Daily Devotionals

The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions

Devotional: August 7th

August 7—Morning—Proverbs 18:24

"A friend that sticketh closer than a brother."—Proverbs 18:24.

And who is this, my soul; indeed, who can it be, but Jesus? None among the fallen race of Adam could ever redeem his brother; or, if he could, would have done it, at the expense of his own soul. But Jesus did all this, and more, when our cause was desperate, and gave himself a ransom for his redeemed. Oh for grace to mark the features of his love. It began in eternity, it runs through all time, and continues everlasting. As Jesus is himself, so is he in his love; the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. And how hath he shewn it? First, by engaging as our Surety; then paying all our debts; fulfilling the whole law; purchasing our persons; undertaking for our duty; nay, even to the conquering the stubbornness of our nature, and making us willing to be saved in the day of his power! And what is it now? Having accomplished redemption for us by his blood, he is gone to take possession of a kingdom in our name. There he still manifests "the friend that sticketh closer than a brother;" for he takes up all our causes, pleads our suits, and makes every case his own. And by and by he will come to take us to himself, that where he is, there we may be also. In the mean time he supplies all our wants, and this with a freeness, fulness, suitableness, and all-sufficiency, that knows no bounds, to manifest the unalterable friendship which he bears us. He visits us continually, sympathises with us in all our afflictions, and increases with his tender love the enjoyment of all our comforts; and all this, and a thousand other nameless, numberless tokens, Jesus is continually shewing, as proves that his whole heart and soul is our’s. So that he is a faithful, loving, constant, powerful, kind, everlasting, unchanging Friend, that sticketh closer than a brother. My soul, what wilt thou say to such a Friend? How wilt thou love him? Oh precious Lord, when! think of thy love and my ingratitude—but Lord, it is thine to love, thine to pity, thine to pardon. Lord, give me grace to appropriate thee to myself; and while thou art still saying to me, and to thy church," I have called you friends,"—may I say, "This is my Friend, and this is my Beloved, O daughters of Jerusalem!"

August 7—Evening—Hebrews 2:9

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour."—Hebrews 2:9.

Mark, my soul, the very sweet and peculiar manner in which God the Holy Ghost here speaks of Jesus. He was" made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death." Yes! a body, such as ours, was given him, for the express purpose of suffering. Our nature, by reason of sin, required a sacrifice for sin. It behoved him, therefore, to be in all things like unto his brethren. But when he had made his soul an offering for sin, he for ever sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. To none of the angels was it ever said, "Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Now ponder these blessed things, and then say, whether thou hast so seen Jesus? If so, thou hast seen thy nature, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, not only exalted above all principality and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; but thou hast seen him "crowned with glory and honour," as the head of his body the church. I charge it upon thee, my soul, that in all thy views of the Lord Jesus, as a risen and exalted Saviour, thou for ever connect with it, and never lose sight of it, that it is Jesus, as Jesus in his human nature, that is so exalted, so honoured, and glorified. It would be no honour, but rather a degradation of the Son of God, as God, to say such things of him, as being made, or receiving a throne, or having glory given to him. All power, sovereignty, and might, were his before. But when we behold Jesus as "made a little lower than the angels," and becoming Mediator, he stands forth the servant of Jehovah, redeeming his church and people; and, as such, "for the suffering of death," is" crowned with glory and honour." And Oh! how blessed the view! For if he was thus crowned in our nature, then surely he will have respect to our nature in all the wants of his people. If he be exalted in our nature, surely he is exalted in that nature" as a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins." And if it be the same Lord Jesus, whose head is now crowned with glory, that was once crowned with thorns: Oh! with what humble confidence may a poor sinner, such as I am, look up, and tell him of the glories of his cross, now shining with tenfold lustre in the glories of his crown! Shall I not hope, dear Lord! by the sweet influences of thy blessed Spirit, to make every day a coronation day, when by faith I crown thee my true and lawful Sovereign, desiring to bring every thought and affection of my poor heart into obedience to thee, to bow the knee of my heart before thee, and with holy joy" confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father?" Amen.