Morning
by Charles Spurgeon
"He shall not be afraid of evil tidings."
Psalm 112:7
"Christian, you ought not to dread the arrival of evil tidings; because if you are distressed by them, what do you more than other men? Other men have not your God to fly to; they have never proved his faithfulness as you have done, and it is no wonder if they are bowed down with alarm and cowed with fear: but you profess to be of another spirit; you have been begotten again unto a lively hope, and your heart lives in heaven and not on earthly things; now, if you are seen to be distracted as other men, what is the value of that grace which you profess to have received? Where is the dignity of that new nature which you claim to possess?
Again, if you should be filled with alarm, as others are, you would, doubtless, be led into the sins so common to others under trying circumstances. The ungodly, when they are overtaken by evil tidings, rebel against God; they murmur, and think that God deals hardly with them. Will you fall into that same sin? Will you provoke the Lord as they do?
Moreover, unconverted men often run to wrong means in order to escape from difficulties, and you will be sure to do the same if your mind yields to the present pressure. Trust in the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Your wisest course is to do as Moses did at the Red Sea, "Stand still and see the salvation of God." For if you give way to fear when you hear of evil tidings, you will be unable to meet the trouble with that calm composure which nerves for duty, and sustains under adversity. How can you glorify God if you play the coward? Saints have often sung God's high praises in the fires, but will your doubting and desponding, as if you had none to help you, magnify the Most High? Then take courage, and relying in sure confidence upon the faithfulness of your covenant God, "let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." "
Thoughts from the Schoolmarm...
This devotional is actually from the other day, but I think it is timely in respect to all that is happening right now and in the reflection of 9/11. I really don't watch hardly any live television. I often talk about Netflix because, well, that is what I watch! So, I had no idea the turmoil that was going on in our world right now until I turned on "regular" television. The Bible tells us that the "End Times" will be filled with turmoil- wars and rumors of wars. I don't watch the news because the thoughts of those things bring fear to my heart. However, though man's sinful nature "wars" in our hearts with fear, God is in control of everything. I thought this particular devotional apropos in light of what is going on right now. It is a real pep talk, not necessarily soothing. It is a rallying, wake-up call. I felt immediately my heart making excuses as I read it. It is certainly a different perspective on the downfalls of fear. I always go to Jeremiah 29:11 when times are tough. But here are the verses that are around it:
Jeremiah 29:10-14
“For
thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I
will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back
to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,
plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I
will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your
fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I
have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the
place from which I sent you into exile.
This
promise is given to Israel with whom God had a covenant. The promise
was partly an earthly one. So, how can this apply to us today? Bad things do
happen! But we are extended the covenant through Christ's death and
resurrection and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. However, our
"Promised Land" is not an earthly one. The plans for our future are for
a heavenly kingdom where there will be no pain or sorrow. Our trust in
the Lord in these uncertain times is a testament and witness to HIS
power to others around us. If Christians cower in fear, then won't
people doubt the name of the Lord and our trust in Him? That is what I
think Spurgeon is getting at. Our faith in God in troubled times is
what sets us apart in this World. It is what allows us to be beacons
that stem from the power of God.
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| My chair my daddy made for me. I keep it inside now in my study. |
I would love to hear your thoughts, interpretations, and scripture you would like to share!
Sunday Blessings to you all!
Love,
The Schoolmarm on the Couch
Last year I spent 7 months in the hospital after a "routine" surgery. I had many complications and almost died 2 times. The hardest thing for me was that I went into a coma and when I awoke I wasn't able to walk, or hardly move. I had to be retaught so many things. I so felt like giving up. I got angry at God.."why was I going through this?" One of my ICU nurses brought me in a card that had that verse from Jeremiah. I reflected on it a lot and it got me through the toughest time in my life. I still have to reflect on it because there IS always hope when you are walking with God. Thank you for sharing this Heather, have a great day in the Lord.
ReplyDeleteBe blessed, Cindi
Cindi,
ReplyDeleteWow!Thank you for sharing your testimony! Wow. I am also struck by the boldness of your nurse. Boy, God puts people in our lives for a reason. I love that verse as well! I wish I had patience and the talent to stencil. It would be awesome to place all of these verses all over walls! I actually just purchased a plaque from Salmon Falls Prims with that verse. As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to get it as a reminder. It is easy to forget when times are good. I had to rely on scripture a lot when I took care of my aunt when she was fighting breast cancer. I was the hospice. I never felt closer to the Lord during that time of emotional need.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Have you healed from your surgery? I can't imagine dealing with that. I am glad that you didn't give up and that we are blessed with your friendship and wisdom!
Love and Hugs!
Heather