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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING http://www.heartlight.org/
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Friday, August 15, 2008
MORNING:
"Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide."
-- Genesis 24:63
Very admirable was his occupation. If those who spend so many hours in
idle company, light reading, and useless pastimes, could learn wisdom,
they would find more profitable society and more interesting
engagements in meditation than in the vanities which now have such
charms for them. We should all know more, live nearer to God, and grow
in grace, if we were more alone. Meditation chews the cud and extracts
the real nutriment from the mental food gathered elsewhere. When Jesus
is the theme, meditation is sweet indeed. Isaac found Rebecca while
engaged in private musings; many others have found their best beloved
there.
Very admirable was the choice of place. In the field we have a study
hung round with texts for thought. From the cedar to the hyssop, from
the soaring eagle down to the chirping grasshopper, from the blue
expanse of heaven to a drop of dew, all things are full of teaching,
and when the eye is divinely opened, that teaching flashes upon the
mind far more vividly than from written books. Our little rooms are
neither so healthy, so suggestive, so agreeable, or so inspiring as the
fields. Let us count nothing common or unclean, but feel that all
created things point to their Maker, and the field will at once be
hallowed.
Very admirable was the season. The season of sunset as it draws a veil
over the day, befits that repose of the soul when earthborn cares yield
to the joys of heavenly communion. The glory of the setting sun excites
our wonder, and the solemnity of approaching night awakens our awe. If
the business of this day will permit it, it will be well, dear reader,
if you can spare an hour to walk in the field at eventide, but if not,
the Lord is in the town too, and will meet with thee in thy chamber or
in the crowded street. Let thy heart go forth to meet him.
EVENING:
"And I will give you an heart of flesh."
-- Ezekiel 36:26
A heart of flesh is known by its tenderness concerning sin. To have
indulged a foul imagination, or to have allowed a wild desire to tarry
even for a moment, is quite enough to make a heart of flesh grieve
before the Lord. The heart of stone calls a great iniquity nothing, but
not so the heart of flesh.
"If to the right or left I stray,
That moment, Lord, reprove;
And let me weep my life away,
For having grieved thy love"
The heart of flesh is tender of God's will. My Lord Will-be-will is a
great blusterer, and it is hard to subject him to God's will; but when
the heart of flesh is given, the will quivers like an aspen leaf in
every breath of heaven, and bows like an osier in every breeze of God's
Spirit. The natural will is cold, hard iron, which is not to be
hammered into form, but the renewed will, like molten metal, is soon
moulded by the hand of grace. In the fleshy heart there is a tenderness
of the affections. The hard heart does not love the Redeemer, but the
renewed heart burns with affection towards him. The hard heart is
selfish and coldly demands, "Why should I weep for sin? Why should I
love the Lord?" But the heart of flesh says; "Lord, thou knowest that I
love thee; help me to love thee more!" Many are the privileges of this
renewed heart; "'Tis here the Spirit dwells, 'tis here that Jesus
rests." It is fitted to receive every spiritual blessing, and every
blessing comes to it. It is prepared to yield every heavenly fruit to
the honour and praise of God, and therefore the Lord delights in it. A
tender heart is the best defence against sin, and the best preparation
for heaven. A renewed heart stands on its watchtower looking for the
coming of the Lord Jesus. Have you this heart of flesh?
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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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