Reverence and Awe

» Today's reading at Blue Letter Bible


I am freshly blessed this morning to be taught by Spurgeon. He encourages me to draw grace from Christ himself for my lamp. Not to be fooled by the "pretend" grace of this world.

Pretended grace from natural goodness, fancied grace from priestly hands, or imaginary grace from outward ceremonies will never serve the true saint of God; he knows that the Lord would not be pleased with rivers of such oil. He goes to the olive-press of Gethsemane, and draws his supplies from Him who was crushed therein.

This morning, my eyes are fixed on Christ. He reminds me that He is my holiness, my strength, my life. I pray that gleaning from Spurgeon this morning would do the same for you.

The oil of gospel grace is pure and free from lees and dregs, and hence the light which is fed thereon is clear and bright. Our churches are the Saviour's golden candelabra, and if they are to be lights in this dark world, they must have much holy oil.

How often do we find ourselves in a "barren" state... as Spurgeon describes in the evening devotion? I am going to make a note of tonight's devotion. I want to remind myself to come back to it whenever my soul is cast down. I want to be reminded and encouraged to "go to the cross again".

"Sing, O barren, break forth and cry aloud." But what can I sing about? I cannot talk about the present, and even the past looks full of barrenness. Ah! I can sing of Jesus Christ. I can talk of visits which the Redeemer has aforetimes paid to me; or if not of these, I can magnify the great love wherewith He loved His people when He came from the heights of heaven for their redemption. I will go to the cross again. Come, my soul, heavy laden thou wast once, and thou didst lose thy burden there. Go to Calvary again.

I don't know where you're at as you read this evening's devotion... but Spurgeon's words are timely for me. I want to be reminded to "sing of Jesus Christ"... reminded to lift my voice because of the Gospel. The great news of the Gospel can not be brought to my attention enough!! So... today... let us sing of and to our great Savior!

Sing, believer, for it will cheer thine own heart, and the hearts of other desolate ones. Sing on, for now that thou art really ashamed of being barren, thou wilt be fruitful soon; now that God makes thee loath to be without fruit He will soon cover thee with clusters. The experience of our barrenness is painful, but the Lord's visitations are delightful. A sense of our own poverty drives us to Christ, and that is where we need to be, for in Him is our fruit found.