July 20

Morning

who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory. — Eph 1:14 BSB

Oh, what light, what joy, what consolation, what delight of heart is experienced by those who have learned to feed on Jesus and Jesus alone! Yet, even the sweetness of Christ that we taste in this life is imperfect. As one old writer said, “It’s just a taste!” We have only tasted that “the Lord is good,” but we don’t yet fully know how good and gracious He truly is. What little we do know makes us hunger for more. We’ve enjoyed the first fruits, but they’ve only made us thirst for the fullness of the heavenly harvest. Here, we are like the Israelites in the wilderness, who carried only one cluster of grapes from the promised land. There, we will be in the vineyard itself!

We’re just beginners now in our spiritual education. We’ve only learned the letters of the alphabet. We can’t yet read full words, much less sentences. As someone once said, “He who has been in heaven for just five minutes knows more than all the theologians on earth!”

For now, we have many unfulfilled desires. But soon, every longing will be satisfied, and all our abilities will find perfect fulfillment in that eternal world of joy. O Christian, in a short while, you will be rid of all your trials and troubles. Your tear-filled eyes will weep no more. You will gaze in unspeakable joy upon the splendor of Him who sits on the throne! And more than that—you will sit with Him on His throne! You will share in His glory. His crown, His joy, His paradise—all will be yours! You are a co-heir with Him who is the heir of all things!

Evening

Now what will you gain on your way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates? — Jer 2:18 BSB

Through miraculous deeds, countless mercies, and marvelous deliverances, God proved Himself to be worthy of Israel’s trust. Yet, despite all this, Israel broke down the protective walls that God had placed around them, forsaking their true and living God and chasing after false idols. Time and again, the Lord rebuked them for this foolishness. Our text is one such example, where God asks, “Why do you go down to Egypt to drink the muddy waters of the Nile?” In other words, “Why do you leave the pure and refreshing streams of Lebanon to drink from the filthy river? Why do you reject what is good and wholesome and chase after what is evil and deceitful?”

Isn’t there a warning here for the Christian as well? Believer, you’ve been called by grace and washed in the precious blood of Jesus. You’ve tasted far better water than the muddy river of this world’s pleasures! You’ve experienced fellowship with Christ, the joy of seeing Jesus and resting in His love. Can the trifles, songs, honors, and amusements of this earth satisfy you after that? Have you eaten the bread of angels and now crave the food of pigs? Samuel Rutherford once said, “I have tasted of Christ’s own manna, and it has put my mouth out of taste for the brown bread of this world’s joys.” Shouldn’t it be the same for you?

If you’ve been wandering after the muddy waters of this world, return quickly to the living fountain! The waters of the Nile may be sweet to the Egyptians, but they will only bring bitterness to you. Why should you seek them? Jesus asks you this question tonight—how will you answer Him?