From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Spurgeon's Morning & Evening Devotions
Morning, June 17
"The ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven wellfavoured and
fat kine."
- Genesis 41:4
Pharaoh's dream has too often been my waking experience. My days of sloth have
ruinously destroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealous industry; my
seasons of coldness have frozen all the genial glow of my periods of fervency
and enthusiasm; and my fits of worldliness have thrown me back from my advances
in the divine life. I had need to beware of lean prayers, lean praises, lean
duties, and lean experiences, for these will eat up the fat of my comfort and
peace.
If I neglect prayer for never so short a time, I lose all the spirituality to
which I had attained; if I draw no fresh supplies from heaven, the old corn in
my granary is soon consumed by the famine which rages in my soul. When the
caterpillars of indifference, the cankerworms of worldliness, and the
palmerworms of self-indulgence, lay my heart completely desolate, and make my
soul to languish, all my former fruitfulness and growth in grace avails me
nothing whatever. How anxious should I be to have no lean-fleshed days, no
ill-favoured hours! If every day I journeyed towards the goal of my desires I
should soon reach it, but backsliding leaves me still far off from the prize of
my high
calling, and robs me of the advances which I had so laboriously made.
The only way in which all my days can be as the "fat kine," is to feed them in
the right meadow, to spend them with the Lord, in His service, in His company,
in His fear, and in His way. Why should not every year be richer than the past,
in love, and usefulness, and joy?-I am nearer the celestial hills, I have had
more experience of my Lord, and should be more like Him. O Lord, keep far from
me the curse of leanness of soul; let me not have
to cry, "My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!" but may I be well-fed and
nourished in thy house, that I may praise thy name.
Evening, June 17
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him." - 2 Timothy 2:12
We must not imagine that we are suffering for Christ, and with Christ, if we
are not in Christ. Beloved friend, are you trusting to Jesus only? If not,
whatever you may have to mourn over on earth, you are not "suffering with
Christ," and have no hope of reigning with him in heaven. Neither are we to
conclude that all a Christian's sufferings are sufferings with Christ, for it
is essential that he be called by God to suffer.
If we are rash and imprudent, and run into positions for which neither
providence nor grace has fitted us, we ought to question whether we are not
rather sinning than communing with Jesus. If we let passion take the place of
judgment, and self-will reign instead of Scriptural authority, we shall fight
the Lord's battles with the devil's weapons, and if we cut our own fingers we
must not be surprised. Again, in troubles which come upon us as the result of
sin, we must not dream that we are suffering with Christ.
When Miriam spoke evil of Moses, and the leprosy polluted her, she was not
suffering for God. Moreover, suffering which God accepts must have God's glory
as its end. If I suffer that I may earn a name, or win applause, I shall get no
other reward than that of the Pharisee.
It is requisite also that love to Jesus, and love to his elect, be ever the
mainspring of all our patience. We must manifest the Spirit of Christ in
meekness, gentleness, and forgiveness. Let us search and see if we truly suffer
with Jesus. And if we do thus
suffer, what is our "light affliction" compared with reigning with him? Oh it
is so blessed to be in the furnace with Christ, and such an honour to stand in
the pillory with him, that if
there were no future reward, we might count ourselves happy in present honour;
but when the recompense is so eternal, so infinitely more than we had any right
to expect, shall we not take up the cross with alacrity, and go on our way
rejoicing?
=================================================
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Daily devotions for 06-16-2005:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: Join in Laughter
Evening Title: The Rose of Admission
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Morning: Join in Laughter
"And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh
with me."
--Genesis 21:6
It was far above the power of nature, and even contrary to its laws, that the
aged Sarah should be honoured with a son; and even so it is beyond all ordinary
rules that I, a poor, helpless, undone sinner, should find grace to bear about
in my soul the indwelling Spirit of the Lord Jesus.
I, who once despaired, as well I might, for my nature was as dry, and withered,
and barren, and accursed as a howling wilderness, even I have been made to
bring forth fruit unto holiness.
Well may my mouth be filled with joyous laughter, because of the singular,
surprising grace which I have received of the Lord, for I have found Jesus, the
promised seed, and He is mine for ever. This day will I lift up psalms of
triumph unto the Lord who has remembered my low estate, for "my heart rejoiceth
in the Lord; mine horn is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged over mine
enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salvation."
I would have all those that hear of my great deliverance from hell, and my most
blessed visitation from on high, laugh for joy with me. I would surprise my
family with my abundant peace; I would delight my friends with my
ever-increasing happiness; I would edify the Church with my grateful
confessions; and even impress the world with the cheerfulness of my daily
conversation. Bunyan tells us that Mercy laughed in her sleep, and no wonder
when she dreamed of Jesus; my joy shall not stop short of hers while my Beloved
is the theme of my daily thoughts. The Lord Jesus is a deep sea of joy: my soul
shall dive therein, shall be swallowed up in the delights of His society. Sarah
looked on her Isaac, and laughed with excess of rapture, and all her friends
laughed with her; and thou, my soul, look on thy Jesus, and bid heaven and
earth unite in thy joy unspeakable.
Evening: The Rose of Admission
"He openeth, and no man shutteth." --Revelation 3:7
Jesus is the keeper of the gates of paradise and before every believing soul He
setteth an open door, which no man or devil shall be able to close against it.
What joy it will be to find that faith in Him is the golden key to the
everlasting doors. My soul, dost thou carry this key in thy bosom, or art thou
trusting to some deceitful pick-lock, which will fail thee at last? Hear this
parable of the preacher, and remember it. The great King has made a banquet,
and He has proclaimed to all the world that none shall enter but those who
bring with them the fairest flower that blooms. The spirits of men advance to
the gate by thousands, and they bring each one the flower which he esteems the
queen of the garden; but in crowds they are driven from the royal presence, and
enter not into the
festive halls.
Some bear in their hand the deadly nightshade of superstition, or the flaunting
poppies of Rome, or the hemlock of self-righteousness, but these are not dear
to the King, the bearers are shut out of the pearly gates. My soul, hast thou
gathered the rose of Sharon? Dost thou wear the lily of the valley in thy bosom
constantly? If so, when thou comest up to the gates of heaven thou wilt know
its value, for thou hast only to show this choicest of flowers, and the Porter
will open: not for a moment will He deny thee admission, for to that rose the
Porter openeth ever. Thou shalt find thy way with the rose of Sharon in thy
hand up to the throne of God Himself, for heaven itself possesses nothing that
excels its radiant beauty, and of all the flowers that bloom in paradise there
is none that can rival the lily of the valley. My soul, get Calvary's blood-red
rose into thy hand by faith, by love wear it, by communion preserve it, by
daily watchfulness make it thine all in all, and thou shalt be blessed beyond
all bliss, happy beyond a dream. Jesus, be mine for ever, my God, my heaven,
my all.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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