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.