “The Lord is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent.” “All the promises of God in Christ Jesus are yea; and in him amen, to the glory of God by us.” Oh, how delightful would it be to find, as we go along through the Bible, how, though God has often raised the confidence of his people, yet that he has never suffered them to be deceived; and to hear the language of the church, “As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of our God;” to hear Joshua say, “You know in all your hearts that not one good thing hath failed us of all that the Lord hath spoken;” to hear Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, say, “What thou spakest with thy mouth thou hast fulfilled with thy hand as it is this day.” Again, not only have we, as the foundation of our hope, his word, but also his oath:-“For God, willing to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsels, hath confirmed it by an oath.” “As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth.” “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” “For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters shall no more cover the earth, so have I sworn that I will no more be wroth with thee, nor forsake thee.”

A bad man may swear as well as lie; and not long ago Judge Barrow said, “False swearing in this court is as common as the sand on the beach.” But sure it is not possible for us to impute lying and perjury to a God of truth and righteousness, and whom we so frequently call the true God, and “whose faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.” Then we may observe that that oath is accompanied with a sacrifice,-the sacrifice of his own Son. God remembers the blood of the everlasting covenant in his dealings with his people, and he says, “By the blood of the covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.” A man may promise, a man may give pledges, sincerely designing at the time to make good his engagements; but his means and his resources may fail.

But is the Lord’s hand shortened? Is any thing too hard for the Lord? If he does not find means, cannot he furnish them? Does he find any difficulty? Is what is marvellous to us marvellous to him? Has he not taught us to sing, “Now, unto him that is able to do for us exceeding abundant above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”?

But he would put strength in me. - Job 23:6.

WE are altogether nothing without him, and “without him we can do nothing.” He will therefore put strength in us for the performance of duty, and our work is enough to discourage us, for it looks fitter for an angel than for a feeble man, unless we look to him whose strength can be made perfect in our weakness. He will put strength in us to enable us to suffer, and we shall never in “patience possess our souls,” we shall never endure so as to “glorify God in the fires,” so as to do honour to our religion, and recommend the gospel to all around us by its influence, but as he stands by us. As was the case with Paul, he mentions a sad story to Timothy. When he had appealed to Cæsar, and had to appear before that arch-tyrant Nero, he says, “At my first answer no man stood with me. I pray God it may not be laid to their charge. But neverertheless,” says he, “the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me.”

Whoever withdraws from us, therefore, he will be with us; and a very present help, an all-sufficient help, in the time of trouble. Paul therefore says, “There has no temptation befallen you but such as is common to men; but God is righteous, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, and will with every temptation make away also for you to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” without removing our affliction God can afford us an increasing supply of his Holy Spirit to render us adequate to our duty. He will “put strength in us” to make us equal to our enemies. Numerous and mighty and subtle as they are, yet “greater is he that is with us, than all they that are in the world;” “If God be with us who can be against us.”

He will put strength in us to enable us to pursue our Christian course, or we should immediately drawback, unto perdition. But “the righteous,” says he, “shall hold on their way, and wax stronger and stronger.” We need not be afraid, therefore, when we feel our weakness, for when we are weak then are we strong; and we shall be able to say, “In the Lord have I righteousness and strength.” We have both in him; yea, we have everything in him. Unless Christ be all in all to us, he will be nothing at all to us.

As our justification depends upon the Saviour’s righteousness, so our sanctification depends upon the Saviour’s support. And as we will not dare when we appear before God to make mention of our righteousness, so neither will we go forth in our own strength now, but will say with the Psalmist, “I will go in the strength of the Lord God. I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.”