Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: November 2nd

Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say rejoice.- Philippians 4:4.

The wise man saith, "He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast."- Proverbs 15:15. Every believer in Jesus hath a continual feast; therefore has always reason to be of a merry heart; when he is not, he lives below his privilege, and forgets the command of his loving Lord. Though we daily experience enemies to our spiritual joy, yet none can destroy our ground of rejoicing; that is fixed as a rock, permanent as the mountains, and standeth fast for ever and ever. Paul well knew this by his own experience: "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing," he describes the Christian’s motto. Though with him thou art daily crying out, "O wretched man that I am," according to the flesh; yet thou hast the same reason always to thank God and rejoice in Christ Jesus as Paul had: though in thyself cause for mourning and humiliation, yet continual matter of joy and rejoicing in the Lord Jesus.

Here is the wisdom of a Christian, to understand aright, and to act suitable to his character; "as having nothing in nature, yet possessing all things by grace." Being united to Jesus, in whom all fulness dwells; and "blessed with all spiritual blessings by God the Father IN him," it is therefore our sweet privilege always to rejoice in Christ Jesus. In experience, we find believing views of Jesus cause rejoicing in him. IN the Lord; mind that little word IN. The exercise of thy faith is ever to be ON thy Lord. All cause of spiritual joy is IN JESUS: our word is BELIEVE AND BE JOYFUL; If we search the scriptures, which testify of Jesus; if we dwell much in meditation on his person, his offices, his blood, his righteousness, his intercession, we shall perceive never-failing springs of joy. Day by day be looking and praying, O soul, that through the Spirit thou mayest see and maintain a comfortable knowledge and settled assurance of thy own interest in Jesus, and salvation by him. O, this will cause thee to rejoice indeed, with joy unspeakable and full of glory. So that even though the face and appearance of outward things put on a gloomy countenance to nature and sense, yet shall we be like the stedfast prophet: "Though the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls." What then? Does he hang down his head like a bulrush? Does joy of heart forsake him? No, says he, "yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of MY salvation." Habakkuk 3:17-18.

Then let our joys abound,

And ev’ry tear be dry;

We’re marching thro’ Immanuel’s ground,

To fairer worlds on high.

Death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours. 1 Corinthians 3:22.

“ O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man who is at rest in his possessions; unto the man who has nothing to vex him, and who hath prosperity in all things!” O death, how sweet is the remembrance of thee, to a man who is alive to God, dead to the world; who longs to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord; to see the glory of Jesus, and to reign eternally with him! Christian, here is a precious legacy left thee by the Lord: a covenant-gift from the God of thy salvation: “Death is yours.” He is your conquered enemy; your faithful friend. (1st.) Your conquered enemy. You need not fear him. He has neither strength nor sting. Christ, the victorious Captain of your salvation, has disarmed him of both. He can neither destroy nor wound your soul. Yea, “He hath abolished death.” (2 Timothy 1:10.) There is no substance in him; he is changed into a shadow. It is not the enemy death which seizes a believer, but the shadow or emblem of it, sleep. Weary soul, tired out with the burden of sin, lusts, corruptions, afflictions, accusations, temptations, etc.-is sleep an enemy to you? Do you dread sleep? Are you afraid of rest? What! fear to fall asleep in Jesus, to awake in his presence, to be satisfied with perfect likeness to him, and eternally enjoy him? O fools, and slow of heart to believe the victory of Christ over death! And thou too, O my soul! take thee rebuke to thyself, and be ashamed of thy folly. But I am not afraid of death, but of dying! Why afraid of sleeping? O! for the insupportable pains of the body in that hour. Who told you they are insupportable? How many have sweetly sung, victory in death? O! says one, is this dying? O, it is sweet, it is pleasant. “Though I pass through the valley of the shadow of death, thou shalt be with me.” This is the claim of faith upon the warrant of the Lord. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.” (; Isaiah 43:2.) The presence of the Saviour will beguile all thy pains, and fill thy soul with comfort. For, (2d.) Death is thy faithful friend. Hast thou not found sleep so to thy wearied body? Just so, and no more, is death to thy weary soul. It will at once deliver thee from all thy burdens and sorrows, and introduce thee into joys unspeakable and full of glory. Death is that, and no more, to the soul, than what God calls it in his word; and faith makes it to the heart. If you do really and truly believe that death is swallowed up in the victory of Christ; if you firmly believe his precious blood has atoned for sin, and his righteous life has fulfilled the law, you may undauntedly sing, “O, death! where is thy sting? O, grave! where is thy victory?”

No more, O grim destroyer, boast

Thy universal sway!

To heaven-born souls thy sting is lost;

Thy night, the gates of day.