March 12
Morning
"Thou shalt love thy neighbour." —
Mat_5:43
"Love thy neighbour." Perhaps he rolls in riches, and thou
art poor, and living in thy little cot side-by-side with his lordly mansion;
thou seest every day his estates, his fine linen, and his sumptuous banquets;
God has given him these gifts, covet not his wealth, and think no hard thoughts
concerning him. Be content with thine own lot, if thou canst not better it, but
do not look upon thy neighbour, and wish that he were as thyself. Love him, and
then thou wilt not envy him.
Perhaps, on the other hand, thou art rich, and near thee reside the
poor. Do not scorn to call them neighbour. Own that thou art bound to love
them. The world calls them thy inferiors. In what are they inferior? They are
far more thine equals than thine inferiors, for "God hath made of one
blood all people that dwell upon the face of the earth." It is thy coat
which is better than theirs, but thou art by no means better than they. They
are men, and what art thou more than that? Take heed that thou love thy
neighbour even though he be in rags, or sunken in the depths of poverty.
But, perhaps, you say, "I cannot love my neighbours, because for
all I do they return ingratitude and contempt." So much the more room for
the heroism of love. Wouldst thou be a feather-bed warrior, instead of bearing
the rough fight of love? He who dares the most, shall win the most; and if
rough be thy path of love, tread it boldly, still loving thy neighbours through
thick and thin. Heap coals of fire on their heads, and if they be hard to
please, seek not to please them, but to please thy Master; and remember if they
spurn thy love, thy Master hath not spurned it, and thy deed is as acceptable
to him as if it had been acceptable to them. Love thy neighbour, for in so
doing thou art following the footsteps of Christ.
Thou: Mat_19:19,
Mat_22:39-40; Lev_19:18; Mar_12:31-34;
Luk_10:27-29; Rom_13:8-10; Gal_5:13-14;
Jas_2:8
and hate: Exo_17:14-16;
Deu_23:6, Deu_25:17;
Psa_41:10, Psa_139:21-22
Evening
"To whom belongest thou?" —
1Sa_30:13
No neutralities can exist in religion. We are either ranked under the
banner of Prince Immanuel, to serve and fight his battles, or we are vassals of
the black prince, Satan. "To whom belongest thou?"
Reader, let me assist you in your response. Have you been "born
again"? If you have, you belong to Christ, but without the new birth you
cannot be his. In whom do you trust? For those who believe in Jesus are the
sons of God. Whose work are you doing? You are sure to serve your master, for
he whom you serve is thereby owned to be your lord. What company do you keep?
If you belong to Jesus, you will fraternize with those who wear the livery of
the cross. "Birds of a feather flock together." What is your
conversation? Is it heavenly or is it earthly? What have you learned of your
Master?-for servants learn much from their masters to whom they are
apprenticed. If you have served your time with Jesus, it will be said of you,
as it was of Peter and John, "They took knowledge of them, that they had been
with Jesus."
We press the question, "To whom belongest thou?" Answer
honestly before you give sleep to your eyes. If you are not Christ's you are in
a hard service-Run away from your cruel master! Enter into the service of the
Lord of Love, and you shall enjoy a life of blessedness. If you are Christ's
let me advise you to do four things. You belong to Jesus-obey him; let his word
be your law; let his wish be your will. You belong to the Beloved, then love
him; let your heart embrace him; let your whole soul be filled with him. You
belong to the Son of God, then trust him; rest nowhere but on him. You belong
to the King of kings, then be decided for him. Thus, without your being branded
upon the brow, all will know to whom you belong.
1 Samuel 30:13
my master: Though they had booty enough, and this
poor sick slave might have been carried on an ass or a camel, yet they
inhumanely left him to perish; but, in the righteous providence of God, this
cruelty was the occasion of their destruction; whilst David's kindness to a
perishing stranger and slave was the means of his success, and proved the
truest policy. Job_31:13-15; Pro_12:10; Jas_2:13
Daily Devotions.
Extract from
e-Sword- the sword of the LORD with an
electronic edge.
Through the Bible Day by Day.(F.B Meyer)
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