Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
May 25
Morning
"Forsake me not, O Lord."—Psalm 38:21.
Frequently we
pray that God would not forsake us in the hour of trial and temptation, but we
too much forget that we have need to use this prayer at all times. There
is no moment of our life, however holy, in which we can do without His constant
upholding. Whether in light or in darkness, in communion or in temptation, we
alike need the prayer, "Forsake me not, O Lord." "Hold Thou me
up, and I shall be safe." A little child, while learning to walk, always
needs the nurse's aid. The ship left by the pilot drifts at once from her
course. We cannot do without continued aid from above; let it then be your
prayer to-day, "Forsake me not. Father, forsake not Thy child, lest he
fall by the hand of the enemy. Shepherd, forsake not
Thy lamb, lest he wander from the safety of the fold. Great Husbandman, forsake
not Thy plant, lest it wither and die. 'Forsake me not, O Lord,' now; and
forsake me not at any moment of my life. Forsake me not in my joys, lest they
absorb my heart. Forsake me not in my sorrows, lest I murmur against Thee.
Forsake me not in the day of my repentance, lest I lose the hope of pardon, and
fall into despair; and forsake me not in the day of my strongest faith, lest
faith degenerate into presumption. Forsake me not, for without Thee I am weak,
but with Thee I am strong. Forsake me not, for my path is dangerous, and full
of snares, and I cannot do without Thy guidance. The hen forsakes not her
brood, do Thou then evermore cover me with Thy feathers, and permit me under
Thy wings to find my refuge. 'Be not far from me, O Lord, for trouble is near,
for there is none to help.' 'Leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my
salvation!'"
"O ever in
our cleansed breast,
Bid Thine Eternal Spirit rest;
And make our
secret soul to be
A temple pure and worthy
Thee."
Evening
"And they rose up the same hour, and returned
Jerusalem . . . and they told what things were done in the way, and how He was
known of them."—Luke 24:33,35.
When the two disciples had
reached Emmaus, and were refreshing themselves at the evening meal, the
mysterious stranger who had so enchanted them upon the road,
took bread and brake it, made Himself known to them, and then vanished out of
their sight. They had constrained Him to abide with them, because the day was
far spent; but now, although it was much later, their love was a lamp to their
feet, yea, wings also; they forgot the darkness, their weariness was all gone,
and forthwith they journeyed back the threescore furlongs to tell the gladsome
news of a risen Lord, who had appeared to them by the way. They reached the
Christians in Jerusalem, and were received by a burst of joyful news before
they could tell their own tale. These early Christians were all on fire to
speak of Christ's resurrection, and to proclaim what they knew of the Lord;
they made common property of their experiences. This evening let their example
impress us deeply. We too must bear our witness concerning Jesus. John's
account of the sepulchre needed to be supplemented by
Peter; and Mary could speak of something further still; combined, we have a
full testimony from which nothing can be spared. We have each of us peculiar
gifts and special manifestations; but the one object God has in view is the
perfecting of the whole body of Christ. We must, therefore, bring our spiritual
possessions and lay them at the apostle's feet, and make distribution unto all
of what God has given to us. Keep back no part of the precious truth, but speak
what you know, and testify what you have seen. Let not the toil or darkness, or
possible unbelief of your friends, weigh one moment in the scale. Up, and be
marching to the place of duty, and there tell what great things God has shown
to your soul.