Morning    “Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.”

Matthew 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.

 

 

Evening    “And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their

masters’ table.”

Matthew 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.