Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: August 22nd

Gideon said, Alas! O Lord God: for I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face. The Lord said, Peace be unto thee: fear not; thou shalt not die.- Judges 6:22-23.

"Jesus is the same Lord over all, rich in mercy to all who call upon him."- Romans 10:12. There is no difference between Old Testament saints and New, in regard to the object of salvation; "Jesus the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." Poor Gideon thought a sight of the Lord must surely be present death; for, saith the Lord, "There shall no man see me and live."- Exodus 33:20. But the Lord appeared to him, as the angel of the covenant, the Mediator, the interposer. Not in terrible majesty and fiery wrath, to strike him dead, but as the Saviour, the merciful one. This sight was attended with life to his soul and death to his fears. So Gideon found it, when he heard that ever-dear and most precious word, PEACE. This is ever the word of the bridegroom to his church. His birth is ushered in with "PEACE on earth." His dying legacy to his children is PEACE. Nothing but love dwells in his heart; nothing but peace is heard from his lips. This was his affectionate salutation to his beloved though dejected disciples, when he first appeared to them after his sufferings and death. His tender heart well knew how troubled their poor minds were: therefore over and over he repeats, "PEACE be unto you."- John 20:21. As it was in the beginning, so it is now. Jesus silences guilty fears and perplexing doubts in disciples’ hearts. Woe is me, saith the poor sinner, I am undone, I am unclean; mine eyes have seen the Lord of hosts in the purity and spirituality of his law, as a just God and a holy; a consuming fire, and who will by no means clear the guilty: I shall die. FEAR NOT, saith Jesus to every such trembling, repenting, believing heart; thou shalt not die, but live; neither shalt thou want my peace. Look unto me and be saved: inwardly listen to my word; treasure it up in thine heart. Wait in faith for the sweet and still voice of my Spirit: I create the fruit of the lips. "Peace, peace to him that is afar off, and to him that is near, and I will heal them." Such shall not only hear Christ’s voice but feel his power. Their fears shall be taken away, and their sorrow removed. So shall their souls be joyful in him. Thus JESUS is precious to them. "He delivers them who through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage."- Hebrews 2:15. "Having made peace for us through the blood of his cross."- Colossians 1:20.

My groans and tears, and forms of woe,

Are turn’d to joy and praises now;

I throw my sackcloth on the ground,

And ease and gladness gird me round.

My tongue, the glory of Christ’s name,

Shall ne’er be silent of his fame,

His praise shall sound thro’ earth and heav’n,

For sickness heal’d, and sins forgiv’n.

Why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? John 20:15.

Profession of Christ, without affection to him, leaves the heart in dead formality. What is religion without the affections? What the highest pretension, the greatest depth of knowledge, without love to our dear Saviour? Here poor Mary discovers her affection to her Lord, by weeping for, and seeking after his crucified body. The fire of love in the heart carries out the soul beyond itself. Tell me, Sir, says she to Jesus (supposing him to be the gardener) where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Poor weak being, her affections went beyond her strength. But to her inexpressible joy and comfort, Jesus manifested himself to her. This was written for our instruction. Come ye weeping, seeking souls, learn a lesson of encouragement and comfort to-night, from your sister’s conduct, and your Lord’s dealings with her.

Observe, (1st.) Christ’s beloved disciples have their weeping and their seeking seasons. They weep, because they love Christ: they seek him, because they cannot be happy without him. So the church, “I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.” (Song of Solomon 3:1.) Still she goes on seeking. Seeking Christ is an evidence of, and discovers love to him. Seeking him sorrowing and weeping, shews the ardency of affection. Poor distressed sinner, who seest thy want of Christ, knowest thy all is in him, and canst not be happy without him, know this is from a dart of love. Christ hath wounded, and ravished thy heart, with his love. What doth he say to thee? “Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse.” (Song of Solomon 4:9.) O there is a mutual affection between Christ’s heart and thine. (2d.) Jesus was near to Mary, though she knew him not. He is near to every weeping, seeking soul, though they have not the comfort of it. (3d.) He discovers his affection by his questions: “Why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” Our fears are seen: our sorrows are felt by our sympathizing Lord: our most silent sighs enter into his ears, and pierce his heart: but he will know the cause of our sorrows from our own lips. Then pour out your hearts before him, tell him of your complaints. Do this in the assurance of faith, that he will manifest himself to you. For, (4th.) He did so to Mary. He called her by her name, Mary, which signifies exalted. She was exalted to know Christ’s voice, to taste his love, to be his sister and his spouse, to be married to Christ, and to live in sweet union to him, and communion with him. O soul, see whence your seeking, sorrowing frames spring! See the blessed end in which they terminate. O bless Jesus for a heart to seek him. Bless him, though you seek him sorrowing. Thy Lord hath assured thee, “Every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth.” Luke 11:10.