Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: November 12th

Go back again: for what have I done to thee?- 1 Kings 19:20.

It seems marvellous that the simple act of Elijah casting the skirts of his mantle upon Elisha, should cause him to leave oxen and plough, parents and habitation, to run after a stranger. Doubtless there is a mystery of the Spirit under the history of the letter; the outward act of Elijah could not have had this effect, unless the inward power of the strong Lord had accompanied it. So Peter might have cast his net and toiled all his days ere he had taken a fish with a piece of money in its mouth, unless the Lord Jesus had effected this by his power.

Elijah’s passing by Elisha and casting his mantle upon him, and the effect that followed, is a striking resemblance of the Lord, strong in power and wonderful in grace, passing by poor sinners, and casting his mantle of love over us. Call to mind, disciple; endeavour daily to remember that time of love when thy precious Saviour passed by, saw thee polluted in thy blood, immersed in busy care, when worldly hopes and carnal delights engrossed thy whole concern; no eye, no, not thine own, pitied thy precious immortal soul; thou neither saw its misery, nor feared thy danger. But, saith thy Saviour, "when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was a time of love."- Ezekiel 16:8. O the mighty charm of divine love! How is the heart attracted and drawn after Jesus, as Elisha to Elijah. So says the smitten soul to Jesus, "I will follow thee:" and, like him, its affections are drawn from worldly objects, and acts as the woman of Samaria when she found the Messiah; she forgot her errand, and left her water-pot behind her.

"What manner of man is this," said the disciples of Jesus in astonishment, "that even the winds and the seas obey him?" Surely we may cry out in admiration with St. John, "What manner of love is this?" What a mighty God is Jesus, that the power of his love attracts our stubborn hearts, and causes us to follow him! What cause ever to admire the power, and adore the freeness of Jesus’ love! It found us ere we sought it. Little did Elisha think, in the hour of his ploughing, of being called to the high honor of being the Lord’s prophet. Ah, what was thy employ when Jesus first cast his mantle over thee? Perhaps, like Saul, sinning with a high hand, employed in the devil’s drudgery, in open rebellion against a loving Saviour, and yet priding thyself in the filthy rags of thine own righteousness; but now this is the joy and rejoicing of faith; where God casts the mantle of his love, that soul he clothes with the robe of his Son’s righteousness. So "grace reigns by Jesus Christ unto eternal life."- Romans 5:21.

He who hath received his testimony, hath set to his seal that GOD is true. John 3:33.

Wherein consists the essential difference between the righteous and the wicked? In this, the heart of the former receives the testimony of Christ, and thereby honours the God of truth. The latter rejects it, and thereby makes God a liar, (1 John 5:10.) No marvel then, that it is declared, “He who believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him,” (John 3:36.) And that “God is angry with the wicked every day,” (Psalms 7:11.) Why? Because they every day live in this daring, provoking sin of unbelief of the testimony of the Son of God, and give God the lie to his face. This is the greatest sin under heaven. O the long-suffering patience of God, toward such stout-hearted rebels. Consider, (1st.) What is this testimony? It is the witness which Christ bears to the children of men, that he is the Son of God: that he came forth from God: that he came to fulfil the law of God: to honour the justice of God: to bring glory to all the attributes of God, by saving sinners according to the truth of God. (2d.) What is it to receive this testimony? Simply to credit it; just as one does by a person who in a solemn manner, gives a plain and faithful evidence in court, of what he knows of the cause on trial. Now, here we see, what a simple thing faith is. It is no other, than receiving Christ’s testimony: believing him to be what he declares he is, the Saviour of lost sinners: righteousness to us, who have none of our own: an atonement for sins, which we must have been damned for without: redemption from the curse of the law, which we could never avert: and the hope of eternal life, which we have forfeited. Thus we receive the testimony of Jesus as a reprieve for condemned malefactors: an act of grace for outlawed rebels: a report of mercy for miserable sinners. But alas! How do we puzzle our heads and perplex our hearts? For instead of blessing Jesus for this precious testimony, looking at it, considering its suitableness, and deriving our comfort from it, we get to questioning our faith, whether we have received it and do believe aright. This is our folly. (3d.) See the blessedness of receiving this testimony. “He hath set to his seal that God is true.” Or, as some read it, God hath sealed him (by his Spirit) because he is true. As we set our seal to God’s truth, he will seal our hearts with his comforts. We cannot honour God more, nor please him better, than to hear and believe his beloved Son.

The testimony of Christ’s love

Is full of joy and peace,

By faith it lifts our souls above,

And doth from sin release.