Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: May 6th

He is altogether lovely. - Song of Solomon 5:16.

THERE is only one Being in the universe to whom, for one moment, these words will apply. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” “He came to his own, but his own received him not;” and he is still “despised and rejected of men.” But this is not universally the case; there are some blessed exceptions; there are some who know his name and put their trust in him, to whom he is fairer than the children of men, yea, “he is altogether lovely.” Peter says,” To them that believe he is precious.” With regard to these admirers we have two remarks to make.

First, We hope their number is increasing. We hope, by means of the instruction given to the rising generation, numbers of children will be heard in the temple, crying, “Hosanna! blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!” We hope, by the endeavours made, that the poor will have “the gospel preached to them.” We hope, by the efforts put forth to translate the Scriptures and to send forth missionaries, that he will soon have “the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession;” that “every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain;” “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

Secondly, Their attachment to him is well founded. The world, indeed, knoweth him not; they consider their religion as enthusiasm: but it is a “reasonable service;” they can give a reason of the hope that is in them; they know whom they have believed, and he is every way worthy of their blessing and praise. He is every thing with them, because he is every thing to them. He is their Rock and their Refuge, their sun and their shield, their righteousness and their strength, their only and all-sufficient resource in every time of need! And this is their testimony:-“ And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.”

And they shall say, The LORD is my God. - Zechariah 13:9.

IN proportion as we feel our need of anything, and value it, are we anxious to make it our own. How many are there who think they would be happy if they were able to say, This office is mine, this title is mine, this house is mine, this land is mine, this inheritance is mine; but he only is truly blessed who can say, This God is mine. There is a foundation for this appropriation. Indeed there is nothing else that a Christian has which is really his own. Our wealth, if we have it, or children, or time, are not our own; our souls are not our own; but a believer may say, “God, even our own God, shall bless us;” and as he is really our own, so is he entirely and eternally our own. “This ‘God is our God for ever and ever.”

This is the grand thing when we address God, especially when we are dealing with God in trouble and distress. Then we may plead with him on the ground of our interest in him. There are times when we may be afraid to adopt this language of appropriation, as if it did not belong to us; but there are two senses in which the most timid Christian is able to use this language.

First, We may use it as the language of hope. This hope may have to war daily with doubts and fears, and yet we cannot give it up. It may not at present bring us full relief, but then it ascends to the throne of grace, it brings us to the foot of the cross. This hope is like laying hold of a branch when sinking in deep waters; it is just enough to keep the head above water, to preserve us till some more effectual aid be brought to extricate us.

There is also another sense in which the most fearful of God’s children can adopt this language. We can say he is our God by preference and submission. “Lord, I am thine, save me;” if thou refuse to acknowledge the relation (and I deserve to be refused as a friend), O “make me as one of thy hired servants;” “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Thus it is we may say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore will I hope in him.”

God is ours, not only by donation on his side, but by dedication on our side. There is an inseparable connection between these two. If we have been enabled to give up ourselves to God, we may be assured that God has given himself to us. If we love God, and choose him for our portion, we may be assured he has loved us and chosen us to be his peculiar treasure, for we love him because he first loved us.

“When I can say my God is mine,

When I can feel his glories shine,

I tread the world beneath my feet,

And all that earth calls good or great.”