Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: November 20th

Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.- Psalms 27:9.

"Love never faileth:" it ever worketh in the heart of disciples towards its beloved object. Love cannot bear distance or separation from Jesus; the thought of it is grievous and painful; the dread of it makes the soul plead, fills the mouth with arguments, lest the poor heart should lose the sweet sense and comforting savour of the love of God. His presence is its heaven, his absence is its hell; his smiles create joy, his frowns bring gloom and sorrow on the mind. When the heart feels a sensible withdrawing of God, and the light of his countenance is hid, it cannot but be restless and uneasy. Real believers experience Christianity to be more than a name- doctrines more than mere speculations to fill the head and amuse the thoughts-in ordinances, somewhat more is enjoyed than a dull round and formal attendance upon them. Christianity is a life of love: it consists in knowing and enjoying the God of truth, of faithfulness, and of love in his ordinances.

Therefore a loving soul most of all fears the anger of its loving Father; it dreads to be put away in displeasure, though but for a moment. To be left to one’s self, O, this calls up one’s cries and tears, and urges one to plead hard with one’s dear Saviour. "Thou hast been my help." Past experiences of the love and power of its Lord are remembered, and urged as a plea for present help and future hope. God’s precious promises of faithfulness and truth, O they are beheld as "fitly spoken, like apples of gold in pictures of silver."- Proverbs 25:11.

Past love cannot be forgotten; past mercies are recalled. What the Lord is still, in the appropriation of faith, is pleaded. "Forsake me not." Why so? Because "thou art the God of MY salvation." To whom should we go but to thee, O Jesus? Thou hast the words of eternal life. Forsake not the work of thine own hands; the soul for whom thou didst toil and suffer, bleed and die. There is salvation in thee, and in no other. I have found it so. Arise, O thou sun of righteousness, scatter the clouds of darkness, the mists of sin, and the fogs of unbelief; recall my wandering steps; revive my drooping spirit; "Bring near thy salvation in present peace and love." Such will be the cries and pleadings of Jesus-loving hearts. Such are the genuine actings of that faith which worketh by love. It ever hath a GOD IN CHRIST for its object, his faithfulness and truth for its support, his promises for its pleas, his glory for its aim, and the comfortable sense and enjoyment of his love as its portion and heaven. "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee."- Psalms 73:25.

When the chief Shepherd shall appear, he shall receive a crown of glory, that fadeth not away. 1 Peter 5:4.

St. Peter speaks with the utmost confidence of the appearing of Christ, and of his members being crowned in glory. Yes, he knew better than to make his Lord a liar. For if any one of them should perish in their sins, and by the force and fraud of Satan be dragged down to hell, then they would lose their crown of glory. But how then would the goodness of their Shepherd appear, if he suffered this? St. Peter never received, nor ever taught such absurd, unscriptural doctrine. He too well knew the unchangeable love of the chief Shepherd. He knew Christ could not be glorified, nor would his heavenly Father be satisfied, without each and every one, of his chosen, redeemed, justified, believing members, crowned in glory. He says, “I am the good Shepherd: I know my sheep, I give my life for my sheep,” (John 10:11.) If but one of them was missing, he would search hell and the grave to find him, and to crown him. For, (1st.) Christ is our chief Shepherd. The sheep are all his own. (1st.) By the gift of his Father, (John 17:2.) (2d.) By the purchase of his blood. Our souls are bought with that precious price, (1 Corinthians 6:20.) (3d.) As a shepherd, he calls us and gathers us to himself, by the grace of his word and the power of his Spirit. (4th.) He is, what no other Shepherd can be, and in this he is chief indeed to our souls. He is our life. Our life is not in our own keeping. It can never be lost or forfeited. It is in our Head: safe and sure, certain and eternal. Being in union to, and communion with Christ in faith, we now enjoy the earnest of glory, in the spiritual blessings and comforts of this life. When we find our hearts holy and happy, it is because Christ is our life. When we groan under sin, and hunger and thirst after righteousness, it is because Christ is our life. Thus Christ, our chief Shepherd, appears now, in the spirit and life of our souls. (2d.) Christ shall appear. As verily, as he once appeared, as a mean man, and hung, as a vile malefactor, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; he shall appear to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them who believe. But, says a poor sensible sinner, how shall I appear before him? I deserve ever to be banished from him. True. But, (3d.) You shall receive from him, a never-fading crown of glory. That dear hand which was nailed to the cross for you, shall be stretched forth to crown you. O Lord! is it possible? I am not worthy of this. True. So will you think to all eternity. Therefore you will sing, “Worthy is the Lamb,” etc. Revelation 5:12.