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Charles Spurgeon's Daily DevotionalThis morning devotional prepared for June, 9th.
"The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad."--Psalm 126:3
Some Christians are sadly prone to _look_ on the _dark_ side
of everything, and to dwell more upon what they have gone
through than upon what God has done for them. Ask for their
impression of the Christian life, and they will describe their
continual conflicts, their deep afflictions, their sad
adversities, and the sinfulness of their hearts, yet with
scarcely any allusion to the mercy and help which God has
vouchsafed them. But a Christian whose soul is in a _healthy_
state, will come forward joyously, and say, "I will speak, not
about myself, but to the honour of my God. He hath brought me up
out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my
feet upon a rock, and established my goings: and He hath put a
new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. The Lord hath
done great things for me, whereof I am glad." Such an abstract
of experience as this is the very best that any child of God can
present. It is true that we endure trials, but it is just as
true that we are delivered out of them. It is true that we have
our corruptions, and mournfully do we know this, but it is quite
as true that we have an all-sufficient Saviour, who overcomes
these corruptions, and delivers us from their dominion. In
looking back, it would be wrong to deny that we have been in the
Slough of Despond, and have crept along the Valley of
Humiliation, but it would be equally wicked to forget that we
have been _through_ them safely and profitably; we have not
remained in them, thanks to our Almighty Helper and Leader, who
has brought us "out into a wealthy place." The deeper our
troubles, the louder our thanks to God, who has led us through
all, and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot mar the
melody of our praise, we reckon them to be the bass part of our
life's song, "He hath done great things for us, whereof we are
glad."
This afternoon devotional prepared for June, 9th.
"Search the Scriptures."--John 5:39
The Greek word here rendered _search_ signifies a strict,
close, diligent, curious search, such as men make when they are
seeking gold, or hunters when they are in earnest after game. We
must not rest content with having given a superficial reading to
a chapter or two, but with the candle of the Spirit we must
deliberately seek out the hidden meaning of the word. Holy
Scripture _requires searching_--much of it can only be learned
by careful study. There is milk for babes, but also meat for
strong men. The rabbis wisely say that a mountain of matter
hangs upon every word, yea, upon every title of Scripture.
Tertullian exclaims, "I adore the fulness of the Scriptures." No
man who merely skims the book of God can profit thereby; we must
dig and mine until we obtain the hid treasure. The door of the
word only opens to the key of diligence. The Scriptures _claim
searching_. They are the writings of God, bearing the divine
stamp and imprimatur-- who shall dare to treat them with levity?
He who despises them despises the God who wrote them. God forbid
that any of us should leave our Bibles to become swift witnesses
against us in the great day of account. The word of God _will
repay searching_. God does not bid us sift a mountain of chaff
with here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is
winnowed corn--we have but to open the granary door and find it.
Scripture grows upon the student. It is full of surprises. Under
the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the searching eye it glows
with splendour of revelation, like a vast temple paved with
wrought gold, and roofed with rubies, emeralds, and all manner
of gems. No merchandise like the merchandise of Scripture truth.
Lastly, _the Scriptures reveal Jesus_: "They are they which
testify of Me." No more powerful motive can be urged upon Bible
readers than this: he who finds Jesus finds life, heaven, all
things. Happy he who, searching his Bible, discovers his
Saviour.
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