Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
May 26
Morning
"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall
sustain thee."—Psalm 55:22.
Care, even though exercised
upon legitimate objects, if carried to excess, has in it the nature of sin. The
precept to avoid anxious care is earnestly inculcated by our Saviour, again and again; it is reiterated by the apostles;
and it is one which cannot be neglected without involving transgression: for
the very essence of anxious care is the imagining that we are wiser than God,
and the thrusting ourselves into His place to do for Him that which He has
undertaken to do for us. We attempt to think of that which we fancy He will
forget; we labour to take upon ourselves our weary
burden, as if He were unable or unwilling to take it for us. Now this
disobedience to His plain precept, this unbelief in His Word, this presumption
in intruding upon His province, is all sinful. Yet more than this, anxious care
often leads to acts of sin. He who cannot calmly leave his affairs in God's
hand, but will carry his own burden, is very likely to be tempted to use wrong
means to help himself. This sin leads to a forsaking of God as our counsellor, and resorting instead to human wisdom. This is
going to the "broken cistern" instead of to the "fountain;"
a sin which was laid against Israel of old. Anxiety makes us doubt God's lovingkindness, and thus our love to Him grows cold; we
feel mistrust, and thus grieve the Spirit of God, so that our prayers become
hindered, our consistent example marred, and our life one of self-seeking. Thus
want of confidence in God leads us to wander far from Him; but if through
simple faith in His promise, we cast each burden as it comes upon Him, and are
"careful for nothing" because He undertakes to care for us, it will
keep us close to Him, and strengthen us against much temptation. "Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee."
Evening
"Continue in the faith."—Acts 14:22.
Perseverance
is the badge of true saints.
The Christian life is not a beginning only in the ways of God, but also
a continuance in the same as long as life lasts. It is with a Christian
as it was with the great Napoleon: he said, "Conquest has made me what I
am, and conquest must maintain me." So, under God, dear brother in the
Lord, conquest has made you what you are, and conquest must sustain you. Your
motto must be, "Excelsior." He only is a true conqueror, and shall be
crowned at the last, who continueth
till war's trumpet is blown no more. Perseverance is, therefore, the target of
all our spiritual enemies. The world does not object to your being a
Christian for a time, if she can but tempt you to cease your pilgrimage, and
settle down to buy and sell with her in Vanity Fair. The flesh will seek
to ensnare you, and to prevent your pressing on to glory. "It is weary
work being a pilgrim; come, give it up. Am I always to be mortified? Am I never
to be indulged? Give me at least a furlough from this constant warfare." Satan
will make many a fierce attack on your perseverance; it will be the mark for
all his arrows. He will strive to hinder you in service: he will
insinuate that you are doing no good; and that you want rest. He will endeavour to make you weary of suffering, he will
whisper, "Curse God, and die." Or he will attack your steadfastness:
"What is the good of being so zealous? Be quiet like the rest; sleep as do
others, and let your lamp go out as the other virgins do." Or he will
assail your doctrinal sentiments: "Why do you hold to these
denominational creeds? Sensible men are getting more liberal; they are removing
the old landmarks: fall in with the times." Wear your shield, Christian,
therefore, close upon your armour,
and cry mightily unto God, that by His Spirit you may endure to the end.