December 5

Morning

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. — Matt 7:7 BSB

There is a place in England, still standing, where anyone who asks can receive a piece of bread. Whoever the traveler may be, they need only knock at the door of St. Cross Hospital, and bread will be given to them. Jesus Christ loves sinners so much that He has built a spiritual “St. Cross Hospital,” where any sinner who hungers need only knock, and their needs will be supplied.

But He has done more than that. He has added a bath to this Hospital of the Cross—so that any soul, no matter how filthy or stained, can go there and be cleansed. The fountain is always full, always effective. No sinner has ever come to it and found it lacking in power to wash away their sins. Stains as deep as scarlet or crimson have been completely removed, and the sinner has emerged whiter than snow!

As if that weren’t enough, this Hospital of the Cross also includes a wardrobe. Any sinner, coming just as they are, may be clothed from head to toe! And if they wish to serve as a soldier, they can not only be dressed for daily life but also receive armor that will cover them from head to foot. If they ask for a sword, it will be given to them, along with a shield. Nothing good for them will be withheld. They will have provision for life’s journey and an eternal inheritance of glorious riches when they enter the joy of their Lord.

If all these things can be had by merely knocking at mercy’s door, then, O my soul, knock boldly this morning and ask for great things from your generous Lord. Do not leave the throne of grace until all your needs are laid before Him and you have the assurance, by faith, that they will all be met. Let no timidity hold you back when Jesus invites. Let no doubt hinder you when Jesus promises. Let no coldness of heart restrain you when such blessings are to be received!

Evening

Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. — Zech 1:20 BSB

In the vision described in this chapter, the prophet saw four terrible horns. They were pushing in all directions, tearing down the strongest and mightiest, and the prophet asked, “What are these?” The answer was, “These are the horns that have scattered Israel.” Before him was a representation of the powers that had oppressed the people of God. There were four horns because the church is attacked from every direction.

The prophet may have been filled with fear at this sight, but then he saw four carpenters. He asked, “What are these going to do?” The answer: “These are the men God has sent to break those horns to pieces!” God will always raise up the right people for His work, and He will do so at the perfect time. The prophet didn’t see the carpenters first, when there was nothing for them to do—first came the horns, then came the carpenters.

Moreover, God provides enough workers. He didn’t send three carpenters when there were four horns. He sent exactly the number needed—four carpenters to deal with four horns. And He chose the right people for the job, not men with pens to write or architects to draw plans, but carpenters to do the rough work of breaking down those horns. So, take heart, you who tremble for the safety of God’s church. When the horns of opposition rise, God will always send the carpenters to tear them down. Don’t worry about the apparent weakness of the church in any given moment; God may already be preparing a mighty reformer in obscurity, someone who will rise and shake the nations! From the poorest schools or the darkest corners of London’s poverty, God may raise up a new Chrysostom or Augustine. The Lord knows exactly where to find His servants. He has a hidden army of mighty men, and at His command, they will rise and go to battle. “The battle is the Lord’s,” and He will surely win the victory. Let us remain faithful to Christ, and He will provide our defense, whether in our personal trials or in times of danger for His church!