The road is difficult. Some days are better than others, while there are some moments when I feel like I cant survive another second - Yet time will always show how amazing God's grace is, that it is sufficient for every believer, and for every son or daughter born again of Jesus Christ grace will not only get us through the storms of life....but will lead and guide us to our ultimate destination. Grace.
Another couple of short devotions taken from Spurgeon's "The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith." Once again I feel as if the verses and the writings of Spurgeon were written just for me. Im determined to make note of these things as often as possible. Marching on the path I go, continuing to move forward...my only true source of nourishment being the Word of God...I need it...I long for it...its the only way I can take another step...
Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Let the hearing of Your Word, be mixed with faith always...
NOVEMBER 26
“Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
John 16:20.
THEIR particular sorrow was the death and absence of their Lord, and it was turned into joy when he rose from the dead and showed himself in their midst. All the sorrows of saints shall be thus transmuted; even the worst of them, which look as if they must for ever remain fountains of bitterness.
Then the more sorrow the more joy. If we have loads of sorrow, then the Lord’s power will turn them into tons of joy. Then the bitterer the trouble the sweeter the pleasure: the swinging of the pendulum far to the left will cause it to go all the farther to the right. The remembrance of the grief shall heighten the flavour of the delight: we shall set the one in contrast with the other, and the brilliance of the diamond shall be the more clearly seen because of the black foil behind it.
Come, my heart, cheer up! In a little while I shall be as glad as I am now gloomy. Jesus tells me that by a heavenly alchemy my sorrow shall be turned into joy. I do not see how it is to be, but I believe it, and I begin to sing by way of anticipation. This depression of spirit is not for long; I shall soon be up among the happy ones who praise the Lord day and night, and there I shall sing of the mercy which delivered me out of great afflictions.
NOVEMBER 27
“And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”
Ex. 33:14.
PRECIOUS promise! Lord, enable me to appropriate it as all my own.
We must go at certain times from our abode, for here we have no continuing city. It often happens that when we feel most at home in a place, we are suddenly called away from it. Here is the antidote for this ill. The Lord himself will keep us company. His presence, which includes his favour, his fellowship, his care, and his power, shall be ever with us in every one of our marchings. This means far more than it says; for, in fact, it means all things. If we have God present with us, we have possession of heaven and earth. Go with me, Lord, and then command me where thou wilt!
But we hope to find a place of rest. The text promises it. We are to have rest of God’s own giving, making, and preserving. His presence will cause us to rest even when we are on the march, yea, even in the midst of battle. Rest! Thrice blessed word. Can it ever be enjoyed by mortals? Yes, there is the promise, and by faith we plead it. Rest comes from the Comforter, from the Prince of Peace, and from the glorious Father who rested on the seventh day from all his works. To be with God is to rest in the most emphatic sense.
A personal record
Happy Thanksgiving
If I sat here and thought and pondered on the things I am thankful for, I could probably compile a decent size list. The things that I take for granted would likely add up to a similar sized list, if not larger. Im so thankful for my God, and the redeeming, perfect, and complete work He has accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. Thankful for my wife, and the fruitful vine she is, in the very heart of my home. I am thankful for a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I am also very thankful for my beautiful family. So thankful for an amazing church family, and a church to call home. Thankful for difficult, faith testing times....that I might see more clearly on this side of eternity, how personal, loving, and faithful the God of Holy Scripture truly is....and that I might be more conformed into the image of Jesus Christ.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
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Another Spurgeon Devo
NOVEMBER 25
“Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.”
Zech. 4:7.
AT this hour a mountain of difficulty, distress, or necessity may be in our way, and natural reason sees no path over it, or through it, or round it. Let faith come in, and straightway the mountain disappears and becomes a plain. But faith must first hear the word of the Lord—“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” This grand truth is a prime necessity for meeting the insurmountable trials of life.
I see that I can do nothing, and that all reliance on man is vanity. “Not by might.” I see that no visible means can be relied on, but the force is in the invisible Spirit. God alone must work, and men and means must be nothing accounted of. If it be so, that the Almighty God takes up the concerns of his people, then great mountains are nothing. He can remove worlds as boys toss balls about, or drive them with their foot. This power he can lend to me. If the Lord bids me move an Alp I can do it through his name. It may be a great mountain, but even before my feebleness it shall become a plain; for the Lord hath said it. What can I be afraid of with God on my side?
The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith - Spurgeon
NOVEMBER 16
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.”—Isa. 54:17.
THERE is great clatter in the forges and smithies of the enemy. They are making weapons wherewith to smite the saints. They could not even do as much as this if the Lord of saints did not allow them; for he has created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire. But see how busily they labour! How many swords and spears they fashion! It matters nothing, for on the blade of every weapon you may read this inscription: It shall not prosper.
But now listen to another noise: it is the strife of tongues. Tongues are more terrible instruments than can be made with hammers and anvils, and the evil which they inflict cuts deeper and spreads wider. What will become of us now? Slander, falsehood, insinuation, ridicule—these are poisoned arrows; how can we meet them? The Lord God promises us that, if we cannot silence them, we shall, at least, escape from being ruined by them. They condemn us for the moment, but we shall condemn them at last, and for ever. The mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped, and their falsehoods shall be turned to the honour of those good men who suffered by them.
Lamentations 3:22-34
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.
Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him;
Let him put his mouth in the dust—
There may yet be hope.
Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
And be full of reproach.
For the Lord will not cast off forever.
Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
For He does not afflict willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.
To crush under one’s feet
A personal record
In so many ways, through so many people and so many different avenues God has encouraged me...encouraged me when I was feeling weak and tired....encouraged me when I felt I could not take another step...so many things I hope to write down. Surely there are some things I have already forgotten. God is too good! And His lovingkindess to His children is beyond complete comprehension and measure!!! Hopefully God will help me to remember the times of encouragement in the past, but for now I press on - to embrace His Word and every milestone along the way which builds me up, strengthens my faith, stirs up hope...to document and record all of the tangible ways by which God shows His mercy, love, and grace to me...all the while being assured deep down that my AWESOME GOD is also showing me these things, and working in ways I cannot begin to see or even imagine!
Morning, November 12 - SPURGEON (Again)
“The trial of your faith.”
— 1 Peter 1:7
Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship moves not to its harbour; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds rush howling forth, and let the waters lift up themselves, then, though the vessel may rock, and her deck may be washed with waves, and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it is then that she makes headway towards her desired haven. No flowers wear so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of the frozen glacier; no stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky; no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand; and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God’s strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too.
Let not this, however, discourage those who are young in faith. You will have trials enough without seeking them: the full portion will be measured out to you in due season. Meanwhile, if you cannot yet claim the result of long experience, thank God for what grace you have; praise him for that degree of holy confidence whereunto you have attained: walk according to that rule, and you shall yet have more and more of the blessing of God, till your faith shall remove mountains and conquer impossibilities.
Ubelievably Personal
Oh my goodness...its as if God actually knows EVERYTHING that is going on in my life, and in my thoughts.. =) Pslam 121 in its entirety has been a real encouragement in the recent past...one of those Chapters in the Bible that I have referred to over and over in my heart...with hope. But there are so many times when I have thought, "is that REALLY GOD's word to meeeee?" Well....
Spurgeon - The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith
NOVEMBER 10
“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved.”
Ps. 121:3.
IF the Lord will not suffer it, neither men nor devils can do it. How greatly would they rejoice if they could give us a disgraceful fall, drive us from our position, and bury us out of memory! They could do this to their hearts’ content were it not for one hindrance, and only one: the Lord will not suffer it; and if he does not suffer it, we shall not suffer it.
The way of life is like travelling among the Alps. Along mountain paths one is constantly exposed to the slipping of the foot. Where the way is high the head is apt to swim, and then the feet soon slide: there are spots which are smooth as glass, and others that are rough with loose stones, and in either of these a fall is hard to avoid. He who throughout life is enabled to keep himself upright and to walk without stumbling has the best of reasons for gratitude. What with pitfalls and snares, weak knees, weary feet, and subtle enemies, no child of God would stand fast for an hour were it not for the faithful love which will not suffer his foot to be moved.
“Amidst a thousand snares I stand
Upheld and guarded by thy hand;
That hand unseen shall hold me still,
And lead me to thy holy hill.”
OK! THATS IT!
Why God has so much patience with me I will never truly understand in this life. He is too kind to continue with me...I feel...but on the other hand I realize this is who HE is! Loving, merciful, longsuffering...oh the wonders of my God. Universe Creator, yet He is well acqainted with every detail of my life. I have been so blessed by Charles Spurgeon's writings lately. In a time of great faith testing, God continues to encourage me, and reinforce His promises to me. Wow, He knows....He really knows...
Evening, November 9
“His place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.”
— Isaiah 33:16
Do you doubt, O Christian, do you doubt as to whether God will fulfil his promise? Shall the munitions of rock be carried by storm? Shall the storehouses of heaven fail? Do you think that your heavenly Father, though he knoweth that you have need of food and raiment, will yet forget you? When not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father, and the very hairs of your head are all numbered, will you mistrust and doubt him? Perhaps your affliction will continue upon you till you dare to trust your God, and then it shall end. Full many there be who have been tried and sore vexed till at last they have been driven in sheer desperation to exercise faith in God, and the moment of their faith has been the instant of their deliverance; they have seen whether God would keep his promise or not. Oh, I pray you, doubt him no longer! Please not Satan, and vex not yourself by indulging any more those hard thoughts of God. Think it not a light matter to doubt Jehovah. Remember, it is a sin; and not a little sin either, but in the highest degree criminal. The angels never doubted him, nor the devils either: we alone, out of all the beings that God has fashioned, dishonour him by unbelief, and tarnish his honour by mistrust. Shame upon us for this! Our God does not deserve to be so basely suspected; in our past life we have proved him to be true and faithful to his word, and with so many instances of his love and of his kindness as we have received, and are daily receiving, at his hands, it is base and inexcusable that we suffer a doubt to sojourn within our heart. May we henceforth wage constant war against doubts of our God—enemies to our peace and to his honour; and with an unstaggering faith believe that what he has promised he will also perform. “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.” Spurgeon
Spurgeon Devotional - The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith
This blew me away - God knows exactly what we need at just the right time! Thank you LORD for not being how I think you often are - distant and not interested in the details of my life. Thank you for being so much more than my simple little mind can even comprehend. Thank you Jesus!!!
NOVEMBER 3
“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
Hab. 2:3.
MERCY may seem slow, but it is sure. The Lord in unfailing wisdom has appointed a time for the outgoings of his gracious power, and God’s time is the best time. We are in a hurry; the vision of the blessing excites our desire, and hastens our longings; but the Lord will keep his appointments. He never is before his time; he never is behind.
God’s word is here spoken of as a living thing which will speak, and will come. It is never a dead letter, as we are tempted to fear when we have long watched for its fulfilment. The living word is on the way from the living God, and though it may seem to linger, it is not in reality doing so. God’s train is not behind time. It is only a matter of patience, and we shall soon see for ourselves the faithfulness of the Lord. No promise of his shall fail; “it will not lie.” No promise of his will be lost in silence; “it shall speak.” What comfort it will speak to the believing ear! No promise of his shall need to be renewed like a bill which could not be paid on the day in which it fell due—“it will not tarry.”
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