Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: July 28th

I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts: According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you: Fear ye not.- Haggai 2:4-5.

When the Lord calls his people to great work, or grievous sufferings, he animates them with strong consolations; for as their day is, their strength shall be. This passage shines bright, as it manifests the most comforting views and clearest discoveries of covenant-grace and love to saints of old, engaged in a very arduous work of Jehovah. "Whatever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we might have hope."- Romans 15:4. Our hope is established and strengthened through patience and comfort of the scriptures; and as they encourage our hope, they also forbid our fears; as if salvation was precarious and uncertain, as though the foundation of hope rested upon conditions we fulfil to secure it. Blessed be God faith hath a surer anchor-hold, even the word, the covenant, the oath of Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit. The knowledge of this, under all the discouraging views of nature and sense, lifts the believer above himself, and makes him triumph in the everlasting, unchangeable love and sovereign grace of the glorious trinity. So children of God in every age feed upon one and the same bread of life, Jesus. He is the Logos, the word, with whom the Father covenanted for sinners. According to this, the love of the Father is towards us, even while we are in our natural state, in Egyptian bondage; yea the love of the Lord of hosts is the cause of our deliverance from it, and conversion to his blessed self; so also his Spirit remaineth with us. By his sweet agency and power our blind eyes are enlightened to see the glory and suitableness of Jesus, our deaf ears opened to hear the loving voice of this dear charmer, and an understanding heart is given us to disclaim all other hope, and to know and choose Jesus, believe in and love him as our only precious Saviour. What blessed confidence is this! We are exhorted to "hold it fast." "FEAR YE NOT," saith the Lord, "I am ever with you." Fear and distrust are most unreasonable; pride and selfglorying most abominable; sin and disobedience most hateful; love, humility, and gratitude, most powerfully operate upon such highly-favored hearts. Hence faith in a covenant God, and his loving declarations, ever excite the most generous expressions from the heart. "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me! Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living."- Psalms 116:8-9; Psalms 116:12.

Saul answered, I am sore distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me. 1 Samuel 28:15.

A more awful speech is scarce to be found in the Bible. A more dreadful state a soul cannot be in, on this side of hell. To have potent enemies in battle array: to have the guilt of abominable sins staring one in the face: and to be sensible that the Lord is departed from one, how horrid to think of! O come here, and see the terrible effects of trifling with God, and disobeying his commands! For we read that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul-that God gave him another heart- that he was turned into another man-and that he prophesied. (1 Samuel 10:6.) And yet, such was his dreadful conduct, as to bring upon himself such sore distress. How does he act under it? Does he humble himself, as heretofore before the Lord? No. But he adds this evil to all his abominations. He seeks to the witch of Endor: desires her to raise up Samuel to him. The form of Samuel appears, and tells him of his sudden destruction by the Philistines. Learn hence, (1st.) That as the Lord’s mercies are sure, so also are his judgments. Though he may delay for a season, yet a day of vengeance will surely overtake every impenitent, sinhardened soul. Though it was long before, that Saul disobeyed the Lord’s command, in not totally destroying his enemies, the Amalekites; yet the Lord had neither forgotten it, nor forgiven him. (2d.) See how a sin-hardened soul acts. Not like David, who comes to the Lord with an humble heart, a broken spirit, and a sorrowful cry, “O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.” (Psalms 25:11.) But like Saul, who applied to the devil for relief. (3d.) We do not hear one word from Saul, of the cause of his distress, sin. His eyes were blinded by it, that he saw not the evil of it: his heart was so hardened by its deceitfulness, that he felt no sorrow in his soul on account of it. For the Lord was departed from him. O that we may dread and deprecate this. But let not any sindistressed, broken-hearted sinner, write bitter things against himself, from hence. For, if sin causes sorrow of heart, and mourning of soul, and excites a cry, God be merciful to me- save, Lord Jesus, or I perish: the Lord is not departed from that soul: it is not hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. O love the Lord for that. Praise him for his grace which keeps you from that: and that his promises still invite and encourage you. “For if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and his blood cleanseth from all sin.” 1 John 1:7-10; 1 John 2:1.

With jealous heart and godly fear,

O may I walk before the Lord:

This will prevent the falling tear,

And love, and joy, and peace afford.

May others’ evils warn my soul,

The dang’rous paths of sin to flee;

Let gen’rous love my soul control,

In sweet obedience Lord to thee.