January 26

Morning

Your heavenly Father. — Matt 6:26

God’s people are doubly His children, they are His offspring by creation, and they are His sons by adoption in Christ. Hence they are privileged to call Him, “Our Father in heaven.”

Father! Oh, what precious word is that!

Here is authority: “If I am a Father—where is my honor?” If you are sons, where is your obedience?

Here is affection mingled with authority; an authority which does not provoke rebellion; an obedience demanded which is most cheerfully rendered—which would not be withheld, even if it might. The obedience which God’s children yield to Him, must be loving obedience. Do not go about the service of God as slaves to their taskmaster’s toil but run in the way of His commands, because it is your Father’s way. Yield your bodies as instruments of righteousness, because righteousness is your Father’s will, and His will should be the will of His child.

Father! Here is a kingly attribute so sweetly veiled in love, that the King’s crown is forgotten in the King’s face, and His scepter becomes, not a rod of iron but a silver scepter of mercy—the scepter indeed seems to be forgotten in the tender hand of Him who wields it!

Father! Here is honor and love. How great is a Father’s love to his children! That which friendship cannot do, and mere benevolence will not attempt—a father’s heart and hand must do for his sons. They are his offspring—he must bless them; they are his children—he must show himself strong in their defense. If an earthly father watches over his children with unceasing love and care—how much more does our heavenly Father?

Abba, Father! He who can say this, has uttered better music than cherubim or seraphim can reach! There is heaven in the depth of that word—Father! There is all I can ask; all my necessities can demand; all my wishes can desire. I have all in all to all eternity when I can say, Father!

Evening

All they that heard it wondered at those things. — Luke 2:18

We must not cease to wonder at the great marvels of our God. It would be very difficult to draw a line between holy wonder and real worship; for when the soul is overwhelmed with the majesty of God’s glory, though it may not express itself in song, or even utter its voice with bowed head in humble prayer—yet it silently adores. Our incarnate God is to be worshiped as “the Wonderful.”

That God should consider His fallen creature, man, and instead of sweeping him away with the broom of destruction, should Himself undertake to be man’s Redeemer, and to pay his ransom price—is, indeed marvelous! But to each believer, redemption is most marvelous—as he views it in relation to himself. It is a miracle of grace indeed, that Jesus should forsake the thrones and royalties above, to suffer ignominiously below for you! Let your soul lose itself in wonder, for wonder is in this way, a very practical emotion. Holy wonder will lead you to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving. It will cause within you godly watchfulness; you will be afraid to sin against such a love as this.

Feeling the presence of the mighty God in the gift of His dear Son, you will put off your shoes from your feet, because the place whereon you stand is holy ground. You will be moved at the same time to glorious hope. If Jesus has done such marvelous things on your behalf, you will feel that heaven itself is not too great for your expectation. Who can be astonished at anything—when he has once been astonished at the manger and the cross! What is there wonderful left— after one has seen the Savior! Dear reader, it may be that from the quietness and solitariness of your life, you are scarcely able to imitate the shepherds of Bethlehem, who told what they had seen and heard but you can, at least, fill up the circle of the worshipers before the throne, by astonishment at what God has done!