January 26, Devotional
We have turned every one to his own way.
Noah ... planted a vineyard: and he drank of the wine, and was drunken. Abram ... said unto Sara his wife, ... Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake. Isaac said unto Jacob, ... Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. Moses ... spake unadvisedly with his lips. The men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them. David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
These all ... obtained a good report through faith. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways.
Isa. 53:6. Gen. 9:20,21. Gen. 12:11,13. Gen. 27:21,24. Ps. 106:32,33. Josh. 9:14,15. 1 Kings 15:5. Heb. 11:39. Rom. 3:24. Isa. 53:8. Ezek. 36:32
Think on These Things
"Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures."Luke 24:45.
He whom we viewed last evening as opening Scripture, we here perceive opening the understanding. In the first work He has many fellow-labourers, but in the second He stands alone; many can bring the Scriptures to the mind, but the Lord alone can prepare the mind to receive the Scriptures. Our Lord Jesus differs from all other teachers; they reach the ear, but He instructs the heart; they deal with the outward letter, but He imparts an inward taste for the truth, by which we perceive its savour and spirit. The most unlearned of men become ripe scholars in the school of grace when the Lord Jesus by His Holy Spirit unfolds the mysteries of the kingdom to them, and grants the divine anointing by which they are enabled to behold the invisible. Happy are we if we have had our understandings cleared and strengthened by the Master! How many men of profound learning are ignorant of eternal things! They know the killing letter of revelation, but its killing spirit they cannot discern; they have a veil upon their hearts which the eyes of carnal reason cannot penetrate. Such was our case a little time ago; we who now see were once utterly blind; truth was to us as beauty in the dark, a thing unnoticed and neglected. Had it not been for the love of Jesus we should have remained to this moment in utter ignorance, for without His gracious opening of our understanding, we could no more have attained to spiritual knowledge than an infant can climb the Pyramids, or an ostrich fly up to the stars. Jesus' College is the only one in which God's truth can be really learned; other schools may teach us what is to be believed, but Christ's alone can show us how to believe it. Let us sit at the feet of Jesus, and by earnest prayer call in His blessed aid that our dull wits may grow brighter, and our feeble understandings may receive heavenly things.
C. H. Spurgeon
Hymn
“Hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.” Psalm 17:8
Under His Wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.
Chorus
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Consolation
And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. Luke 10:6
Exhortation
And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. Luke 19:28-34
O Lord, give us ears to hear Thee and strength to obey.
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