January 22

Morning

Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? — Ezek 15:2

“Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree?” Ezekiel 15:2

These words are for the humbling of God’s people; they are called God’s grapevine but what are they by nature more than others? They, by God’s goodness, have become fruitful, having been planted in a good soil; the Lord has trained them upon the walls of the sanctuary, and they bring forth fruit to His glory. But what are they without their God? What are they without the continual influence of the Spirit, begetting fruitfulness in them?

O believer, learn to reject pride, seeing that you have no ground for it. Whatever you are—you have nothing to make you proud. The more you have—the more you are in debt to God and you should not be proud of that which renders you a debtor. Consider your origin—look back to what you were. Consider what you would have been but for divine grace! Look upon yourself as you are now. Does not your conscience reproach you? Do not your thousand wanderings stand before you, and tell you that you are unworthy to be called God’s son? And if He has made you anything, are you not taught thereby that it is grace which has made you to differ? Great believer—you would have been a great sinner—if God had not made you to differ! O you who are valiant for truth—you would have been as valiant for error—if grace had not laid hold upon you. Therefore, be not proud, though you have a large estate—a wide domain of grace—for once, you had not a single thing to call your own—except your sin and misery! Oh! strange infatuation, that you—who have borrowed everything, should think of exalting yourself! That you—a poor dependent pensioner upon the bounty of your Savior, one who has a life which dies without fresh streams of life from Jesus and yet proud! Fie on you, O silly heart!

“What makes you better than anyone else? What do you have—that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God—why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?” 1 Corinthians 4:7

Evening

Doth Job fear God for nought? — Job 1:9

This was the wicked question of Satan, concerning that upright man of old but there are many in the present day concerning whom it might be asked with justice, for they love God after a fashion, because He prospers them; but if things went badly with them—they would give up all their boasted faith in God. If they can clearly see that since the time of their supposed conversion, the world has gone prosperously with them, then they will love God in their poor carnal way; but if they endure adversity, they rebel against the Lord. Their love is the love of the table, not of the host; a love to the cupboard, not to the master of the house.

As for the true Christian, he expects to have his reward in the next life, and to endure hardness in this life. The promise of the old covenant—is prosperity; but the promise of the new covenant—is adversity. Remember Christ’s words, “Every branch that produces fruit,” What? “He prunes it, that it may bring forth fruit.” If you bring forth fruit—you will have to endure the pruning knife.

“Alas!” you say, “that is a terrible prospect.” But this affliction works out such precious results, that the Christian who is the subject of it must learn to rejoice in tribulations, because as his tribulations abound—so his consolations abound by Christ Jesus. Rest assured, if you are a child of God, you will be no stranger to the “rod”! Sooner or later, every bar of gold must pass through the fire. Fear not but rather rejoice that such fruitful times are in store for you, for in them you will be weaned from earth and made fit for heaven; you will be delivered from clinging to the present world, and made to long for those eternal things which are so soon to be revealed to you. When you feel that as regards the present, you serve God for nothing—you will then rejoice in the infinite reward of the future.