October 6 - Morning"Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." — John 4:14
He who is a believer in Jesus finds enough in his Lord to satisfy him now,
and to content him for evermore. The believer is not the man whose days
are weary for want of comfort, and whose nights are long from absence of
heart-cheering thought, for he finds in religion such a spring of joy, such a
fountain of consolation, that he is content and happy. Put him in a
dungeon and he will find good company; place him in a barren wilderness,
he will eat the bread of heaven; drive him away from friendship, he will
meet the "friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Blast all his gourds,
and he will find shadow beneath the Rock of Ages; sap the foundation of
his earthly hopes, but his heart will still be fixed, trusting in the Lord.
The heart is as insatiable as the grave till Jesus enters it, and then it is a cup full
to overflowing. There is such a fulness in Christ that He alone is the
believer's all. The true saint is so completely satisfied with the
all-sufficiency of Jesus that he thirsts no more — except it be for deeper
draughts of the living fountain. In that sweet manner, believer, shalt thou
thirst; it shall not be a thirst of pain, but of loving desire; thou wilt find it a
sweet thing to be panting after a fuller enjoyment of Jesus' love.
One in days of yore said, "I have been sinking my bucket down into the well full
often, but now my thirst after Jesus has become so insatiable, that I long
to put the well itself to my lips, and drink right on." Is this the feeling of
thine heart now, believer? Dost thou feel that all thy desires are satisfied in
Jesus, and that thou hast no want now, but to know more of Him;, and to
have closer fellowship with Him? Then come continually to the fountain,
and take of the water of life freely. Jesus will never think you take too
much, but will ever welcome you, saying, "Drink, yea, drink abundantly,
O beloved." October 6 - Evening"He had married an Ethiopian woman." — Numbers 12:1
Strange choice of Moses, but how much more strange the choice of Him
who is a prophet like unto Moses, and greater than he! Our Lord, who is
fair as the lily, has entered into marriage union with one who confesses
herself to be black, because the sun has looked upon her. It is the wonder
of angels that the love of Jesus should be set upon poor, lost, guilty men.
Each believer must, when filled with a sense of Jesus' love, be also
overwhelmed with astonishment that such love should be lavished on an
object so utterly unworthy of it.
Knowing as we do our secret guiltiness,
unfaithfulness, and black-heartedness, we are dissolved in grateful
admiration of the matchless freeness and sovereignty of grace. Jesus must
have found the cause of His love in His own heart, He could not have
found it in us, for it is not there. Even since our conversion we have been
black, though grace has made us comely. Holy Rutherford said of himself
what we must each subscribe to — "His relation to me is, that I am sick,
and He is the Physician of whom I stand in need.
Alas! how often I play
fast and loose with Christ! He bindeth, I loose; He buildeth, I cast down; I
quarrel with Christ, and He agreeth with me twenty times a day!" Most
tender and faithful Husband of our souls, pursue Thy gracious work of
conforming us to Thine image, till Thou shalt present even us poor
Ethiops unto Thyself, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Moses
met with opposition because of his marriage, and both himself and his
spouse were the subjects of an evil eye. Can we wonder if this vain world
opposes Jesus and His spouse, and especially when great sinners are
converted? for this is ever the Pharisee's ground of objection, "This man
receiveth sinners." Still is the old cause of quarrel revived, "Because he had
married an Ethiopian woman." October 6 |