March 27
Morning
"Then all the disciples forsook him and fled." — Mat_26:56
He never deserted them, but they in cowardly fear of their lives, fled
from him in the very beginning of his sufferings. This is but one instructive
instance of the frailty of all believers if left to themselves; they are but
sheep at the best, and they flee when the wolf cometh. They had all been warned
of the danger, and had promised to die rather than leave their Master; and yet
they were seized with sudden panic, and took to their heels. It may be, that I,
at the opening of this day, have braced up my mind to bear a trial for the
Lord's sake, and I imagine myself to be certain to exhibit perfect fidelity;
but let me be very jealous of myself, lest having the same evil heart of
unbelief, I should depart from my Lord as the apostles did. It is one thing to
promise, and quite another to perform. It would have been to their eternal
honour to have stood at Jesus' side right manfully; they fled from honour; may
I be kept from imitating them! Where else could they have been so safe as near
their Master, who could presently call for twelve legions of angels? They fled
from their true safety. O God, let me not play the fool also. Divine grace can
make the coward brave. The smoking flax can flame forth like fire on the altar
when the Lord wills it. These very apostles who were timid as hares, grew to be
bold as lions after the Spirit had descended upon them, and even so the Holy
Spirit can make my recreant spirit brave to confess my Lord and witness for his
truth.
What anguish must have filled the Saviour as he saw his friends so
faithless! This was one bitter ingredient in his cup; but that cup is drained
dry; let me not put another drop in it. If I forsake my Lord, I shall crucify
him afresh, and put him to an open shame. Keep me, O blessed Spirit, from an
end so shameful.
Matthew 26:56
that: Mat_26:54;
Gen_3:15; Isa_44:26;
Lam_4:20; Dan_9:24,
Dan_9:26; Zec_13:7;
Act_1:16, Act_2:23
Then: Mat_26:31;
Mar_14:50-52; Joh_16:32, Joh_18:8-9,
Joh_18:15-16; 2Ti_4:16
Evening
"And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which
fall from their master's table." —
Mat_15:27
This woman gained comfort in her misery by thinking GREAT THOUGHTS OF
CHRIST. The Master had talked about the children's bread: "Now,"
argued she, "since thou art the Master of the table of grace, I know that
thou art a generous housekeeper, and there is sure to be abundance of bread on
thy table; there will be such an abundance for the children that there will be
crumbs to throw on the floor for the dogs, and the children will fare none the
worse because the dogs are fed." She thought him one who kept so good a
table that all that she needed would only be a crumb in comparison; yet
remember, what she wanted was to have the devil cast out of her daughter. It
was a very great thing to her, but she had such a high esteem of Christ, that
she said, "It is nothing to him, it is but a crumb for Christ to
give." This is the royal road to comfort. Great thoughts of your sin alone
will drive you to despair; but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into the
haven of peace. "My sins are many, but oh! it is nothing to Jesus to take
them all away. The weight of my guilt presses me down as a giant's foot would
crush a worm, but it is no more than a grain of dust to him, because he has
already borne its curse in his own body on the tree. It will be but a small
thing for him to give me full remission, although it will be an infinite
blessing for me to receive it." The woman opens her soul's mouth very
wide, expecting great things of Jesus, and he fills it with his love. Dear
reader, do the same. She confessed what Christ laid at her door, but she laid
fast hold upon him, and drew arguments even out of his hard words; she believed
great things of him, and she thus overcame him. SHE WON THE VICTORY BY
BELIEVING IN HIM. Her case is an instance of prevailing faith; and if we would
conquer like her, we must imitate her tactics.
Matthew 15:27
Truth: Mat_8:8;
Gen_32:10; Job_40:4-5, Job_42:2-6;
Psa_51:4-5; Eze_16:63; Dan_9:18;
Luk_7:6-7, Luk_15:18-19, Luk_18:13,
Luk_23:40-42; Rom_3:4, Rom_3:19;
1Co_15:8-9; 1Ti_1:13-15
yet: Mat_5:45;
Luk_16:21; Rom_3:29, Rom_10:12;
Eph_3:8, Eph_3:19
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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