January 16

Morning

I will help thee, saith the Lord. — Isa 41:14

This morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: “I Myself will help you.” “It is but a small thing for Me, your God, to help you. Consider what I have done already. What! not help you? Why, I bought you with My blood. What! not help you? I have died for you! And if I have done the greater—will I not do the lesser? Help you! It is the least thing I will ever do for you; I have done more, and will do more. Before the world began I chose you. I made the covenant for you. I laid aside My glory and became a man for you. I gave up My life for you. And if I did all this, I will surely help you now. In helping you, I am giving you what I have bought for you already. If you had need of a thousand times as much help—I would give it to you. You require little compared with what I am ready to give. It is much for you to need but it is nothing for me to bestow. ‘Help you?’ Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of your granary, asking for help—it would not ruin you to give him a handful of your wheat! Just so, you are nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My all-sufficiency. ‘I Myself will help you.’”

O my soul, is not this enough? Do you need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Do you need more wisdom than exists in the Father? Do you need more love than displays itself in the Son? Do you need more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring your empty pitcher here! Surely this well will fill it. Haste, gather up your needs, and bring them here—your emptiness, your woes, your troubles. Behold, this river of God is full for your supply. What more can you desire? Go forth, my soul, in this your might. The Eternal God is your helper!

“Fear not, I am with you, oh, be not dismayed! I, I am your God, and will still give you aid.”

Evening

The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself. — Dan 9:26

Blessed be His name, there was no cause for death in Himself. Neither original nor actual sin had defiled Him and therefore death had no claim upon Him. No man could have taken His life from Him justly, for He had done no man wrong; and no man could even have slain Him by force—unless He had been pleased to yield Himself to die. But lo, one sins and another suffers. Justice was offended by us but found its satisfaction in Him. Rivers of tears, mountains of offerings, seas of the blood of bullocks, and hills of frankincense, could not have availed for the removal of sin; but Jesus was cut off for us, and the cause of wrath was cut off at once—for sin was put away forever.

Herein is wisdom, whereby substitution, the sure and speedy way of atonement, was devised! Herein is condescension, which brought Messiah, the Prince, to wear a crown of thorns, and die upon the cross! Herein is love, which led the Redeemer to lay down His life for His enemies! It is not enough, however, to admire the spectacle of the innocent—bleeding for the guilty, we must make sure of our interest therein. The special object of the Messiah’s death was the salvation of His church—have we a part and a lot among those for whom He gave His life a ransom? Did the Lord Jesus stand as our representative? Are we healed by His stripes? It will be a terrible thing indeed—if we would come short of a portion in His sacrifice; it were better for us that we had never been born.

Solemn as the question is, it is a joyful circumstance, that it is one which may be answered clearly and without mistake. To all who believe on Him—the Lord Jesus is a present Savior; and upon them all the blood of reconciliation has been sprinkled. Let all who trust in the merit of Messiah’s death, be joyful at every remembrance of Him, and let their holy gratitude lead them to the fullest consecration to His cause.