Daily Devotionals

The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions

Devotional: May 4th

May 4—Morning—Psalms 22

"The hind of the morning."—Psalms 22 : in the title.

The dying patriarch Jacob, under the influence of the prophetic spirit, pointed to the seed of Naphtali as a hind let loose. But it is the church which points to Jesus as the hind of the morning; for he is, indeed, the loving hind, and the pleasant roe. It is sweet and profitable to observe in what a variety of methods the Holy Ghost hath been pleased to give sketches of Jesus. My soul, look at Jesus for thy present meditation as the hind of the morning. Was he not, from the very morning of eternity, marked under this lovely character? Did not the church speak of him, and desire his appearance, under this same character, when she begged of him, that until the shadows of Jewish ordinances were passed away, and the day of gospel light should break in upon her, that her beloved would be like a young hart, or the roe, upon the mountains of Bether? And was not Jesus, indeed, when he did appear, truly as the hind which the dogs that compassed him about, and the assembly of the wicked inclosed? Did he not say, in those unequalled moments of suffering," Save me from the lion’s mouth, for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorn?" Yes, precious Jesus, thou art, indeed, the hind of the morning! In the morning of our salvation, thou camest over the hills and mountains of our sinful nature, with the swiftness of the hind, and the loveliness and gentleness of the roe, to expose thyself to the serpent, and the whole host of foes, for the deliverance of thy people. And, having trod upon the lion, and the adder, and the young lion, and the dragon, trampled under thy feet by thy death, thou "didst overcome death, and him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and hast delivered them, who, through fear of death, were all their life-time subject to bondage." And now, precious Lord! thou art, as the hind slain, the food of the souls of thy redeemed by faith, until faith itself is done away in sight, and hope swallowed up in absolute fruition. Oh let the language of my heart daily, hourly, correspond to the church of old; and, during the shadows of ordinances, and all the dark clouds of unbelief and temptations with which I am here exercised, let me still, by faith, behold thee as the hind of the morning fleeing swiftly to my assistance, hearing and answering my prayers, leaping over all the mountains of distance which sin and unworthiness would throw up between thee and my soul, opposing all my enemies, and beating them under my feet that would keep me from thee; until that day, that glorious everlasting day which will have no night, shall break in upon my soul, and thou wilt then appear, to my unceasing, uninterrupted joy, the hind, indeed, of the morning. "Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like unto a roe, or to a young hart, upon the mountains of spices."

May 4—Evening—Luke 6:12

"And continued all night in prayer to God."—Luke 6:12.

My soul! contemplate thy Lord in the view here represented of him. "Jesus continued all night in prayer to God." But did Christ need to use prayer? Yes, as Christ, the sent, the anointed, the servant of Jehovah, when he voluntarily stood up as the surety of his people, at the call of God the Father. But as God, "one with the Father, over all, God blessed for ever," he prayed not; for all divine perfections were his in common with the Father and the Holy Spirit, eternally, essentially, and underived. But, my soul, as thy representative, Jesus needed the use of prayer, and hath both endeared it, and recommended it by his bright example. And observe the fervency and earnestness of his prayers, by the length of time. For whereas one short hour is found long by thee, (yea, sometimes in that hour, what coldness and deadness creep in!)thy Redeemer "continued all night in prayer." And what were the subjects of his prayer, but the salvation of his people? He needed no prayer for himself, had not his love to us, and zeal for his Father’s glory, prompted his infinite mind to undertake our redemption. But when the Son of God became man for us, to make us sons of God, then our safety, peace, and welfare, both for this life and that which is to come, occupied his divine mind, and led him out "all night in prayer to God!" What an illustrious proof hath Jesus given of this in his farewell prayer, the night preceding his sufferings and death! As a dying father in the midst of his family, behold how he commended his whole household to God. "Keep, holy Father, (said he) through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." My soul! often let thy thoughts revolve on this; and in thy cold and languid moments in prayer contemplate how Jesus was engaged for thee and thy salvation. The sun witnessed to the diligence of his labours by day, and the stars in their courses testified of his earnestness in prayer by night. And what is it now, in his glorious office as Intercessor, but the all-prevailing and unwearied exercises of the same, only with this difference: in his exalted state, his addresses are not by way of prayer or petition, as when upon earth; for all the high offices of his everlasting priesthood and sacrifice are carried on by his" appearing in the presence of God for us." He appears in a vesture dipped in blood, and as a Lamb which hath been slain. And his blood is said to be "a speaking blood;" for it speaketh to God for us, on the ground of his merit, and it speaketh from God to us, on the account of God’s covenant grace and mercy in Christ. Ponder well, my soul, these things; and in the contemplation of thy Jesus, never lose sight of the everlasting and eternal efficacy of his blood and righteousness; nor of thy interest in both. And when at any time, thy poor, polluted, cold, and lifeless prayers find no ascension, no strength nor energy, direct one look, with faith, to the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne. Behold him, whom the Father heareth alway; and call to remembrance, that it is the efficacy of his merits and intercession which is the sole cause of thine acceptance before God and the Father, and not thy earnestness, or the length of thy prayers. Precious Jesus! help me thus stedfastly and steadily to behold thee in thy holy vestments of the everlasting priesthood of Melchisedec; and then shall I be assured that neither my poor person, nor poor prayers, will ever be forgotten before God.