Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
July 19
Morning
"The Lord our God hath shewed
us His glory."—Deuteronomy 5:24.
GodŐs great design in all
His works is the manifestation of His own glory. Any aim less than this were unworthy of Himself. But how shall the glory of
God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man's eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so
is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self
must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; and this
is the reason why He bringeth His people ofttimes into straits and difficulties, that, being made
conscious of their own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the
majesty of God when He comes forth to work their deliverance. He whose life is one
even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has
few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled
with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow
creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who "do business
in great waters," these see His "wonders in the deep." Among the
huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn
the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then,
if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which
has given you your experience of God's greatness and lovingkindness.
Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no
other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has
set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it
passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance
which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of
affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings
of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you.
Evening
"A bruised reed shall He not break, and
smoking flax shall He not quench."—Matthew 12:20.
What is weaker than the
bruised reed or the smoking flax? A reed that groweth
in the fen or marsh, let but the wild duck light upon it, and it snaps; let but
the foot of man brush against it, and it is bruised and broken; every wind that
flits across the river moves it to and fro. You can conceive of nothing more
frail or brittle, or whose existence is more in jeopardy, than a bruised reed.
Then look at the smoking flax—what is it? It has a spark within it, it is
true, but it is almost smothered; an infant's breath might blow it out; nothing
has a more precarious existence than its flame. Weak things are here
described, yet Jesus says of them, "The smoking flax I will not quench;
the bruised reed I will not break." Some of God's children are made strong
to do mighty works for Him; God has His Samsons here
and there who can pull up Gaza's gates, and carry them to the top of the hill;
He has a few mighties who are lion-like men, but the
majority of His people are a timid, trembling race. They are like starlings,
frightened at every passer by; a little fearful flock.
If temptation comes, they are taken like birds in a snare; if trial threatens,
they are ready to faint; their frail skiff is tossed up and down by every wave,
they are drifted along like a sea bird on the crest of the billows—weak
things, without strength, without wisdom, without foresight. Yet, weak as they
are, and because they are so weak, they have this promise made specially to them. Herein is grace and graciousness! Herein
is love and lovingkindness! How it opens to us the
compassion of Jesus—so gentle, tender, considerate! We need never shrink
back from His touch. We need never fear a harsh word from Him;
though He might well chide us for our weakness, He rebuketh
not. Bruised reeds shall have no blows from Him, and the smoking flax no
damping frowns.