Evening, June 28
Go To Morning Reading
“But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”
Exodus 7:12
This incident is an instructive emblem of the sure victory of the
divine handiwork over all opposition. Whenever a divine principle
is cast into the heart, though the devil may fashion a counterfeit,
and produce swarms of opponents, as sure as ever God is in the work,
it will swallow up all its foes. If God’s grace takes possession of a man, the world’s magicians may throw down all their rods; and every rod may be as
cunning and poisonous as a serpent, but Aaron’s rod will swallow up their rods. The sweet attractions of the cross
will woo and win the man’s heart, and he who lived only for this deceitful earth will now have
an eye for the upper spheres, and a wing to mount into celestial heights.
When grace has won the day the worldling seeks the world to come.
The same fact is to be observed in the life of the believer. What
multitudes of foes has our faith had to meet! Our old sins—the devil threw them down before us, and they turned to serpents.
What hosts of them! Ah, but the cross of Jesus destroys them all.
Faith in Christ makes short work of all our sins. Then the devil has
launched forth another host of serpents in the form of worldly trials,
temptations, unbelief; but faith in Jesus is more than a match for
them, and overcomes them all. The same absorbing principle shines
in the faithful service of God! With an enthusiastic love for Jesus
difficulties are surmounted, sacrifices become pleasures, sufferings
are honours. But if religion is thus a consuming passion in the heart,
then it follows that there are many persons who profess religion but
have it not; for what they have will not bear this test. Examine yourself,
my reader, on this point. Aaron’s rod proved its heaven-given power. Is your religion doing so? If Christ be anything
he must be everything. O rest not till love and faith in Jesus be
the master passions of your soul!