Daily Devotionals

The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions

Devotional: November 10th

November 10—Morning—Hebrews 7:26

"For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens."—Hebrews 7:26.

What a sweet thought! surely, as a poor sinner, I need an High Priest to act for me. I cannot, I dare not, approach in myself, and with my poor polluted offerings, without one. But he that intercedes for me must be himself holy, free from sin; his sacrifice holy, his obedience holy, and in all points suited to his office and my necessities. Cherish, then, the thought, my soul—He that is thine High Priest is all this, and infinitely more. So holy in himself, that not the shadow of sin was in him. So harmless, that in his mouth was found no guile. So undefiled, that though he took all the sins of his people upon him, yet in himself he was free from all sin. So separate from sinners, that though he took the nature of man, yet wholly underived from man. And so much higher than the heavens, that his own personal holiness infinitely transcended the holiness of angels; for, while they are said to be charged with folly, Jesus is the Holy One in whom the Father declared himself well pleased. Meditate, my soul, on these precious features in thy Jesus, at all times, and upon all occasions; and more especially when thou drawest nigh the throne of grace, in and through this glorious Mediator. And moreover, for thy further comfort. and encouragement to come boldly to the mercy-seat, forget not to recollect the still further blessed thought, that this holiness of Jesus is the righteousness of all his people; for be was made sin, when he knew no sin, that they might be made the righteousness of God in him. And as if this was not enough, Christ glorified not himself to be made thy High Priest, but was called to it, as was Aaron. Go then, my soul, go to the precious, the holy, the harmless, the undefiled High Priest, Christ Jesus, in whom, and in whose righteousness and atoning blood thou mayest always have boldness to draw nigh, to find grace and mercy to help in all time of need.

November 10—Evening—Mark 9:25

"Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee come out of him, and enter no more into him."—Mark 9:25.

Oh! that the Lord Jesus, in a spiritual healing, would frame my powers anew in himself, that neither dumbness nor deafness might ever more stop my voice of praise for the cure of my soul, as the Lord healed the poor man’s son in his body! One should suppose that after the song of salvation had been once chanted in the renewed heart, that heart would never more be out of tune, nor feel a dumbness or deafness in the Lord’s praise. But, alas! so much of unbelief lies lurking within, and so much of exercises come from without, that the harp is often hanging on the willow, and we seldom sing to the Lord’s praise, or proclaim abroad his glory. Whereas the promise of Jehovah, in allusion to gospel-days, was, that his Israel should, even from the valley of Achor, find a door of hope; and the Lord added, that he would cause his church to sing there, "as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt," Hosea 2:15. Surely God is glorified when, from the depth of exercises, songs of redemption still go on, and even in the fire the believer sings his morning and evening hymn to the praise of Jesus. Say, my soul, hath Jesus cured thee of this dumb and deaf spirit? Art thou daily shewing forth his praises, who hath called thee out of darkness into his marvellous light? Dost thou delight thyself in the Lord, and delight to sing in the ways of the Lord; that "great is the glory of the Lord?" See to it, that this be among the evidences of a spiritual healing; for the Lord promised, in allusion to Israel’s recovery, that the ears of the deaf should be unstopped, and the tongue of the dumb should sing. Hence all the way through the pilgrimage state, the song of salvation should be heard from the mouth of Zion’s travellers, until they arrive in glory, where "songs of everlasting joy shall be upon their heads, and sorrow and sighing be done away for ever."