Evening and Morning
By Charles
Haddon Spurgeon
May 3
Morning
"In the world ye shall have
tribulation."—John 16:33.
Art thou asking the reason
of this, believer? Look upward to thy heavenly Father, and behold Him pure and
holy. Dost thou know that thou art one day to be like Him? Wilt thou easily be
conformed to His image? Wilt thou not require much refining in the furnace of
affliction to purify thee? Will it be an easy thing to get rid of thy
corruptions, and make thee perfect even as thy Father which
is in heaven is perfect? Next, Christian, turn thine
eye downward. Dost thou know what foes thou hast beneath thy feet? Thou wast once a servant of Satan, and no king will willingly
lose his subjects. Dost thou think that Satan will let thee alone? No, he will
be always at thee, for he "goeth about like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." Expect
trouble, therefore, Christian, when thou lookest
beneath thee. Then look around thee. Where art thou? Thou art in an
enemy's country, a stranger and a sojourner. The world is not thy friend. If it
be, then thou art not God's friend, for he who is the
friend of the world is the enemy of God. Be assured that thou shalt find foe-men everywhere. When thou sleepest,
think that thou art resting on the battlefield; when thou walkest,
suspect an ambush in every hedge. As mosquitoes are said to bite strangers more
than natives, so will the trials of earth be sharpest to you. Lastly, look within
thee, into thine own heart and observe what is
there. Sin and self are still within. Ah! if
thou hadst no devil to tempt thee, no enemies to
fight thee, and no world to ensnare thee, thou wouldst still find in thyself
evil enough to be a sore trouble to thee, for "the heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked." Expect trouble then, but
despond not on account of it, for God is with thee to help and to strengthen
thee. He hath said, "I will be with thee in trouble; I will deliver thee
and honour thee."
Evening
"A very present help."—Psalm 46:1.
Covenant
blessings are not meant to be looked at only, but to be appropriated. Even our
Lord Jesus is given to us for our present use. Believer, thou dost not make use
of Christ as thou oughtest to do. When thou art in
trouble, why dost thou not tell Him all thy grief? Has He not a sympathizing
heart, and can He not comfort and relieve thee? No, thou art going about to all
thy friends, save thy best Friend, and telling thy tale
everywhere except into the bosom of thy Lord. Art thou burdened with
this day's sins? Here is a fountain filled with blood: use it, saint, use it. Has a sense of guilt returned upon thee? The pardoning
grace of Jesus may be proved again and again. Come to Him at once for
cleansing. Dost thou deplore thy weakness? He is thy strength: why not lean
upon Him? Dost thou feel naked? Come hither, soul; put on the robe of Jesus'
righteousness. Stand not looking at it, but wear it. Strip off thine own righteousness, and thine
own fears too: put on the fair white linen, for it was meant to wear.
Dost thou feel thyself sick? Pull the night-bell of prayer, and call up the
Beloved Physician! He will give the cordial that will revive thee. Thou art
poor, but then thou hast "a kinsman, a mighty man of wealth." What! wilt thou not go to Him, and ask Him to give thee of His
abundance, when He has given thee this promise, that thou shalt be joint heir
with Him, and has made over all that He is and all that He has to be thine? There is nothing Christ dislikes more than for His
people to make a show-thing of Him, and not to use Him. He loves to be employed
by us. The more burdens we put on His shoulders, the more precious will He be
to us.
"Let us be simple with Him, then,
Not backward, stiff, or cold,
As though our Bethlehem could be
What Sinai
was of old."