I'd fallen miserably behind (Well I suppose that's a rather subjective term) in reading Spurgeon's Morning and Evening devotionals, as I said I would be doing regularly. I'm now more than a week behind, and was going to write up a catch-up post ccontaining excerpts and short comments on each day's devo, but of course hadn't saved the file when my computer decided to freeze up and I had to reboot it. So instead I will just say to you dear reader, read the devo for yourself, it is quite edifying. I will continue my posting starting from two days ago, that is, Sunday the 8th, with a few excerpts and comments, like I was planning to originally. And as always, keep praying for me that I may not lose sight of the glorious wonders of God's grace.
Thought for the morning of Sunday June 8
1 Chronicles 5:22
Warrior, fighting under the banner of the Lord Jesus, observe this verse with holy joy, for as it was in the days of old so is it now, if the war be of God the victory is sure.
Well then, good sir, what say you of the fight which I wage daily against myself? Of what war exactly do you speak?
The Lord saveth not by many nor by few; it is ours to go forth in Jehovah's name if we be but a handful of men, for the Lord of Hosts is with us for our Captain. They did not neglect buckler, and sword, and bow, neither did they place their trust in these weapons; we must use all fitting means, but our confidence must rest in the Lord alone, for he is the sword and the shield of his people.
So then, we must place our confidence in the Lord, using earthly tools. We must wage war upon sin and evil, fighting it not of our own strength but with the Lord's, using implements familiar to us, and effective weapons.
Beloved, in fighting with sin without and within, with error doctrinal or practical, with spiritual wickedness in high places or low places, with devils and the devil's allies, you are waging Jehovah's war, and unless he himself can be worsted, you need not fear defeat.
Fighting against sin is not our war, it is God's, so how about we let Him fight it? No, for we are soldiers of Christ, and thus are commanded by our Lord and Master to fight the good fight.
Thought for the evening of Sunday June 8
Numbers 11:23
God had made a positive promise to Moses that for the space of a whole month he would feed the vast host in the wilderness with flesh. Moses, being overtaken by a fit of unbelief, looks to the outward means, and is at a loss to know how the promise can be fulfilled. He looked to the creature instead of the Creator. But doth the Creator expect the creature to fulfil his promise for him? No; he who makes the promise ever fulfils it by his own unaided omnipotence. If he speaks, it is done-done by himself. His promises do not depend for their fulfilment upon the co-operation of the puny strength of man. We can at once perceive the mistake which Moses made. And yet how commonly we do the same! God has promised to supply our needs, and we look to the creature to do what God has promised to do; and then, because we perceive the creature to be weak and feeble, we indulge in unbelief.
Why do we so often doubt the Creator? Is He not omnipotent? Does His word return void in our lives? Perhaps that is our perception, but then we are most likely not resting in His unfailing word and giving Him our full trust. We cannot do God's work for Him, or rather, we should not attempt to hurry His plan along. His timing is perfect, and as long as we rest in that fact, things will work out. It's when we try and take things into our own hands that God has to remind us who is really in charge.
The ground of faith is not the sufficiency of the visible means for the performance of the promise, but the all-sufficiency of the invisible God, who will most surely do as he hath said. If after clearly seeing that the onus lies with the Lord and not with the creature, we dare to indulge in mistrust, the question of God comes home mightily to us: "Has the Lord's hand waxed short?" May it happen, too, in his mercy, that with the question there may flash upon our souls that blessed declaration, "Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not."
And God's word shall pass unto us as He has said.
Thought for the morning of Monday June 9
Psalms 126:3
Some Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything, and to dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God has done for them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and they will describe their continual conflicts, their deep afflictions, their sad adversities, and the sinfulness of their hearts, yet with scarcely any allusion to the mercy and help which God has vouchsafed them. But a Christian whose soul is in a healthy state, will come forward joyously, and say, "I will speak, not about myself, but to the honour of my God. He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings: and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. The Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad."
Here is an example of looking down rather than up, looking around at the rough waters rather than gazing into the eyes of our savior. It reminds me of the last line from the poem "Footprints in the Sand", when the Lord replied, "My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
It is true that we endure trials, but it is just as true that we are delivered out of them. It is true that we have our corruptions, and mournfully do we know this, but it is quite as true that we have an all-sufficient Saviour, who overcomes these corruptions, and delivers us from their dominion.
The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God, who has led us through all, and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise, we reckon them to be the bass part of our life's song, "He hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad."
Thought for the evening of Monday June 9
John 5:39
The Greek word here rendered search signifies a strict, close, diligent, curious search, such as men make when they are seeking gold, or hunters when they are in earnest after game. We must not rest content with having given a superficial reading to a chapter or two, but with the candle of the Spirit we must deliberately seek out the hidden meaning of the word.
There is much to be found in the Scriptures, the living word of God. Much of it is revealed to us just when we need it through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The Scriptures claim searching. They are the writings of God, bearing the divine stamp and imprimatur- who shall dare to treat them with levity? He who despises them despises the God who wrote them.
If you tossed away your girlfriend's letter, or a letter from your Mother or Father, without reading or cherishing it, what would they think? Here Spurgeon is applying human attributes to God, but aren't we really somewhat reflections of Him?
God does not bid us sift a mountain of chaff with here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is winnowed corn-we have but to open the granary door and find it. Scripture grows upon the student. It is full of surprises.
There is not simply a few nuggets of truth hidden far away, nestled deep in the crevices of the Word, no, it is burting forth with Truth, filled to the brim and running over!
Lastly, the Scriptures reveal Jesus: "They are they which testify of me." No more powerful motive can be urged upon Bible readers than this: he who finds Jesus finds life, heaven, all things. Happy he who, searching his Bible, discovers his Saviour.
Thought for the morning of Tuesday June 10
Romans 14:8
If God had willed it, each of us might have entered heaven at the moment of conversion. It was not absolutely necessary for our preparation for immortality that we should tarry here.
Why then, Mr. Spurgeon, are we still here? He asks the same question.
Why are his children still wandering hither and thither through a maze, when a solitary word from his lips would bring them into the centre of their hopes in heaven?
And here he gives the answer:
We are here as the "salt of the earth," to be a blessing to the world. We are here to glorify Christ in our daily life. We are here as workers for him, and as "workers together with him." Let us see that our life answereth its end. Let us live earnest, useful, holy lives, to "the praise of the glory of his grace."
We are here to increase the fold, to bring more to the flock of Christ, and to better the world through our imitation of Christ.
Thought for the evening of Tuesday June 10
John 5:39
Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of the Bible. He is the constant theme of its sacred pages; from first to last they testify of him.
We should always read Scripture in this light; we should consider the word to be as a mirror into which Christ looks down from heaven; and then we, looking into it, see his face reflected as in a glass-darkly, it is true, but still in such a way as to be a blessed preparation for seeing him as we shall see him face to face. This volume contains Jesus Christ's letters to us, perfumed by his love.
The Scriptures are the swaddling bands of the holy child Jesus; unroll them and you find your Saviour. The quintessence of the word of God is Christ.
Not much I can say to all that. It's certainly true.
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