the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
October 11—Morning—Isaiah 1:4
"He wakeneth morning by morning: he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned."—Isaiah 1:4.
Who is this but Jesus in his human nature, of whom the prophet speaks? Eminently to him doth it refer, to whom was given the tongue of the learned, that he might know how to speak a word to him that is weary. Precious Lord, it is indeed thy province, and thine only, to speak a word to weary souls, and to be the rest wherewith thou causeth the weary to rest, and to be their refreshing. Not only to give them rest, but thyself to be their rest. Not only to give them salvation, but thyself to be their salvation.—But, blessed Lord! may not a poor soul like myself say of thee also, that thou wakenest me morning by morning?—for who is it but Jesus, that, by the sweet influences of the Spirit, wakens his people morning by morning, and openeth the ear to hear, and the eye to see, and the heart to. feel the blessed tokens of his coming? Have I not found thee, Lord, wakening my soul sometimes before the dawn of day, and calling my soul up in gracious meditation, to attend to the soft whispers of thy love? Have I not heard thee saying, as to tile church of old, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away?" And hast thou not made my soul, or ever I was aware, like the chariots of Aminadab? Do thou, Lord, waken me, I beseech thee, morning by morning, and while thou art thus speaking to my soul, let mine answer be, "My voice shalt thou hear betimes, Oh Lord, in the morning; early will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. My soul shall wait for thee, more than they that watch for the morning, yea, I say, more than they that watch for the morning."
October 11—Evening—Esther 5:6
"And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed."—Esther 5:6.
My soul, thou hast lately been at the banquet of wine indeed, even of the Redeemer’s blood, which Jesus holds at his table; and didst thou not behold the numberless petitioners who attended there with thyself? Surely, if the Persian king made so generous an offer to Esther, to perform her petition, be it what it might, to the half of his kingdom; thy Jesus, thy heavenly King; with whom are all the treasures, and the unsearchable riches of grace and glory, did not suffer a poor humble petitioner to go empty away. Tell me, ye that attended there, did ye not find the King most gracious? How went the matter with you? I pray you tell me. Did the poor man find Jesus indeed rich; and did the trembling sinner, under the apprehensions of wrath, find himself delivered by him "from the wrath to come?" Surely, Jesus had a suited mercy for every case. And, sure I am, that whatever heart was prompted by his grace to look to him, the eye and heart of Jesus were looking with mercy upon that poor sinner. Oh! what gifts, what graces, what pardons, doth every renewed banquet of Jesus scatter among the people! At his table the doors are thrown open, and nothing is needed to ensure welcome, but a sense of need and an hungering to partake. How often, my soul, hast thou seen the people made joyful in the Lord’s house of prayer, and returning, as they did after the feast of the dedication of Solomones temple, to their tents, "joyful and glad in heart?" Yea, how often hast thou returned thyself, and left all thy sorrows, sins, and wants behind thee, when the King hath held forth his sceptre of grace, and given thee faith to touch it! Come, ye polluted, poor, exercised, distressed souls; ye wandering, weary, backsliding people; come to Jesus: he holds a feast, and every case and every need, he can, and will supply. Let but a sense of need be inwrought by the blessed Spirit in the heart, and the language of our Jesus is to this amount: "What is thy petition, and what is thy request? and it shall be granted thee."
