Morning, March 17 Go To Evening Reading
“Remember the poor.”
—Galatians 2:10
Why does God allow so many of his children to be poor? He could make them all rich if he pleased; he could lay bags of gold at their doors; he could send them a significant annual income; or he could scatter around their houses an abundance of provisions, as once he made the quails lie in heaps round the camp of Israel, and rained bread out of heaven to feed them. There is no necessity that they should be poor, except that he sees it to be best. “The cattle upon a thousand hills are his”—he could supply them; he could make the richest, the greatest, and the mightiest bring all their power and riches to the feet of his children, for the hearts of all men are in his control. But he does not choose to do so; he allows them to suffer want; he will enable them to pine in penury and obscurity. Why is this? There are many reasons: one is to give us, who are favored with enough, an opportunity of showing our love to Jesus. We offer our devotion to Christ when we sing of him and when we pray to him, but if there were no sons of need in the world, we should lose the sweet privilege of evidencing our love by ministering in alms-giving to his poorer brethren; he has ordained that thus we should prove that our passion standeth not in word only, but in deed and in truth. If we truly love Christ, we shall care for those who are loved by him. Those who are dear to him will be dear to us. Let us then look upon it not as a duty but as a privilege to relieve the poor of the Lord’s flock—remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, “Since ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Indeed this assurance is sweet enough, and this motive is strong enough to lead us to help others with a willing hand and a loving heart—recollecting that all we do for his people is graciously accepted by Christ as done to himself.
Go To Morning Reading Evening, March 17
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
—Matthew 5:9
This is the seventh of the beatitudes: and seven was the number of perfection among the Hebrews. The Saviour placed the peacemaker seventh on the list because he most nearly approaches the perfect man in Christ Jesus. He who would have perfect blessedness, so far as it can be enjoyed on earth, must attain this seventh benediction and become a peacemaker. There is significance also in the position of the text. The verse which precedes it speaks of the blessedness of “the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” It is well to understand that we are to be “first pure, then peaceable.” Our peaceableness is never to be compact with sin or tolerating evil. We must set our faces like flints against everything contrary to God and his holiness: purity being in our souls a settled matter, we can go on to peaceableness. Not less does the verse that follows seem to have been put there on purpose. However peaceable we may be in this world, we shall be misrepresented and misunderstood: and no marvel, for even the Prince of Peace, by his very peacefulness, brought fire upon the earth. He, though he loved mankind, and did no ill, was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Lest, therefore, the peaceable in heart should be surprised when they meet with enemies; it is added in the following verse, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Thus, the peacemakers are not only pronounced to be blessed but are also compassed about with blessings. Lord, give us the grace to climb to this seventh beatitude! Purify our minds that we may be “first pure, then peaceable,” and fortify our souls so that our peaceableness may not lead us into cowardice and despair when we are persecuted for thy sake.
Spurgeon, C. H. Morning and Evening: Daily Readings. London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896. Print.
March 17: Letting Evil Burn
Numbers 19:1–20:13; 1 Corinthians 2:1–16; Psalm 18:13–30
“And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying … ‘let them take you a red heifer without a physical defect …. And you will give it to Eleazar, the priest, and it will … be slaughtered in his presence. Then Eleazar, the priest, will take some of its blood on his finger and spatter it toward the mouth of the tent of assembly seven times. The heifer will be burned in his sight; its skin, meat, and blood, in addition to its offal, will burn’ ” (Num 19:1–4).
This passage is so strange and gruesome it is clearly symbolic. The heifer represents the perfect, unblemished sacrifice—which takes care of some (not all) of the purification associated with things Yahweh deemed unclean to teach His people obedience and some of the results of sin (Num 19:9).
Also, the heifer is burned because it has to be made into ashes. This beautiful creature becomes ashes. That’s the cost of an impure life: good has to become worthless. The only way to purge impurities is to burn them away. Then what has been purified through fire (and then water) can be used (Num 19:9–10). The passage describes several uses of this practice (e.g., Num 19:11–13).
All of our lives include things that go against God’s will, and these things must burn. We must let the Spirit work in us to empower us to remove them. And there’s good news: Jesus has already done the great work of conquering sin in the world. There is no more need for the red heifer because Jesus’ sacrifice (His death) paid for our problems. He wasn’t the symbol of the gift, like the heifer; He was the sacrifice itself.
God calls us to the great race of running toward Him—for Him—to honor what Christ has done among us. So let’s let the evil burn.
What is God calling you to burn?
John D. Barry
Barry, John D., and Rebecca Kruyswijk. Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Print. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012.
March 17th
The worker’s ruling passion
Wherefore we labor, that, … we may be accepted of Him. 2 Cor. 5:9.
“Wherefore we labor….” It is arduous work to keep the master ambition in front. It means holding one’s self to the high ideal year in and year out, not being ambitious to win souls, establish churches, or have revivals, but being ambitious only to be “accepted of Him.” Not lack of spiritual experience leads to failure, but lack of laboring to keep the ideal right. Once a week, take stock before God, and see whether you are keeping your life up to the standard He wishes. Paul is like a musician who does not heed the audience's approval if he can catch the look of support from his Master.
Any ambition in the tiniest degree away from this central one of being “approved unto God” may end in our being castaways. Learn to discern where the industry leads, and you will see why living to face the Lord Jesus Christ is necessary. Paul says—Lest my body should make me take another line, I am constantly watching so that I may bring it into subjection and keep it under. (1 Cor. 9:27.)
I have to learn to relate everything to the master ambition and to maintain it without any cessation. My worth to God in public is what I am in private. Is my master ambition to please Him and be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how noble?
Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest: Selections for the Year. Grand Rapids, MI: Oswald Chambers Publications; Marshall Pickering, 1986. Print.
March 17
They rest not day and night
Rev. 4:8
O blessed rest! When we rest not day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!” When we shall rest from sin, but not from worship; from suffering and sorrow, but not from joy! O blessed day, when I shall rest with God; when I shall rest in knowing, loving, rejoicing, and praising; when my perfect soul and body shall together perfectly enjoy the most excellent God; when God, who is love itself, shall ideally love me, and rest in His love to me, and I shall sleep in my passion to Him; when He shall rejoice over me with joy, and joy over me with singing, and I shall rejoice in Him!
Baxter
Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.
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