Evening and Morning
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
February 18
Morning
"Shew me wherefore thou contendest
with me."—Job 10:2.
Perhaps, O
tried soul, the Lord is doing this to develop thy
graces. There are some of thy graces which would never
be discovered if it were not for thy trials. Dost thou not know that thy
faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is too
often like a glow-worm, showing but little light except it be
in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star—not to
be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night
of adversity. Afflictions are often the black foils in which God doth set the
jewels of His children's graces, to make them shine the better. It was but a
little while ago that on thy knees thou wast saying,
"Lord, I fear I have no faith: let me know that I have faith." Was
not this really, though perhaps unconsciously, praying for trials?—for how canst thou know that thou hast faith until
thy faith is exercised? Depend upon it, God often sends us trials that our
graces may be discovered, and that we may be certified of their existence.
Besides, it is not merely discovery, real growth in grace is the result
of sanctified trials. God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in
order to make us better Christians. He trains His soldiers, not in tents of
ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and
hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and
climb mountains, and walk many a long mile with heavy knapsacks of sorrow on
their backs. Well, Christian, may not this account for the troubles through
which thou art passing? Is not the Lord bringing out your graces, and making
them grow? Is not this the reason why He is contending with you?
"Trials
make the promise sweet;
Trials give
new life to prayer;
Trials bring
me to His feet,
Lay me low,
and keep me there."
Evening
"Father,
I have sinned."—Luke 15:18.
It is quite certain that
those whom Christ has washed in His precious blood need not make a confession
of sin, as culprits or criminals, before God the Judge, for Christ has for ever
taken away all their sins in a legal sense, so that they no longer stand where
they can be condemned, but are once for all accepted in the Beloved; but having
become children, and offending as children, ought they not every day to go
before their heavenly Father and confess their sin, and acknowledge their
iniquity in that character? Nature teaches that it is the duty of erring
children to make a confession to their earthly father, and the grace of God in
the heart teaches us that we, as Christians, owe the same duty to our heavenly
father. We daily offend, and ought not to rest without daily pardon. For,
supposing that my trespasses against my Father are not at once taken to Him to
be washed away by the cleansing power of the Lord Jesus, what will be the
consequence? If I have not sought forgiveness and been washed from these
offences against my Father, I shall feel at a distance from Him; I shall doubt
His love to me; I shall tremble at Him; I shall be afraid to pray to Him: I
shall grow like the prodigal, who, although still a child, was yet far off from
his father. But if, with a child's sorrow at offending so gracious and loving a
Parent, I go to Him and tell Him all, and rest not till I realize that I am
forgiven, then I shall feel a holy love to my Father, and shall go through my
Christian career, not only as saved, but as one enjoying present peace in God
through Jesus Christ my Lord. There is a wide distinction between confessing
sin as a culprit, and confessing sin as a child. The Father's
bosom is the place for penitent confessions. We have been cleansed once for
all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our daily walk
as children of God.