February 23 — When Christ Occupies the Throne

Hope for Today: A Daily Devotion from Reasons for Hope*Jesus

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“May the LORD do what is good in His sight.” 2 Samuel 10:12

A Christian has still to complain of sin in his heart. If it be asked, “How can Christ and sin dwell together in one heart?” the answer is, “As a king and rebels in one kingdom or town.” He does not agree or correspond with them but subdues them, and inspires the heart with an assurance of complete triumph. But where self-will has the dominion, there is nothing but trouble and confusion; for unsanctified passions and a bad conscience not only are inward torments — but often occasion perplexity and damage in our worldly affairs; whereas when Christ occupies the throne and impresses a sense of pardoning love, we have a good conscience, abundance of peace, and can be content in the most trying outward circumstances.

Take great heed, therefore, O Christian, never to be led by your own spirit, even in such things as seem to bring glory to God, if they are not of His appointment. Our hearts are sometimes very deceitfully desirous of what pleases ourselves, while we pretend to seek God’s glory; and, were we not crossed in these our designs, they would prove a great burden to our life. Blessed is he who not only prays with his lips — but is heartily willing, also, that nothing but the will of the Lord should be done in everything. It is God alone who understands what may be good or dangerous to our spiritual or temporal circumstances. We are too much inclined to choose at random what would be most detrimental.

Devotion by Karl Heinrich von Bogatzky (1690—1774)