October 15—Morning—Philippians 4:3
"Whose names are in the book of life." —Philippians 4:3

How can we know this? It must be a blessed privilege, highly desirable to attain, if there is a truly scriptural testimony of it. That there is a book of life, in which the names of the people of the Lamb are recorded, is indisputable from many parts of Scripture. The church of the firstborn is said to have their names written in heaven, chosen by God in Christ before the world began. But these are secret things that belong to the Lord our God. Yet it is said, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant." So, isn’t the Bible a reflection of this book of life? Aren't there scriptural marks and characteristics given by which the correspondence is proven? In both, the people are distinguished by one and the same name and character. They are called the people, the seed, the offspring of Jesus. They are His by gift, by purchase, by conquest, and by voluntary surrender. They are known by their character as well as by name. They seek salvation only in Jesus. God is their Father, Jesus their Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit their sanctifier. My soul, see your name in the Bible's descriptions and characters, answering to this persuasion, and be assured that the original writing of the book of life in heaven and the book of God's word on earth are in perfect harmony. Blessed Jesus, grant me to know whose I am and to whom I belong, so I can be assured that my name is in the book of life.
 

October 15—Evening—Jeremiah 15:21
"And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible." —Jeremiah 15:21

My soul, have you ever considered the many ways of softening troubles? Sit down and learn from this sweet scripture. Here is a general promise that can be applied to specific circumstances, one that holds true in every situation. But first, remember that He who promises to deliver you from sorrow is the same who appoints the sorrow. "Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it." The Lord’s rod has a voice that speaks as well as corrects, and it is a mark of wisdom to listen, not just to feel. When we recognize the hand that appoints our trials, we can also observe the instruments through which the Lord works, the time and place, the means and the end, and thus discern love and grace—yes, even Jesus himself—in all things.

Whether the world crosses you, Satan tempts you, false friends oppose you, or even your own family is angry with you, know that all are but the Lord’s instruments. They are the sword, but the hand wielding it is the Lord’s. Though they may mean harm, God will bring good from it. Even if they cast you into prison, Jesus will be there with you. All things, all means, and all times are under His command and will serve His purposes. If there is a storm outside, Jesus has chambers to bring you into; if the affliction is within, Jesus can bring you through it. Even the very earth helped the woman when the enemy tried to overwhelm her with a flood. Whatever the storm may be, Jesus is at the helm. Like Joseph’s afflictions, these trials will work for good, and in the end, you will see that they were appointed in love.

So, my soul, take this simple yet sweet direction to heart: never look at the trial without also looking at the One who appointed it. Never view the affliction without looking through it to see the One standing behind it, guiding and directing all. It does not matter what the storm threatens, but what the Lord Jesus intends. It is not the purpose of the instrument that matters, but what Jesus has ordained. By keeping your eyes on Christ, even the greatest troubles will cause you little concern. He says, "I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible." How this will be accomplished is His concern, not yours. All you need to do is rest in the certainty of His promise, trusting in the great Promiser. The end will reveal that He can make "darkness light, and crooked things straight."

October 16—Morning—Song of Solomon 1:11
"We will make thee borders of gold, with studs of silver." —Song of Solomon 1:11

My soul, reflect on these words. What borders of gold are made for the believer but the robe of Jesus’s righteousness? And what silver, but the garment of His salvation? If you are clothed with this, my soul, you will shine with more radiance than any embroidery of gold or precious stones, which perish with time. But take notice, my soul, of who makes these garments and who puts them on you—surely it is none but God. Observe how all the persons of the Godhead are involved in this work: “We will make thee,” they say. Yes, the same Jehovah Elohim who said, “Let us make man,” in the original creation, now says at the new creation, “We will make thee borders of gold, with studs of silver.” Is it not the hand of God the Father in this gracious act, giving His Son to the poor sinner? Is it not Jesus who has wrought a robe of salvation for the poor sinner? And is it not the Holy Spirit who clothes the sinner in this blessed adornment, taking the things of Jesus and revealing them to him? Oh, precious testimony of a gracious God in Christ! Be it unto me, Lord, according to Your word. Let me be clothed and adorned with this righteousness, and I shall be happy now and forever.
 

October 16—Evening—Hebrews 13:12
"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood." —Hebrews 13:12

My soul, this evening take time to contemplate Jesus in His own blood, under the special act which this scripture highlights—sanctifying the people through the application of His precious blood. There is something deeply moving in this truth, though it is not always as commonly considered as it should be. That His blood is the only cleansing for sin is unquestionable; and that it is infinitely meritorious and eternally effective is equally true. But when you reflect further on the infinite purity of it—flowing from a heart that was altogether holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens—you glimpse a mystery too profound for our full understanding. Yet it serves to point to the immense preciousness, importance, and value of His blood.

But do not stop there. The union of the divine and human natures in Jesus gives both dignity and validity to His sacrifice, which He offered once for all, that He might sanctify His people. Even angels and all creation may find their understanding insufficient to grasp the full magnitude of this incredible mystery. Perhaps through all eternity, no created being will fully comprehend its depth. But, my soul, though you may not fully explain or conceive the infinite value of Jesus’s blood, you can still take this comforting and life-giving truth: His blood is so immeasurably powerful in its ability to pardon and cleanse that no sin—indeed, not all the sins of humanity combined—can stand against it.

Oh, precious, precious Jesus! Oh, precious, precious blood of Jesus, which cleanses from all sin! Let me hear, feel, and know my personal stake in this sweet promise of God in Christ, and my happiness will be secure forever: “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.” Amen! Amen! Let it be so.

October 17—Morning—Jeremiah 33:13
"And in the cities of Judah shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the Lord." —Jeremiah 33:13

See, my soul, what a blessed scripture is here. Meditate on it this morning. Whose hands can these be but Jesus’s? And whose are the flocks but His? Is He not called the Shepherd throughout Scripture—the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep? And would He give His life for sheep He didn’t know? Surely that is impossible. Moreover, didn’t the Father give them to Him? Didn’t He receive them from the Father? And didn’t He know and count them over when He received them? Jesus says, “I know my sheep, and am known by mine.”

Notice also that the flocks are said to pass again under His hands, a plain proof that they have passed before. Isn’t it also said that He counts them? Yes, “He calls them all by name, and leads them out, going before them.” And He says, “Of all that you have given Me, I have lost none.” What a precious scripture of a most precious Savior! How then can any be lost? If Jesus knew them when He received them, counted them over, set His seal upon them, and they must pass again under His Almighty hand, how could even one be found missing when He gathers His jewels? Poor weather-beaten, shorn lamb of Jesus’s fold, whoever you are, remember these things when wandering, cold, or in darkness, or on the mountains. Jesus will seek you out in the dark and cloudy day. He will bring you home, and you will lie in His bosom, and soon you will dwell with Him forever; for He is, He must, He will always be, Jesus.
 

October 17—Evening—Jeremiah 13:11
"As the girdle cleaves to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel, and the whole house of Judah," says the Lord, "that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory." —Jeremiah 13:11

See, my soul, the blessedness of witnessing to God and for God. His people, the Lord says, are called to be lights in the world, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Both Israel and Judah are included in what is said here, and by the figure of a girdle cleaving to the loins of a man—so close, so strongly bound, and extending all around—this image illustrates the nearness, firmness, and security in which the Lord’s people are brought into relationship with Him. Such were the Lord’s people of old—a people near to Him. As they were the Lord’s chosen ones, they were also dear to Him. He made the entire nation a kingdom of priests to the Lord, designed for His divine glory: “This people I have formed for myself; they shall declare my praise.”

Now, my soul, pause and contemplate the holy rapture and delight with which a child of God, under the new covenant, may look up and behold their nearness and dearness to God in Christ, through union with Jesus. Here, the image of the girdle, as beautiful as it is, cannot fully capture the oneness and union the believer shares with Jesus. The believer is not only made to cleave to Christ, as ivy clings to an oak, but, being part of Christ’s mystical body, is united to Him like a branch in the vine. The believer in Jesus is fully invested in all that is in Jesus—not only cleaving to Him but being part of Him—and is blessed in His blessedness. They are beheld, accepted, and loved by God the Father, as He loves Jesus.

Consider, my soul, what unspeakable joy arises from this one truth: that amidst all your coldness, wanderings, and failings, the Lord causes His people to cleave to Him. Even if a helpless child lets go of the one carrying it, the child will not fall because it is upheld by stronger arms. In the same way, the only reason you are supported and preserved from falling is because “the eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” It is the Lord who says, “I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cleave to me.”

Oh, what a name, what praise, and what glory will belong to the entire redeemed church of God in Christ when Jesus brings them all home and presents them to Himself and the Father as “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish before Him in love!”

October 18—Morning—Exodus 2:24
"And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant." —Exodus 2:24

This is a precious scripture. My soul, mark it well. No sigh, no groan, no tear of God’s people goes unnoticed by Him. He keeps the tears of His people in His bottle. Surely, He cannot overlook the sorrows of the soul that cause those tears. Our spiritual afflictions are known to Jesus, and He counts every one of them. How sweet the thought! The Spirit makes intercession for the saints with groanings too deep for words.

But observe, my soul, the true cause of deliverance. It is not our sighs, groanings, or brokenness of heart—for what can these contribute to a holy God? No, it is because of His own everlasting covenant. Yes, Jesus is the all-in-all of the covenant. God the Father has regard for Him—for His righteousness, for His atoning blood. It is for His sake that the groanings of God’s people find a hearing at the mercy seat and receive relief. God also respects His own word, His oath, and His promises to His dear Son.

Oh, what a blessed assurance! What a precious security! How could any poor, groaning child of God go unheard, unpardoned, or unrelieved, when there is double security: the sovereign grace of God the Father, His covenant word and oath, and the everlasting righteousness and atoning blood of God the Son? Here, my soul, rest—forever rest—in your sure claim to grace and glory.
 

October 18—Evening—1 Peter 5:8, 9
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are being accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." —1 Peter 5:8, 9

My soul, you know all too well, from the many wounds Satan has inflicted upon you, what a cruel, insidious, and powerful enemy you face. You also know how sadly unequal you are, in yourself, to resist his schemes. He is the prince of the power of the air; as a spirit, he is invisible, so you cannot see his approaches. He is a tremendous foe, full of envy, malice, subtlety, craft, and design. What makes him even more dangerous is that, within the corruptions and unbelief of your fallen nature, he has many allies to assist him in his wicked plans.

Where, then, is your strength to resist him? It cannot be in yourself, nor in your best efforts. The devil would laugh at such things—they are like feathers to the wind of his temptations. But listen to what the apostle says: "Resist him, steadfast in the faith." See here where your strength lies. Faith in Jesus is your only defense, and it is an unfailing one against all the fiery darts of the evil one. There is nothing Satan dreads more than the blood of the cross. There is nothing that defeats him except faith in Jesus’s blood.

Tell him of the blood that cleanses from all sin, and he will flee from you. This was the very power by which the holy armies in heaven cast down the accuser, who accused them before our God day and night: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 12:9-11). This same power will give you victory now. Faith in the blood of the cross is the grace by which we have access to God. By faith, the soul looks to Jesus. By faith, the soul steadfastly rests on Jesus. By faith, the devil is resisted as we take confidence in the full and complete redemption that Jesus accomplished on the cross.

So, my soul, always look to the cross. As your faith honors Jesus, Jesus will honor you. This will be the banner that the Spirit of Jehovah raises when the enemy comes in like a flood (Isaiah 59:19). Oh, the triumphs of the cross! “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb.”