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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
MORNING:
"The Lord's portion is his people."
-- Deuteronomy 32:9
How are they his? By his own sovereign choice. He chose them, and set
his love upon them. This he did altogether apart from any goodness in
them at the time, or any goodness which he foresaw in them. He had
mercy on whom he would have mercy, and ordained a chosen company unto
eternal life; thus, therefore, are they his by his unconstrained
election.
They are not only his by choice, but by purchase. He has bought and
paid for them to the utmost farthing, hence about his title there can
be no dispute. Not with corruptible things, as with silver and gold,
but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord's
portion has been fully redeemed. There is no mortgage on his estate; no
suits can be raised by opposing claimants, the price was paid in open
court, and the Church is the Lord's freehold for ever. See the
blood-mark upon all the chosen, invisible to human eye, but known to
Christ, for "the Lord knoweth them that are his"; he forgetteth none of
those whom he has redeemed from among men; he counts the sheep for whom
he laid down his life, and remembers well the Church for which he gave
himself.
They are also his by conquest. What a battle he had in us before we
would be won! How long he laid siege to our hearts! How often he sent
us terms of capitulation! but we barred our gates, and fenced our walls
against him. Do we not remember that glorious hour when he carried our
hearts by storm? When he placed his cross against the wall, and scaled
our ramparts, planting on our strongholds the blood-red flag of his
omnipotent mercy? Yes, we are, indeed, the conquered captives of his
omnipotent love. Thus chosen, purchased, and subdued, the rights of our
divine possessor are inalienable: we rejoice that we never can be our
own; and we desire, day by day, to do his will, and to show forth his
glory.
EVENING:
"Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us."
-- Psalms 68:28
It is our wisdom, as well as our necessity, to beseech God continually
to strengthen that which he has wrought in us. It is because of their
neglect in this, that many Christians may blame themselves for those
trials and afflictions of spirit which arise from unbelief. It is true
that Satan seeks to flood the fair garden of the heart and make it a
scene of desolation, but it is also true that many Christians leave
open the sluice-gates themselves, and let in the dreadful deluge
through carelessness and want of prayer to their strong Helper. We
often forget that the Author of our faith must be the Preserver of it
also. The lamp which was burning in the temple was never allowed to go
out, but it had to be daily replenished with fresh oil; in like manner,
our faith can only live by being sustained with the oil of grace, and
we can only obtain this from God himself. Foolish virgins we shall
prove, if we do not secure the needed sustenance for our lamps. He who
built the world upholds it, or it would fall in one tremendous crash;
he who made us Christians must maintain us by his Spirit, or our ruin
will be speedy and final. Let us, then, evening by evening, go to our
Lord for the grace and strength we need. We have a strong argument to
plead, for it is his own work of grace which we ask him to
strengthen-"that which thou hast wrought for us." Think you he will
fail to protect and sustain that? Only let your faith take hold of his
strength, and all the powers of darkness, led on by the master fiend of
hell, cannot cast a cloud or shadow over your joy and peace. Why faint
when you may be strong? Why suffer defeat when you may conquer? Oh!
take your wavering faith and drooping graces to him who can revive and
replenish them, and earnestly pray, "Strengthen, O God, that which thou
hast wrought for us."
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MORNING & EVENING from HEARTLIGHT /\/\
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Morning & Evening is the classic devotional by 19th-century writer
and preacher Charles Spurgeon. It's part of HEARTLIGHT Magazine,
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