Category: Devotion of the Day

JESUS, MASTER

If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord…
Romans 10:9

In his journal, John Wesley tells us that, a few days after Aldersgate, he awoke with “Jesus, Master” in his heart and in his mouth. The true believer acknowledges Jesus not only as His Saviour but as Lord of his life. We have a strange species of believer these days, a believer who confesses Christ as Saviour but whose life rejects Him as Master. The New Testament presents no such anomaly as a Christian who “takes” Christ now for salvation and defers obeying Him as Lord until later, maybe never. The initial confession set forth in our text is “Jesus As Lord.”

If this were made clear to our “prospects” these days, and if they understood that a believer is also expected to be a disciple and a witness, it might drive away some, but we would not be embarrassed by a host of church members who call Him Lord, Lord, and do not His commandments.

John Wesley started right with “Jesus, Master” in His heart as well as in his mouth.

CONFIDENCE AND CARE

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
I Peter 5:7

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.
Hebrews 10:35

Alas, we reverse the process: we cast away our confidence and carry all our care! It is His desire that we roll all our burden on Him and be careful for nothing. But we are so cumbered with ourselves that our minds are never free to be occupied with Him. If we can let Him take care of our problems while we attend to His work, we shall find our hearts free from that friction that cuts down our service to such a bare minimum. We get so little done for Him, our production is so pitiful, because everything goes into “overhead” and oiling the machinery. Most of our time and energy go into carrying what God asked us to cast on Him. And our confidence, the one thing He said to keep, we cast away.

You keep your confidence: He’ll keep your cares!