November 14

Morning

those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom, — Zeph 1:5 BSB

Some people thought they were safe because they played both sides—they followed Jehovah and also bowed to Molech. But such double-mindedness is detestable to God! He despises hypocrisy. The idolater who wholeheartedly gives himself to a false god has one less sin than the one who brings his filthy offerings to the temple of the Lord while his heart belongs to the world.

Even in daily life, a double-minded person is despised, but in matters of faith, they are loathsome to the highest degree. The penalty in the verse before us is severe but well deserved. Should divine justice spare the one who knows the truth, approves of it, professes to follow it, and yet loves evil and gives it dominion over their heart?

My soul, examine yourself this morning. Are you guilty of double-dealing with God? You claim to follow Jesus—do you truly love Him? Is your heart right with God? Are you part of the family of Honest John, or are you a relative of Mr. By-ends? A mere profession of faith is worthless if I’m still dead in sin. To have one foot on the land of truth and the other on the sea of falsehood will only end in disaster. Christ will be everything—or nothing.

If God truly reigns in my heart, there will be no room for another ruler. Do I rest only in Jesus crucified, and live only for Him? Is this my desire? If so, praise be to the mighty grace that has brought me to salvation! If not—O Lord, forgive my offense and unite my heart to fear Your name!

Evening

Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older. — Gen 29:26 BSB

We don’t excuse Laban for his dishonesty, but there’s something to learn from the custom he used as his excuse. Some things must come in order, and if you want the second, you must first secure the first. The second may seem more desirable to you, but the law of the heavenly kingdom stands—the elder must be married first.

For example, many desire the beautiful Rachel of joy and peace, but first, they must wed the bleary-eyed Leah of repentance. Everyone wants happiness, and many would gladly serve twice seven years to get it. But in God’s kingdom, holiness must first be embraced before true happiness can be attained.

Heaven doesn’t come first but second, and only by enduring to the end can we inherit it. The cross must be borne before the crown can be worn! We must follow our Lord in His suffering, or we will never share His glory.

My soul, are you so foolish as to think you can bypass God’s order? Do you expect rewards without effort, or honor without labor? Put away such idle expectations, and willingly accept the hard things for the love of Jesus, which will reward you for all. With this spirit of labor and endurance, you will find that bitter things become sweet and hard things grow easy. Like Jacob, your years of service will seem like only a few days because of your love for Jesus. And when the time of the wedding feast comes, all your toil will feel as though it never happened! One hour with Jesus will make up for ages of pain and labor!