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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING http://www.heartlight.org/
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Tuesday, June 9, 2009
MORNING:
"The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad."
-- Psalms 126:3
Some Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything,
and to dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God
has done for them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and
they will describe their continual conflicts, their deep afflictions,
their sad adversities, and the sinfulness of their hearts, yet with
scarcely any allusion to the mercy and help which God has vouchsafed
them. But a Christian whose soul is in a healthy state, will come
forward joyously, and say, "I will speak, not about myself, but to the
honour of my God. He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit, and out
of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my
goings: and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our
God. The Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad." Such
an abstract of experience as this is the very best that any child of
God can present. It is true that we endure trials, but it is just as
true that we are delivered out of them. It is true that we have our
corruptions, and mournfully do we know this, but it is quite as true
that we have an all-sufficient Saviour, who overcomes these
corruptions, and delivers us from their dominion. In looking back, it
would be wrong to deny that we have been in the Slough of Despond, and
have crept along the Valley of Humiliation, but it would be equally
wicked to forget that we have been through them safely and profitably;
we have not remained in them, thanks to our Almighty Helper and Leader,
who has brought us "out into a wealthy place." The deeper our troubles,
the louder our thanks to God, who has led us through all, and preserved
us until now. Our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise, we reckon
them to be the bass part of our life's song, "He hath done great things
for us, whereof we are glad."
EVENING:
"Search the Scriptures."
-- John 5:39
The Greek word here rendered search signifies a strict, close,
diligent, curious search, such as men make when they are seeking gold,
or hunters when they are in earnest after game. We must not rest
content with having given a superficial reading to a chapter or two,
but with the candle of the Spirit we must deliberately seek out the
hidden meaning of the word. Holy Scripture requires searching-much of
it can only be learned by careful study. There is milk for babes, but
also meat for strong men. The rabbis wisely say that a mountain of
matter hangs upon every word, yea, upon every title of Scripture.
Tertullian exclaims, "I adore the fulness of the Scriptures." No man
who merely skims the book of God can profit thereby; we must dig and
mine until we obtain the hid treasure. The door of the word only opens
to the key of diligence. The Scriptures claim searching. They are the
writings of God, bearing the divine stamp and imprimatur- who shall
dare to treat them with levity? He who despises them despises the God
who wrote them. God forbid that any of us should leave our Bibles to
become swift witnesses against us in the great day of account. The word
of God will repay searching. God does not bid us sift a mountain of
chaff with here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is
winnowed corn-we have but to open the granary door and find it.
Scripture grows upon the student. It is full of surprises. Under the
teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the searching eye it glows with
splendour of revelation, like a vast temple paved with wrought gold,
and roofed with rubies, emeralds, and all manner of gems. No
merchandise like the merchandise of Scripture truth. Lastly, the
Scriptures reveal Jesus: "They are they which testify of me." No more
powerful motive can be urged upon Bible readers than this: he who finds
Jesus finds life, heaven, all things. Happy he who, searching his
Bible, discovers his Saviour.
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MORNING & EVENING from HEARTLIGHT /\/\
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