May 7
LET NO EVIL REMAIN
"And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand:
that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and show thee
mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath
sworn unto thy fathers" Deut. 13:17
Israel must conquer idolatrous cities, and destroy all the spoil,
regarding all that had been polluted by idolatry as an accursed thing
to be burned with fire. Now, sin of all sorts must be treated by
Christians in the same manner. We must not allow a single evil habit
to remain. It is now war to the knife with sins of all sorts and
sizes, whether of the body, the mind, or the spirit. We do not look
upon this giving up of evil as deserving mercy, but we regard it as a
fruit of the grace of God, which we would on no account miss.
When God causes us to have no mercy on our sins, then He has great
mercy on us. When we are angry with evil, God is no more angry with
us. When we multiply our efforts against iniquity, the Lord multiplies
our blessings. The way of peace, of growth, of safety, of joy in
Christ Jesus, will be found by following out these words: "There shall
nought of the cursed thing cleave to thine hand." Lord, purify me this
day. Compassion, prosperity, increase, and joy, will surely be given
to those who put away sin with solemn resolution.