September 6—Morning—Luke 22:61

"And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter."—Luke 22:61.

My soul, has that eye which looked so graciously upon Peter also looked graciously upon you? Pause and determine this by the effects. "Peter went out and wept bitterly." Have such impressions of grace been upon you, my soul? Have you wept over the recollection of sin and a ruined nature, which continually manifests itself in the same faithlessness and worthlessness as in the apostle? Moreover, have you ever looked with an eye of faith and love to Jesus? If so, it must be because of this eye of Christ upon you, my soul: for, remember, we never look to him with an eye of faith until Jesus has first looked on us with an eye of love. If we love him, it is because he first loved us. Sweet testimony this is, if you have it in your experience, that he who turned and looked upon Peter has also looked on you.

Furthermore, anything short of this glance from Jesus's eye is insufficient to induce true repentance. Peter heard, unmoved, again and again, the crowing of the rooster, just as we hear, unmoved, the warnings of God's holy word in Scripture, until Jesus accompanied the rooster's crowing, which he had warned the apostle about, with his tender and remonstrating look: then, and not before, the blessed effects were wrought.

Oh, precious Master! Turn, I beseech you, and look on me; let that look enter my very soul, that I may "look on him whom I have pierced, and mourn as one mourns for his only son, and be in bitterness as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn." May all my soul's affections continually go out after the look of Jesus until both the strings of my eyes and my heart break and give way; and when they close in the sleep of death, may I, with the eyes of the soul, behold your face in righteousness, that I may be satisfied when I awake with your likeness.

September 6—Evening—1 Peter 1:5

"Ready to be revealed in the last time."—1 Peter 1:5.

My soul, have you ever considered the very great and blessed things contained in these few words? Sit down this evening and look them over. Do you ask, what is ready to be revealed in the last time? The answer is clear: All the fullness, glory, grace, provision, peace, and everlasting happiness that are in the covenant of redemption, all centered in the person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. You have now only obscure views of Jesus, and his fullness, suitability, and all-sufficiency. You have believed unto salvation and are resting upon Christ for your justification, sanctification, and comfort; but of the fullness in which believers stand complete in Christ, no saint on earth has ever conceived of what it truly is.

"Beloved," says John, "now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is," (1 John 3:2). Now the blessedness of these things, in all their fullness and all their glory, is reserved to "be revealed in the last time," and they are already prepared. Angels are always on the wing, waiting to bring the heirs of the kingdom into the immediate possession and enjoyment of them. And although clouds here rise between, to obscure those bright and glorious objects, yet the heirs of promise ought to enjoy them now by faith, for they are eternally secure and, through the Lord of them, eternally their own.

Now, my soul, what do you say to these things? Are they ready to be revealed in the last time? Are they yours now? Do you have Jesus, and with him, all things? Is the last time approaching? Are angels waiting? Is Jesus waiting to unfold all to your enraptured view, and is everything ready? What do you say, my soul? Are you ready too? Lord Jesus! Give me grace to always be looking out for your coming and to be as delighted with your approach as those who wait for the morning!

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