The Fairest Among Ten Thousand - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 3:17 NKJV

The Fairest Among Ten Thousand
How marvelous it is for us to contemplate the perfections of our Lord Jesus. God the Father Himself twice exclaimed, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” He is the one who is able to have a true appreciation of His Son, and yet we are encouraged to be engaged with Him, meditating on His lovely, glorious Person and work.

In Matthew 9, when the Lord saw the multitudes, His heart went out to them. He had compassion on them, preaching the gospel to them, healing every sickness and every disease. He saw them as sheep, weary, scattered, without a shepherd. We know that at Lazarus’ tomb “Jesus wept,” but later there was also another occasion that He wept. Just days before His rejection and crucifixion, knowing full well what lay before Him, as He came down the Mount of Olives on a donkey, He saw Jerusalem and wept over it, knowing that in a few years the city and many inhabitants would be utterly destroyed (Lk. 19:41). How amazing for us to hear His sayings from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (23:34). Then seeing Mary near the cross, He does not concern Himself about His own sufferings but provides for His mother, commending her into the care of John (Jn. 19:26). To clearly display that no one took His life but rather that He laid it down, instead of His head merely falling down we read that, once He had received the wine, He said, “‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (v. 30).

The Lord Jesus truly is the fairest among ten thousand! May we praise, honor, and magnify Him as we learn more and more who He is!

-- Albert Blok

The mention of Thy name shall bow our hearts to worship Thee;
The chiefest of ten thousand Thou, whose love has set us free.

-- M. Bowley