November 9 - Morning"So walk ye in Him." — Colossians 2:6
If we have received Christ Himself in our inmost hearts, our new life will
manifest its intimate acquaintance with Him by a walk of faith in Him.
Walking implies action. Our religion is not to be confined to our closet; we
must carry out into practical effect that which we believe. If a man walks
in Christ, then he so acts as Christ would act; for Christ being in him, his
hope, his love, his joy, his life, he is the reflex of the image of Jesus; and
men say of that man, "He is like his Master; he lives like Jesus Christ."
Walking signifies progress. "So walk ye in Him"; proceed from grace to
grace, run forward until you reach the uttermost degree of knowledge that a
man can attain concerning our Beloved. Walking implies continuance.
There must be a perpetual abiding in Christ. How many Christians think
that in the morning and evening they ought to come into the company of
Jesus, and may then give their hearts to the world all the day: but this is
poor living; we should always be with Him, treading in His steps and
doing His will. Walking also implies habit. When we speak of a man's walk
and conversation, we mean his habits, the constant tenour of his life. Now,
if we sometimes enjoy Christ, and then forget Him; sometimes call Him
ours, and anon lose our hold, that is not a habit; we do not walk in Him.
We must keep to Him, cling to Him, never let Him go, but live and have
our being in Him. "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye
in Him"; persevere in the same way in which ye have begun, and, as at the
first Christ Jesus was the trust of your faith, the source of your life, the
principle of your action, and the joy of your spirit, so let Him be the same
till life's end; the same when you walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, and enter into the joy and the rest which remain for the people of
God. O Holy Spirit, enable us to obey this heavenly precept. November 9 - Evening"His place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure." — Isaiah 33:16
Do you doubt, O Christian, do you doubt as to whether God will fulfil His
promise? Shall the munitions of rock be carried by storm? O Shall the
storehouses of heaven fail? Do you think that your heavenly Father,
though He knoweth that you have need of food and raiment, will yet forget
you? When not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father, and the
very hairs of your head are all numbered, will you mistrust and doubt
Him? Perhaps your affliction will continue upon you till you dare to trust
your God, and then it shall end. Full many there be who have been tried
and sore vexed till at last they have been driven in sheer desperation to
exercise faith in God, and the moment of their faith has been the instant of
their deliverance; they have seen whether God would keep His promise or
not.
Oh, I pray you, doubt Him no longer! Please not Satan, and vex not
yourself by indulging any more those hard thoughts of God. Think it not a
light matter to doubt Jehovah. Remember, it is a sin; and not a little sin
either, but in the highest degree criminal. The angels never doubted Him,
nor the devils either: we alone, out of all the beings that God has fashioned,
dishonour Him by unbelief, and tarnish His honour by mistrust.
Shame
upon us for this! Our God does not deserve to be so basely suspected; in
our past life we have proved Him to be true and faithful to His word, and
with so many instances of His love and of His kindness as we have
received, and are daily receiving, at His hands, it is base and inexcusable
that we suffer a doubt to sojourn within our heart. May we henceforth
wage constant war against doubts of our God — enemies to our peace and
to His honour; and with an unstaggering faith believe that what He has
promised He will also perform. "Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief." November 9 |