Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: June 25th

When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.- Jonah 2:7.

In the prophet Jonah’s conduct we have a true picture of human nature, in its strong opposition to the power and grace of God. Though Jesus clothes his saints with righteousness, and the Spirit sanctifies and renews them in the spirit of their minds; yet pride, obstinacy, and self-will still dwell in their corrupt, fallen nature. The Spirit of truth and wisdom hath discovered the vile sins of his eminent prophets and faithful people, as well as their holy graces. This proves as a touchstone to us, to try whether we have received the true grace of God in our hearts. A regenerate soul will never draw any encouragement to indulge himself in sin and rebellion against God, because he reads of David’s complicated sins of murder and adultery; of Jonah’s fleeing from, and provoking behaviour to God; or of Peter’s sad denial of Jesus with abominable oaths and curses. If scripture truths proves as poison, it is only to reprobate minds. They are ever wholesome food to sanctified hearts. Such behold in the fall of the saints of old, the evils to which themselves are ever liable. If they are kept, they are humble; and give the dear Saviour all the glory. If they are fallen low, they remember the Lord. "I remembered the Lord," says Jonah. Grace creates a good heart-memory, where there is a bad head-memory. The soul can never forget the Lord Christ. It calls to mind the Lord’s love, and how he dealt with his people of old. They see his loving kindness, faithfulness and truth, never failed them.

Hence the Holy Spirit stirs up and encourages poor, broken hearted, backsliding souls to trust in a God of covenant love. A sense of pain brings the body into a weak, fainting state. So a sense of sin, fear of God’s wrath, the hidings of his face in Christ Jesus, makes the soul faint and languid. But in the lowest ebb of hope, and under the weakest frames of soul, the sanctified memory, though it bears a faithful record of past sins, yet it is also a precious repository of God’s freegrace truths, and most precious promises in Christ Jesus. His human nature is the TEMPLE, in which God and man meet; to which sinners look; and through which grace is bestowed. Hence the poor soul is excited to mourn under the displeasure of an offended Father; and yet to cry to him in hope against hope; to pray to him in faith, though it has not one encouraging symptom in nature and self: but looking for all in Jesus. O most blessed words from the Father to humble believing souls; "I will remember their sins no more."- Jeremiah 31:34.

Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. 1 Timothy 6:8.

Man wants but little: that little not long. But unbelief multiplies our wants, and magnifies our discontent. God rains down manna. The people are delighted with it; but are not content to trust God for the morrow’s supply. They gathered more than would serve for one day. What was the consequence? “It bred worms and stank.” (Exodus 16:20.) Here distrust and unbelief prevailed, and abundance begot discontent. O ye rich and great, is it not so with you? And thou, O my soul, thy pittance is more than St. Paul here requires. Art thou content? No riches, without Christ, and the riches of his grace, can bring content to the mind. But when Christ vouchsafes to fulfil that precious word, (Revelation 2:17,) “I will give to eat of the hidden manna,” then we shall have heart content, though we have no more coats than backs, and but just food enough to satisfy our hunger. For faith supplies all. It brings the supplier of all into our hearts. There we feed upon him by faith. The supply of our wants does not fix content in the mind. Most of them are not real, but imaginary. As wants increase, so does discontent.

That cruel something unpossest

Corrodes and leavens all the rest.

True content arises, from the mind being brought to our state. Have we little or much? The Lord gave it. He sees best to give no more. When his will is the law, the mind is content.

See St. Paul’s reasons for content. (1st.) Look back to your birth. “We brought nothing into the world.” If we have nothing, we have all we were born with. (2d.) Look forward to your death. “It is certain we can carry nothing out of it.” Think of your naked birth, and naked death. All we possess, we shall soon leave behind. Would you be rich? (3d.) St. Paul says, this is to fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil. O for Agur’s prayer: “Give not riches.” Proverbs 30:8. (4th.) What is the greatest gain? Godliness with contentment. Having Christ for your food, and his righteousness your raiment, brings true content of mind. One who had nothing but bread and water, cried out in an ecstasy, what all this and Christ too! Learn more to live by faith on the Son of God. All God’s promises are yours in him. This one is enough to silence murmurings, and quell the risings of discontent. “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5.

Then what avails my anxious care,

For all things here below;

If in God’s promises I share,

I’d all things else forego.