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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
MORNING:
"Marvellous lovingkindness."
-- Psalms 17:7
When we give our hearts with our alms, we give well, but we must often
plead to a failure in this respect. Not so our Master and our Lord. His
favours are always performed with the love of his heart. He does not
send to us the cold meat and the broken pieces from the table of his
luxury, but he dips our morsel in his own dish, and seasons our
provisions with the spices of his fragrant affections. When he puts the
golden tokens of his grace into our palms, he accompanies the gift with
such a warm pressure of our hand, that the manner of his giving is as
precious as the boon itself. He will come into our houses upon his
errands of kindness, and he will not act as some austere visitors do in
the poor man's cottage, but he sits by our side, not despising our
poverty, nor blaming our weakness. Beloved, with what smiles does he
speak! What golden sentences drop from his gracious lips! What embraces
of affection does he bestow upon us! If he had but given us farthings,
the way of his giving would have gilded them; but as it is, the costly
alms are set in a golden basket by his pleasant carriage. It is
impossible to doubt the sincerity of his charity, for there is a
bleeding heart stamped upon the face of all his benefactions. He giveth
liberally and upbraideth not. Not one hint that we are burdensome to
him; not one cold look for his poor pensioners; but he rejoices in his
mercy, and presses us to his bosom while he is pouring out his life for
us. There is a fragrance in his spikenard which nothing but his heart
could produce; there is a sweetness in his honey-comb which could not
be in it unless the very essence of his soul's affection had been
mingled with it. Oh! the rare communion which such singular heartiness
effecteth! May we continually taste and know the blessedness of it!
EVENING:
"I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love."
-- Hosea 11:4
Our heavenly Father often draws us with the cords of love; but ah! how
backward we are to run towards him! How slowly do we respond to his
gentle impulses! He draws us to exercise a more simple faith in him;
but we have not yet attained to Abraham's confidence; we do not leave
our worldly cares with God, but, like Martha, we cumber ourselves with
much serving. Our meagre faith brings leanness into our souls; we do
not open our mouths wide, though God has promised to fill them. Does he
not this evening draw us to trust him? Can we not hear him say, "Come,
my child, and trust me. The veil is rent; enter into my presence, and
approach boldly to the throne of my grace. I am worthy of thy fullest
confidence, cast thy cares on me. Shake thyself from the dust of thy
cares, and put on thy beautiful garments of joy." But, alas! though
called with tones of love to the blessed exercise of this comforting
grace, we will not come. At another time he draws us to closer
communion with himself. We have been sitting on the doorstep of God's
house, and he bids us advance into the banqueting hall and sup with
him, but we decline the honour. There are secret rooms not yet opened
to us; Jesus invites us to enter them, but we hold back. Shame on our
cold hearts! We are but poor lovers of our sweet Lord Jesus, not fit to
be his servants, much less to be his brides, and yet he hath exalted us
to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, married to him by a
glorious marriage-covenant. Herein is love! But it is love which takes
no denial. If we obey not the gentle drawings of his love, he will send
affliction to drive us into closer intimacy with himself. Have us
nearer he will. What foolish children we are to refuse those bands of
love, and so bring upon our backs that scourge of small cords, which
Jesus knows how to use!
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WILD AT HEART, by John Eldredge
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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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