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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
http://www.heartlight.org/
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Sunday, July 13, 2008
MORNING:
"God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry?"
-- Jonah 4:9
Anger is not always or necessarily sinful, but it has such a tendency
to run wild that whenever it displays itself, we should be quick to
question its character, with this enquiry, "Doest thou well to be
angry?" It may be that we can answer, "YES." Very frequently anger is
the madman's firebrand, but sometimes it is Elijah's fire from heaven.
We do well when we are angry with sin, because of the wrong which it
commits against our good and gracious God; or with ourselves because we
remain so foolish after so much divine instruction; or with others when
the sole cause of anger is the evil which they do. He who is not angry
at transgression becomes a partaker in it. Sin is a loathsome and
hateful thing, and no renewed heart can patiently endure it. God
himself is angry with the wicked every day, and it is written in His
Word, "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil." Far more frequently it is to
be feared that our anger is not commendable or even justifiable, and
then we must answer, "NO." Why should we be fretful with children,
passionate with servants, and wrathful with companions? Is such anger
honourable to our Christian profession, or glorifying to God? Is it not
the old evil heart seeking to gain dominion, and should we not resist
it with all the might of our newborn nature? Many professors give way
to temper as though it were useless to attempt resistance; but let the
believer remember that he must be a conqueror in every point, or else
he cannot be crowned. If we cannot control our tempers, what has grace
done for us? Some one told Mr. Jay that grace was often grafted on a
crab-stump. "Yes," said he, "but the fruit will not be crabs." We must
not make natural infirmity an excuse for sin, but we must fly to the
cross and pray the Lord to crucify our tempers, and renew us in
gentleness and meekness after His own image.
EVENING:
"When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this
I know; for God is for me."
-- Psalms 56:9
It is impossible for any human speech to express the full meaning of
this delightful phrase, "God is for me." He was "for us" before the
worlds were made; he was "for us," or he would not have given his
well-beloved son; he was "for us" when he smote the Only-begotten, and
laid the full weight of his wrath upon him-he was "for us," though he
was against him; he was "for us," when we were ruined in the fall-he
loved us notwithstanding all; he was "for us," when we were rebels
against him, and with a high hand were bidding him defiance; he was
"for us," or he would not have brought us humbly to seek his face. He
has been "for us" in many struggles; we have been summoned to encounter
hosts of dangers; we have been assailed by temptations from without and
within-how could we have remained unharmed to this hour if he had not
been "for us"? He is "for us," with all the infinity of his being; with
all the omnipotence of his love; with all the infallibility of his
wisdom; arrayed in all his divine attributes, he is "for us,"-eternally
and immutably "for us"; "for us" when yon blue skies shall be rolled up
like a worn out vesture; "for us" throughout eternity. And because he
is "for us," the voice of prayer will always ensure his help. "When I
cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies be turned back." This is no
uncertain hope, but a well grounded assurance-"this I know." I will
direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up for the answer, assured
that it will come, and that mine enemies shall be defeated, "for God is
for me." O believer, how happy art thou with the King of kings on thy
side! How safe with such a Protector! How sure thy cause pleaded by
such an Advocate! If God be for thee, who can be against thee?
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MORNING & EVENING from HEARTLIGHT /\/\
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Morning & Evening is the classic devotional by 19th-century writer
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