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March 15 |
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Morning Reading |
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Evening
Reading |
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"Be strong in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus." |
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2 Timothy 2:1 |
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Christ has grace without measure in himself,
but he hath not retained it for himself. As the
reservoir empties itself into the pipes, so hath Christ
emptied out his grace for his people.
"Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for
grace." He seems only to have in order to dispense
to us. He stands like the fountain, always flowing, but
only running in order to supply the empty pitchers and
the thirsty lips which draw nigh unto it. Like a tree,
he bears sweet fruit, not to hang on boughs, but to be
gathered by those who need. Grace, whether its work be
to pardon, to cleanse, to preserve, to strengthen, to
enlighten, to quicken, or to restore, is ever to be had
from him freely and without price; nor is there one form
of the work of grace which he has not bestowed upon his
people. As the blood of the body, though flowing from
the heart, belongs equally to every member, so the
influences of grace are the inheritance of every saint
united to the Lamb; and herein there is a sweet
communion between Christ and his Church, inasmuch as
they both receive the same grace. Christ is the head
upon which the oil is first poured; but the same oil
runs to the very skirts of the garments, so that the
meanest saint has an unction of the same costly moisture
as that which fell upon the head. This is true communion
when the sap of grace flows from the stem to the branch,
and when it is perceived that the stem itself is
sustained by the very nourishment which feeds the
branch. As we day by day receive grace from Jesus, and
more constantly recognize it as coming from him, we
shall behold him in communion with us, and enjoy the
felicity of communion with him. Let us make daily use of
our riches, and ever repair to him as to our own Lord in
covenant, taking from him the supply of all we need with
as much boldness as men take money from their own purse. |
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Evening Reading |
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"He did it with all his heart and
prospered." |
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2 Chronicles 31:21 |
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This is no unusual
occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral universe
that those men prosper who do their work with all their
hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to
their labour leaving half their hearts behind them. God
does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of
thistles, nor is he pleased to send wealth to those who
will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure. It
is universally confessed that if a man would prosper, he
must be diligent in business. It is the same in religion
as it is in other things. If you would prosper in your
work for Jesus, let it be heart work, and let it
be done with all your heart. Put as much force,
energy, heartiness, and earnestness into religion as
ever you do into business, for it deserves far more. The
Holy Spirit helps our infirmities, but he does not
encourage our idleness; he loves active believers. Who
are the most useful men in the Christian church? The men
who do what they undertake for God with all their
hearts. Who are the most successful Sabbath-school
teachers? The most talented? No; the most zealous; the
men whose hearts are on fire, those are the men who see
their Lord riding forth prosperously in the majesty of
his salvation. Whole-heartedness shows itself in
perseverance; there may be failure at first, but the
earnest worker will say, "It is the Lord's work, and it
must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in his
strength I will accomplish it." Christian, art thou thus
"with all thine heart" serving thy Master? Remember the
earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work was his! He
could say,
"The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."
When he sweat great drops of blood, it was no light
burden he had to carry upon those blessed shoulders; and
when he poured out his heart, it was no weak effort he
was making for the salvation of his people. Was Jesus in
earnest, and are we lukewarm? |
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