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Spurgeon's Morning & Evening Devotions
Morning, June 29
"The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out." -
Leviticus 6:13
Keep the altar of private prayer burning. This is the very life of all piety.
The sanctuary and family altars borrow their fires here, therefore let this
burn well. Secret devotion is the very
essence, evidence, and barometer, of vital and experimental religion.
Burn here the fat of your sacrifices. Let your closet seasons be, if possible,
regular, frequent, and undisturbed. Effectual prayer availeth much.
Have you nothing to pray for? Let us suggest the Church, the ministry, your own
soul, your children, your relations, your neighbours, your country, and the
cause of God and truth throughout the world. Let us examine ourselves on this
important matter. Do we engage with lukewarmness in private devotion? Is the
fire of devotion burning dimly in our hearts? Do the chariot wheels drag
heavily? If so, let us be alarmed at this sign of
decay.
Let us go with weeping, and ask for the Spirit of grace and of supplications.
Let us set apart special seasons for extraordinary prayer. For if this fire
should be smothered beneath the ashes of a worldly conformity, it will dim the
fire on the family altar,
and lessen our influence both in the Church and in the world.
The text will also apply to the altar of the heart. This is a golden altar
indeed. God loves to see the hearts of his people glowing towards himself.
Let us give to God our hearts, all blazing with love, and seek his grace, that
the fire may never be quenched; for it will not burn if the Lord does not keep
it burning. Many foes will attempt to extinguish it; but if the unseen hand
behind the wall pour thereon the sacred oil, it will blaze higher and higher.
Let us use texts of Scripture as fuel for our heart's fire, they are live
coals; let us attend sermons, but above all, let us be much alone with Jesus.
Evening, June 29
"He appeared first to Mary Magdalene." - Mark 16:9
Jesus "appeared first to Mary Magdalene," probably not only on account of her
great love and persevering seeking, but because, as the context intimates,she
had been a special trophy of Christ's delivering power. Learn from this, that
the greatness of our sin before conversion should not make us imagine that we
may not be specially favoured with the very highest grade of fellowship. She
was one who had left all to become a constant
attendant on the Saviour.
He was her first, her chief object. Many who were on Christ's side did not take
up Christ's cross; she did. She spent her substance in relieving his wants.
If we would see much of Christ, let us serve him. Tell me who they are that sit
oftenest under the banner of his love, and drink deepest draughts from the cup
of communion, and I am sure they will be those who give most, who serve best,
and who abide closest to the bleeding heart of their dear Lord. But notice how
Christ revealed himself to this sorrowing one-by a word, "Mary."
It needed but one word in his voice, and at once she knew him, and her heart
owned allegiance by another word, her heart was too full to say more. That one
word would naturally be the most fitting for the occasion. It implies obedience.
She said, "Master." There is no state of mind in which this confession of
allegiance will be too cold. No, when your spirit glows most with the heavenly
fire, then you will say, "I am thy servant, thou hast loosed my bonds."
If you can say, "Master," if you feel that his will is your will, then you
stand in a happy, holy place. He must have said, "Mary," or else you could not
have said, "Rabboni. " See, then, from all this, how Christ honours those who
honour him, how love draws our
Beloved, how it needs but one word of his to turn our weeping to rejoicing, how
his presence makes the heart's sunshine.
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Spurgeon's Morning & Evening Devotions
Morning, June 30
"They gathered manna every morning." - Exodus 16:21
Labour to maintain a sense of thine entire dependence upon the Lord's good will
and pleasure for the continuance of thy richest enjoyments. Never try to live
on the old manna, nor seek to find help in Egypt. All must come from Jesus, or
thou art undone for
ever.
Old anointings will not suffice to impart unction to thy spirit; thine head
must have fresh oil poured upon it from the golden horn of the sanctuary, or it
will cease from its glory. To-day thou mayest be upon the summit of the mount
of God, but he who has put thee there must keep thee there, or thou wilt sink
far more speedily than thou dreamest. Thy mountain only stands firm when he
settles it in its place; if he hide his face, thou wilt
soon be troubled.
If the Saviour should see fit, there is not a window through which thou seest
the light of heaven which he could not darken in an instant. Joshua bade the
sun stand still, but Jesus can shroud it in total darkness. He can withdraw the
joy of thine heart, the
light of thine eyes, and the strength of thy life; in his hand thy comforts
lie, and at his will they can depart from thee.
This hourly dependence our Lord is determined that we shall feel and recognize,
for he only permits us to pray for "daily bread," and only promises that "as
our days our strength shall be. " Is it not best for us that it should be so,
that we may often repair
to his throne, and constantly be reminded of his love? Oh! how rich the grace
which supplies us so continually, and doth not refrain itself because of our
ingratitude! The golden shower never ceases, the cloud of blessing tarries
evermore above our habitation. O Lord Jesus, we would bow at thy feet,
conscious of our utter inability to do anything without thee, and in every
favour which we are privileged to receive, we would adore thy
blessed name and acknowledge thine unexhausted love.
Evening, June 30
"Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea,
the set time is come. For thy servants rake pleasure in her stones, and favour
the dust thereof."
- Psalm 102:13, 14
A selfish man in trouble is exceedingly hard to comfort, because the springs of
his comfort lie entirely within himself, and when he is sad all his springs are
dry. But a large-hearted man full of Christian philanthropy, has other springs
from which to supply
himself with comfort beside those which lie within. He can go to his God first
of all, and there find abundant help; and he can discover arguments for
consolation in things relating to the world at large, to his country, and,
above all, to the church.
David in this Psalm was exceedingly sorrowful; he wrote, "I am like an owl of
the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top." The only
way in which he could comfort himself, was in the reflection that God would
arise, and have mercy upon Zion: though he was sad, yet Zion should prosper;
however low his own estate, yet Zion should arise.
Christian man! learn to comfort thyself in God's gracious dealing towards the
church. That which is so dear to thy Master, should it not be dear above all
else to thee? What though thy way be dark, canst thou not gladden thine heart
with the triumphs of his cross and the spread of his truth? Our own personal
troubles are forgotten while we look, not only upon what God has done, and is
doing for Zion, but on the glorious things he will yet do for his church. Try
this receipt, O believer, whenever thou art sad of heart and in heaviness of
spirit: forget thyself and thy little concerns, and seek the welfare and
prosperity of Zion. When thou bendest thy knee in prayer to God, limit not thy
petition to the narrow circle of thine own life, tried though it be, but send
out thy longing prayers for the church's prosperity, "Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem," and thine own soul shall be refreshed.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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