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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
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Saturday, March 15, 2008
MORNING:
"Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
-- 2 Timothy 2:1
Christ has grace without measure in himself, but he hath not retained
it for himself. As the reservoir empties itself into the pipes, so hath
Christ emptied out his grace for his people. "Of his fulness have all
we received, and grace for grace." He seems only to have in order to
dispense to us. He stands like the fountain, always flowing, but only
running in order to supply the empty pitchers and the thirsty lips
which draw nigh unto it. Like a tree, he bears sweet fruit, not to hang
on boughs, but to be gathered by those who need. Grace, whether its
work be to pardon, to cleanse, to preserve, to strengthen, to
enlighten, to quicken, or to restore, is ever to be had from him freely
and without price; nor is there one form of the work of grace which he
has not bestowed upon his people. As the blood of the body, though
flowing from the heart, belongs equally to every member, so the
influences of grace are the inheritance of every saint united to the
Lamb; and herein there is a sweet communion between Christ and his
Church, inasmuch as they both receive the same grace. Christ is the
head upon which the oil is first poured; but the same oil runs to the
very skirts of the garments, so that the meanest saint has an unction
of the same costly moisture as that which fell upon the head. This is
true communion when the sap of grace flows from the stem to the branch,
and when it is perceived that the stem itself is sustained by the very
nourishment which feeds the branch. As we day by day receive grace from
Jesus, and more constantly recognize it as coming from him, we shall
behold him in communion with us, and enjoy the felicity of communion
with him. Let us make daily use of our riches, and ever repair to him
as to our own Lord in covenant, taking from him the supply of all we
need with as much boldness as men take money from their own purse.
EVENING:
"He did it with all his heart and prospered."
-- 2 Chronicles 31:21
This is no unusual occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral
universe that those men prosper who do their work with all their
hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to their labour
leaving half their hearts behind them. God does not give harvests to
idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is he pleased to send wealth
to those who will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure. It is
universally confessed that if a man would prosper, he must be diligent
in business. It is the same in religion as it is in other things. If
you would prosper in your work for Jesus, let it be heart work, and let
it be done with all your heart. Put as much force, energy, heartiness,
and earnestness into religion as ever you do into business, for it
deserves far more. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities, but he does
not encourage our idleness; he loves active believers. Who are the most
useful men in the Christian church? The men who do what they undertake
for God with all their hearts. Who are the most successful
Sabbath-school teachers? The most talented? No; the most zealous; the
men whose hearts are on fire, those are the men who see their Lord
riding forth prosperously in the majesty of his salvation.
Whole-heartedness shows itself in perseverance; there may be failure at
first, but the earnest worker will say, "It is the Lord's work, and it
must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in his strength I will
accomplish it." Christian, art thou thus "with all thine heart" serving
thy Master? Remember the earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work
was his! He could say, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." When
he sweat great drops of blood, it was no light burden he had to carry
upon those blessed shoulders; and when he poured out his heart, it was
no weak effort he was making for the salvation of his people. Was Jesus
in earnest, and are we lukewarm?
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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,
the leading Christian living e-zine on the Web. Visit HEARTLIGHT
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