Morning By Morning #75

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:1

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

In Christ is grace beyond measure, but He has not kept it to Himself. Just as a lake’s reservoir is emptied through its pipes into the river, Christ has poured out His grace to His people. “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another” (John 1:16). It’s as though He has grace for only one purpose—to give it to us. He is like a continual fountain, always flowing, in order to supply His empty pitchers and to quench the thirsty lips that come to Him. He is like a tree that bears the sweetest fruit, not to hang beautifully on its limbs, but to be gathered and eaten by those who are in need.

His grace, whether used to pardon, to cleanse, to strengthen, to enlighten, to restore, or to make us alive in Him, is always freely available to us. Not only is there no cost to us for His grace, but there is not one work of His grace He has not bestowed on His people.

Just as the blood pumped by my heart belongs equally to every part of my body, the works of God’s grace are the inheritance of every saint united with the Lamb. Because of this there is the closest and sweetest communion possible between Christ and His church, for they both receive and share the same grace. The oil of grace is first poured upon His head, but that same oil flows to the very hem of His robe. In this way even the very lowest saint has the same anointing power of that same costly oil that first poured onto His head.

True communion is experienced when the sap of grace flows from the stem to the branch, and when there is the recognition that the very nourishment that feeds the branch sustains even the stem itself. As we receive grace from Jesus day after day and begin to continually recognize it as coming from Him, we will truly discern the fact He is communing with us and will more fully enjoy that communion.

In light of this may we daily make full use of our riches in Him, always going to Him as our own covenant Lord. May we receive from Him who is our Source all we could ever need, but with the boldness and confidence people use to take money from their own pockets.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Our God gives liberally to His children, for we are heirs of Him who says, “Every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills…The world is mine, and all that is in it” (Ps. 50:10, 12). May we meditate on the following verses this morning as we consider His greatness:

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Ps. 23:5). “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit” (Eph. 3:16). “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Eph. 3:20 – 21).