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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING http://www.heartlight.org/
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Monday, August 4, 2008
MORNING:
"The people that do know their God shall be strong."
-- Daniel 11:32
Every believer understands that to know God is the highest and best
form of knowledge; and this spiritual knowledge is a source of strength
to the Christian. It strengthens his faith. Believers are constantly
spoken of in the Scriptures as being persons who are enlightened and
taught of the Lord; they are said to "have an unction from the Holy
One," and it is the Spirit's peculiar office to lead them into all
truth, and all this for the increase and the fostering of their faith.
Knowledge strengthens love, as well as faith. Knowledge opens the door,
and then through that door we see our Saviour. Or, to use another
similitude, knowledge paints the portrait of Jesus, and when we see
that portrait then we love him, we cannot love a Christ whom we do not
know, at least, in some degree. If we know but little of the
excellences of Jesus, what he has done for us, and what he is doing
now, we cannot love him much; but the more we know him, the more we
shall love him. Knowledge also strengthens hope. How can we hope for a
thing if we do not know of its existence? Hope may be the telescope,
but till we receive instruction, our ignorance stands in the front of
the glass, and we can see nothing whatever; knowledge removes the
interposing object, and when we look through the bright optic glass we
discern the glory to be revealed, and anticipate it with joyous
confidence. Knowledge supplies us reasons for patience. How shall we
have patience unless we know something of the sympathy of Christ, and
understand the good which is to come out of the correction which our
heavenly Father sends us? Nor is there one single grace of the
Christian which, under God, will not be fostered and brought to
perfection by holy knowledge. How important, then, is it that we should
grow not only in grace, but in the "knowledge" of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ.
EVENING:
"I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in
all the labours of your hands."
-- Haggai 2:17
How destructive is the hail to the standing crops, beating out the
precious grain upon the ground! How grateful ought we to be when the
corn is spared so terrible a ruin! Let us offer unto the Lord
thanksgiving. Even more to be dreaded are those mysterious
destroyers-smut, bunt, rust, and mildew. These turn the ear into a mass
of soot, or render it putrid, or dry up the grain, and all in a manner
so beyond all human control that the farmer is compelled to cry, "This
is the finger of God." Innumerable minute fungi cause the mischief, and
were it not for the goodness of God, the rider on the black horse would
soon scatter famine over the land. Infinite mercy spares the food of
men, but in view of the active agents which are ready to destroy the
harvest, right wisely are we taught to pray, "Give us this day our
daily bread." The curse is abroad; we have constant need of the
blessing. When blight and mildew come they are chastisements from
heaven, and men must learn to hear the rod, and him that hath appointed
it.
Spiritually, mildew is no uncommon evil. When our work is most
promising this blight appears. We hoped for many conversions, and lo! a
general apathy, an abounding worldliness, or a cruel hardness of heart!
There may be no open sin in those for whom we are labouring, but there
is a deficiency of sincerity and decision sadly disappointing our
desires. We learn from this our dependence upon the Lord, and the need
of prayer that no blight may fall upon our work. Spiritual pride or
sloth will soon bring upon us the dreadful evil, and only the Lord of
the harvest can remove it. Mildew may even attack our own hearts, and
shrivel our prayers and religious exercises. May it please the great
Husbandman to avert so serious a calamity. Shine, blessed Sun of
Righteousness, and drive the blights away.
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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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