Daily Devotionals

The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions

Devotional: May 1st

May 1—Morning—Matthew 1:21

"Thou shalt call his name Jesus."—Matthew 1:21.

This is one more of the Redeemer’s names, which is as ointment poured forth. As if the Holy Ghost had been graciously consulting the everlasting comfort and happiness of his people, and therefore commanded the church to know their Lord, by so many different and endearing appellations. As if he bad said, are you kept back from approaching him through fear? Oh no;—go to him, for he is Emanuel. So great, as God, that he is able to save; so tender and near, as man, that he is more ready to bestow mercy than you are to ask it. Are you kept back for want of righteousness? Be not so, for he is the Lord our righteousness, and what you need he hath for you. Or, are you depressed by reason of sin? Let not this discourage you, for his name is purposely Jesus, because he, and he alone," shall save his people from their sins. "My soul, what knowest thou practically and personally of this most blessed name of thy Saviour? It is one thing to have heard of him as Jesus, and another to know him to be Jesus, There are multitudes who rest satisfied with the name. The Jews knew him, saw him, conversed with him; but they knew him not as a Saviour. Nay more than this, many have had, and still have, an historical knowledge and belief that Jesus is a Saviour, but yet no apprehension or concern for an interest in him. Thus Balaam, whose eyes were so far opened, but his heart never affected, as to have visions concerning Christ. But what an awful account did this impious creature give of himself! "I shall see him, (said he) but not now; I shall behold, him, but not nigh."—Numbers 24:17. What an awful state! O my soul, bless thy God, thy Jesus, that thy knowledge is not of the head only, but of the heart. Thou hast not simply heard of Jesus, but received him as Jesus, to the salvation of thy soul. Thou hast seen God in Christ; the Father’s name, the Father’s authority in him. Thou hast come to him in that name, and by that authority, as a poor sinner, and found Jesus precious. And is not Jesus precious to thee? Is not the very name of Jesus most precious? As one of old expressed it, so hast thou found it, that in this one name of thy Lord, the whole of the gospel is folded up; it is the light, the food, the medicine, the very jubilee of the soul. Yes, thou blessed, holy, gracious Lord! Yes, thy name is indeed Jesus, for thou art, thou wilt be Jesus. "And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou shalt save thy people from their sins."

May 1—Evening—Deuteronomy 28:58

"That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD."—Deuteronomy 28:58.

My soul! thy morning meditation, in the opening of a new month, was directed to that soul-reviving subject, the contemplation of the name of Jesus. Oh! what rich stores of unknown, unexplored treasures of mercies are folded in that one name of thy Lord! It will serve to heighten thy study yet more, and tend to endear Jesus as increasingly precious, by pondering over what the man of God taught Israel in the solemn words here proposed to thine evenig meditation. Every thing in Jehovah is solemn. His sweetest mercies come to us with great sacredness. It is impossible to receive them but with the lowliest reverence, even when the soul is made blessed in divine favours. We rejoice indeed, but we rejoice with trembling. And the greater the mercies are, the more will the conscious sense of our undeservings humble the soul to the dust before God. The Israelites were taught by this scripture, that the great design of Jehovah, in all his dispensations, was to induce a suitable and becoming reverence for this glorious and fearful name of THE LORD THEIR GOD. And his sacred name is here put in large letters, by way of intimating its immense dignity and importance. His name is glorious, because it sets forth how that glory of Jehovah is manifested in his covenant engagements by CHRIST; and his name is no less fearful, because it is by virtue of those covenant engagements that the Lord is pledged to bring all the foes of Christ and his redemption under his footstool. There seems to be a reference to the oath of Jehovah, when Christ was introduced into his high priestly office, that the Lord, at Messiah’s right hand," would strike through kings in the day of his wrath;" Psalms 110:4-5. And it should seem no less evident, that this very name, glorious and fearful as it is, was thus expressly proclaimed to intimate, that, by virtue of this oath, Jehovah is engaged as much, on the one part, to fulfil the threatenings, as, on the other, to make good the promises; both of which were rendered firm and irrevocable by the solemnity of an oath. My soul! ponder over these most sacred things with a reverence suited to them. And in these awful days, in which the church of Jesus is now surrounded with the dreadful delusion of heresy, in those who deny the Lord that bought them, see to it, that thou art strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. Oh! the blessedness of "knowing whom thou hast believed, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD." Thy Lord, thy God in covenant; in his relation to thee in Christ, thy perfect redemption by Christ, and thy acceptance from Christ, in his finished salvation. Oh! did the sinner of every description and character, but for a moment consider what he is doing, who is looking to this glorious and fearful name of the Lord God, without knowing him as his God, that is, God in Christ, the Mediator, and being accepted in him; what dreadful trembling and apprehension of soul would it induce! Bless thy God, thy Jesus, my soul, who hath thus made a sweet revelation of himself to thee, and not only taught thee, but inclined thee by the teachings and influences of his Holy Spirit, to fear "this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God!"