March 28 Daily Devotional

"If Thy Hand Offend Thee...."

the Rev. David Freeman

"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched."
Mark 9:.4

Devotional

There is very little thought of heaven in the world today. Even those who profess religion do not count on it very much. Many words are spoken about it, but there is very little acting on it.

A Christian is one who lives upon the things not seen, yet there are many professors who think "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." They rather desire possessions in this world which they see than heaven which they cannot see.

To gain heaven is a serious matter. A man must be ready to cut off his hand for it. He must be prepared to take losses. The disciples of Christ did so. Through Peter they said, "We have left all, and followed thee."

To do this is difficult for those in the flesh. Well could the devil say, "Skin for skin, all that a man hath will he give for his life." Yet if we are not willing to strive for it against all possible loss, then it is not worth as much as the riches of earth for which we do not hesitate to labor.

The true desire for heaven will make a man go against himself. Is it not injurious to self to cut off a hand, or a foot, or put out an eye? All the same a man must resolve to do it if he would gain eternal favor.

Now when a man begins to seek a country whose maker and builder is God, there arises a great conflict. The devil is well able to plead and fight his cause. He will set the wife against the husband, and the husband against the wife and even set one Christian against another. Is it not an awful thing to plead Satan's cause against another who is striving for the Lord?

If Satan cannot prevail against the Christian in one way, he will try another. He will cause the Christian's own safety to plead for him. Listen O Christian, is heaven no more to you than a little pleasure and comfort or a hand or foot?

(to be continued)

"Lift Up Your Heart" is a series of devotionals by the late Rev. David Freeman, an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church for most of his life. These devotionals, in fact, are part of the early history of our denomination. The first of them was published in The Presbyterian Guardian in 1935; the denomination now known as the Orthodox Presbyterian Church was officially formed in 1936. We believe that "the Word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8; see 1 Peter 1:25). Thus it is no surprise that meditations based on that Word have continued relevance today. Dr. Freeman's devotionals are proof of that fact.

David Freeman was a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (Th.B., 1928; Th.M. , 1930) and of Dropsie Univiersity (Ph.D., 1951). He served as pastor at Grace (later New Covenant) Presbyterian Church (OPC), Philadelphia, PA (1936-1946), Knox Presbyterian Church (OPC), Philadelphia, PA (1949-1962), and Grace Presbyterian Church (OPC), Fall River, MA (1962-1967). He authored many articles and (along with his son, David H. Freeman) is the author of the book A Philosophical Study of Religion, which appeared in 1964. He went to be with the Lord in 1984.

There is one change from the way the daily devotional was handled in the past with John Skilton's Think On These Things: New devotionals for the new series appear on weekdays only (Monday through Saturday. It is suggested that you use your pastor's sermon text(s) as the basis for your mediations on the Lord's Day.

We trust that you will find these devotionals, once again made available seventy years after they first appeared, to be a personal help in your own Christian walk today!