Category: Devotion of the Day

BEHOLD YOUR SAVIOR COME!

Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:29

We often hear these days the question, “What is the world coming to?” It is an interesting subject and most of the discussion relieves the speakers but not the situation. The chief theme of the Gospel is not what the world is coming to but rather the One who has come to the world.

It is also very popular now to behold the sin of the world. There never was more of it and it never was more evident. But John the Baptist was pointing out the cure for sin, the Lamb who came to take it away.

Of course, there is a very real sense in which men need to see their sin and themselves to be sinners. There had not been enough preaching on sin with that in view. But the Gospel is Good News that the problem of our sin finds its answer in the person of God’s Son. He has been made sin – not a sinner or sinful, but sin – for us, though He knew no sin, that we might be made righteousness of God in Him.

Let us not be so taken up with beholding the sin of the world that we do not behold Him who came to take it away.

HOLY QUIETNESS

Study to be quiet.
I Thessalonians 4:11

One of our national leaders some years ago expressed doubt as to whether there could have been a Constitution of the United States if the Convention had been currently reported by radio, telegraph, and newspapers over the thirteen colonies. Now, with television added, he might wonder some more. The tempo of the times and our publicity gadgets have had a devastating effect on contemplation and deliberation. It shows up in the documents and dissertations we are turning out.

Unless somebody gets still long enough to hear from God we are going to have scant word from heaven these days. Our Lord made the people sit down before He fed them. Samuel said to Saul, “Stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.” We are all living in a commotion and we do not know how to break out of the frenzy. Solitude is maddening to us, for we run in herds.

Habakkuk was in a stew of complaint about the times until he got off to his tower to hear what God would say. In our text Paul is calming some overexcited saints – and we could take a few lessons today!