Daily Devotionals

The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions

Devotional: October 4th

October 4—Morning—Genesis 28:15

"Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."—Genesis 28:15.

Here is a promise to Jacob, and not to Jacob only, personally considered, but to Jacob’s seed. For the apostle Paul was commissioned by the Holy Ghost to tell the church of Jesus, that we, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. Hence this, like all other promises in Christ Jesus, is yea and amen. Pause, then, my soul, and ask thyself what hath the Lord spoken to thee of? Hath he met with thee in Bethel, as he found Jacob? And hath he there spoken unto thee? How wilt thou know? Very plainly. Jesus hath met with thee, hath indeed spoken unto thee, if so be thou hast seen thine own unworthiness and sinfulness by nature and by practice; and if thou hast seen the King in his beauty, even Jesus in his own glory, suitableness, and all-sufficiency, as a Saviour; and inclined thine heart by his grace to believe in him, to depend upon him, and to live to him and his glory. What sayest thou, my soul, to these things? Is this promise made to Jacob and his seed thine? If so, live upon Jesus, and plead the fulfilment of it daily, hourly. Say to him, my soul, Lord, what hast thou spoken to me of, but mercy, pardon, peace, and grace, with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus? And what have I to depend upon, or what indeed can I need more, but thy promise and the great Promiser? Yes, Lord Jesus, I do depend, I do believe. Surely thou wilt never leave whom thou hast once loved; and therefore thou wilt not leave me, until thou hast done that which thou hast spoken of in grace here, and wilt complete in glory hereafter.

October 4—Evening—Psalms 78:25

"Man did eat angels’ food."—Psalms 78:25.

Yes, so he did, when the Lord rained down manna upon the people in the wilderness. But, my soul, what hast thou eaten, now thou hast. been at the table of thy Lord? What did Jesus there entertain thee with? "Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth!" Thou hast feasted upon the body and blood of Christ! and this is food which angels never ate, neither was such a feast ever prepared for them. Pause over this blessed subject, for it is enough to call up the wonder, praise, and love of all thine intellectual faculties for ever! When man fell, the earth was made to bring forth thorns and thistles; this was all the inheritance then left us; man was to eat bread in the sweat of the brow. But Jesus interposeth, and removes the curse, in being made a "curse for us." The curse being removed by him and his cross, the earth is made to bring forth its blessings, and "wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil td make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart." But after this, who should have thought, yea, what imagination could have conceived an idea so wonderful and surpassingly rich in mercy, that Jesus should become the. bread of life, and the water of life, to his people; and feed them, as an heavenly pelican, with his own blood! Think, my soul, of thy privileges; thou art unworthy, of the most common blessings of thine own table, which thy Lord hath provided; and yet Jesus feasts thee with the choicest of blessings of his. Thou hast merited nothing but "the cup of trembling;" but Jesus giveth thee the "cup of salvation." Thou art unworthy to gather up .the crumbs that fall from thy Lord’s table; but Jesus seats thee at his table with himself, and bids thee eat and drink, "yea, drink abundantly, O beloved." Lord, I fall down under the deepest self-abasement at the recollection of thy grace and my undeservings. Oh thou precious, precious Jesus! this is not angels’ food indeed, but above angels’ food; yea, divine food; thy body and blood! "Lord! evermore give me this bread!"