August 23—Morning—Colossians 4:14

"The beloved physician."—Colossians 4:14.

My soul, consider what the apostle speaks of the servant and apply it to the Master! If Luke the physician was beloved, how much more should Jesus be by you in this sweet character. The Son of God came as the great physician of the soul, to heal all who were diseased, to bind up the broken-hearted, to give sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are bruised, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. My soul, do you know Jesus in this tender and affectionate role? Has he examined your case, made you aware of your disease; and are you, through his mercy, restored to health? Though, through shame and fear at first, you would never have made your case known to him, had he not first, of his own free will, called upon you, yet has he done so? Have you heard him ask the tender question, "Do you want to be made whole?" And have you rejoiced to come under his care?

Do you know what it is to have his blood applied to heal the wounds of sin, his righteousness to cover them, his grace to refresh you in them, and his name as ointment poured forth, to bring a fragrance from all uncleanness? Moreover, has Jesus shown you the freeness of his remedies, without payment, without money, and without price? And does he do all this, and a thousand other affectionate acts besides, which belong to the physician, calling himself by that endearing name, Jehovah Rophe, "I am the Lord who heals you"? Let it no longer be said, "Is there no balm in Gilead; no physician there?" But tell every poor sin-sick soul, Jesus is the beloved physician, who visits the poor and the needy, and heals all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people—he has healed me.

August 23—Evening—Luke 14:28

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost?"—Luke 14:28.

Reflect, my soul, on this very striking analogy of your Lord's, concerning the divine life. The metaphor of a builder is most fitting, for the Christian builder is building for eternity. And the metaphor of a warrior, which our Lord also uses, is equally appropriate, for the battle is for life, and that life is eternal. Have you counted the cost? Have you begun the work? Is the foundation stone, which God has laid in Zion, the rock on which you are building? Pause and examine. Whatever the cost may be—the loss of earthly friends, the parting with every worldly pursuit, the scorn, contempt, and derision of all mankind, yes, even the loss of life itself—if these are the price of your commitment, are you ready to give them all up?

When you have answered these questions, go on and ensure that your foundation is truly fixed on Christ. If so, it must have been sought after by digging deep into the natural state in which you were born. Jesus must have been first discovered as most essentially necessary and most essentially precious before the spiritual building of the soul could be made to rest upon him. And, when found, unless the whole of the building rests entirely upon him, it will, like a column out of its centre, still totter. Oh, it is blessed to make Christ the all in all of the spiritual temple; blessed to make him the first in order; blessed to make him the first in strength, to support and bear the weight of the whole building; blessed to make him the grand cement, to unite and keep together, in harmonious proportion and regularity, every part of the building; and blessed to bring forth the top stone of the building, by his strength and glory, crying, "Grace, grace unto it."

Precious Jesus, may it be found that I have so sat down, counted the cost, and formed my whole plan in your strength and for your praise; that whatever oppositions, like the Tobiahs and Sanballats of old, I may encounter in the work, I may feel the sweetness and encouragement of that blessed scripture and exult with the prophet: "Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!" Zechariah 4:7.

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Source:The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portion by Robert Hawker (today's blog post lightly modernized by Monergism)