May 24 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Philippians 2:9-18:

⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
¹¹And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
¹²Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
¹³For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
¹⁴Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
¹⁵That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
¹⁶Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
¹⁷Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
¹⁸For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

Devotional

There could be no exaltation of Christ, if there had not first been a humiliation. Christ in his high priestly prayer speaks of the glory which He had with the Father before the world was. But He was willing to humble himself in order to become our Mediator and Saviour. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." So deeply He humbled himself; so much He suffered to obtain for us the grace of God, righteous­ness and life. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Christ has been exalted far above all "principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." But here is the adorable truth: We are to share in his glory. He said, "The Glory which thou gavest me, I have given them." To him be the praise for ever!

Prayer

O Thou adorable Christ, we thank Thee for Thy deep humiliation, and we rejoice in Thy exaltation. Help us to humble ourselves before Thee, for we are but dust and ashes, and miserable sinners. Yet, it has pleased Thee to have compas­sion on us, and to bring us to glory. O Lord, unto Thy name be praise and glory and honor, world without end. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Phil. 2:6-11; Eph. 1:20, 21; John 17:22.

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