Maybe the best of all of them is his January 9 evening meditation. It runs about my mind through the year.
Spurgeon seizes on the simple phrase "I will be their God," from three words in the Hebrew text of Jeremiah 31:33. The prophet is describing the New Covenant, and says this in God's name:
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.Spurgeon displays his magnificent ability to plunge his hands deep into the rich stores of gold and rubies, and to scoop up and share what he finds, in his meditation on that phrase. Hear him, and be stirred and moved to rejoice in God's great goodness with him:
Christian! here is all thou canst require. To make thee happy thou wantest something that shall satisfy thee; and is not this enough? If thou canst pour this promise into thy cup, wilt thou not say, with David, “My cup runneth over; I have more than heart can wish”? When this is fulfilled, “I am thy God”, art thou not possessor of all things? Desire is insatiable as death, but he who filleth all in all can fill it. The capacity of our wishes who can measure? but the immeasurable wealth of God can more than overflow it. I ask thee if thou art not complete when God is thine? Dost thou want anything but God? Is not his all-sufficiency enough to satisfy thee if all else should fail? But thou wantest more than quiet satisfaction; thou desirest rapturous delight. Come, soul, here is music fit for heaven in this thy portion, for God is the Maker of Heaven. Not all the music blown from sweet instruments, or drawn from living strings, can yield such melody as this sweet promise, “I will be their God.” Here is a deep sea of bliss, a shoreless ocean of delight; come, bathe thy spirit in it; swim an age, and thou shalt find no shore; dive throughout eternity, and thou shalt find no bottom. “I will be their God.” If this do not make thine eyes sparkle, and thy heart beat high with bliss, then assuredly thy soul is not in a healthy state. But thou wantest more than present delights—thou cravest something concerning which thou mayest exercise hope; and what more canst thou hope for than the fulfilment of this great promise, “I will be their God”? This is the masterpiece of all the promises; its enjoyment makes a heaven below, and will make a heaven above. Dwell in the light of thy Lord, and let thy soul be always ravished with his love. Get out the marrow and fatness which this portion yields thee. Live up to thy privileges, and rejoice with unspeakable joy.
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3 comments:
Dan,
great post. As an attorney that travels nearly everyday, sometimes minutes and sometimes hours to a court date, Spurgeon's Morning readings are an essential start to my day to get me into the Gospel. His passion for the Word pours out in everything he writes, and I am stirred daily and is a GREAT encouragement when I'm struggling.
God was gracious in sustaining him for as long as He did, to provide such insights to the Word to those who would come after him.
Exactly. He's like a hungry man, sitting down to his favorite meal — but he doesn't gobble it down, he savors every bite, and tells us of his joy.
Spurgeon approaches Scripture like a treasure chest, never doubting that he is going to find something glorious and wonderful, something joyous, something of Christ. And he does, and he tells us. Well over a century later, his joy still resounds.
Upon discovering Spurgeon very early in my Christian walk, I somehow managed to run across this very devotion from his scrumptuous "Morning & Evening", twice in one year!
I remember making a special remembrance of this particular one, by printing it and posting it at my desk at work; a few months later, after the new year had just begun, I was allowed the privledge to read it again; and NOW, you've given me the opportunity to not only digest it once more, but to see how others have found the comfort, admonishment and encouragement given in this gem of a devotion, as well!
Thanks!
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