Daily Spurgeon

DEVOTION  for May 21st   by Charles Haddon. Spurgeon

Who was (is) Charles Haddon Spurgeon

 

PRAYER 19, Part 11 of 11 GOD’S UNSPEAKABLE GIFT.

ANECDOTE 290: The Music of Mercy.

FAITH’S CHECKBOOK MAY 21 RAIN WITHOUT CLOUDS? NEVER!

-If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth- Ecclesiastes 11:3

MORNING: "If so be [if it is so that] ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." —1 Peter 2:3

EVENING: "There is corn [grain] in Egypt. " —Genesis 42:2

A SINNER'S PRAYER

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PRAYER 19, Part 11 of 11

GOD’S UNSPEAKABLE GIFT.

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.”

 And do Thou Thyself come, great King. May our eyes, if it please Thee, behold Thee on earth; but if not, if we fall asleep ere [before] that blessed array [assembly], we can say,

“I know that my Redeemer liveth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.”

Bless every Sunday-school teacher, every tract distributor [worker], every open-air [street] preacher. Bless, we pray Thee, all Bible-women and nurses, deacons and missionaries of the City Mission, Bible readers and all others who in any way seek to bring men to Christ.

O God the Holy Ghost work mightily, we pray Thee; flood the world with a baptism of Thy power, and

“let the whole earth be filled with a knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

We ask all in that dear name which made the lame man whole, which is sweet to God in heaven and dear to us below; and unto Father, Son and Holy Ghost be glory, world without end. Amen. [We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.]

(Complete Prayer in e-mail: PRAYER 19.doc) ________________________________________ 

ANECDOTE 290: The Music of Mercy.

When loitering upon the Island of Liddo, [Click for Lido today] off Venice, and listening to the sound of the city’s bells, I [Spurgeon] thought the music charming as it floated across the lagune; [lagoon] but when I returned to the city, and sat down in the center of the music, in the very midst of all the bells, the sweetness changed to a horrible clash, the charming sounds were transformed into a maddening din; not the slightest melody could I detect in any one bell, while harmony in the whole company of noisemakers was out of the question.

Distance had lent enchantment to the sound. The words of poets and eloquent writers may, as a whole, and heard from afar, sound charmingly enough; but how few of them bear a near and minute investigation! Their belfry rings passably, but one would soon weary of each separate bell.

It is never so with the divine words of Jesus. You hear them ringing from afar and they are sweetness itself. When as a sinner, you roamed at midnight like a *traveler lost on the wilds, how sweetly did they call you home!

But now you have reached the house of mercy, you sit and listen to each distinct note of love’s perfect peal, and wonderingly feel

that even angelic harps cannot excel it.

*English (USA) spelling

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FAITH’S CHECKBOOK MAY 21 RAIN WITHOUT CLOUDS? NEVER!

-If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth- Ecclesiastes 11:3

-Si las nubes fueren llenas de agua, sobre la tierra la derramaran- Eclesiastes 11:3

 

Why, then, do we dread the clouds which now darken our sky? True, for a while they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; he will shine out again before long. Meanwhile those black clouds are filled with rain; and the blacker they are, the more likely they are to yield plentiful showers. How can we have rain without clouds? Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always will. They are the dark chariots of bright grace. These clouds will empty themselves before long, and every tender herb [plant] will be the gladder for the shower.

Our God may drench us with grief, but He will not drown us with wrath;

nay, [No] He will refresh us with mercy.

Our Lord’s love-letters often come to us in black-edged envelopes. His wagons rumble, but they are loaded with benefit. His rod [of correction] blossoms with sweet flowers and nourishing fruits. Let us not worry about the clouds, but sing because

May flowers are brought to us through [because of] the April clouds and showers.

O Lord, the clouds are the dust of thy feet! How near thou art [You are] in the cloudy and dark day! Love beholds thee, and is glad. Faith sees the clouds emptying themselves and making the little hills rejoice on every side.

 

Prayer: Thank You Lord that the dark clouds of today will soon bring showers of blessings to all those who trust in You. I ask for these showers of blessings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sing-along Showers of Blessing Won’t you?

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MORNING May 21

"If so be [it is so that] ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." —1 Peter 2:3

—Si empero habéis gustado que el Señor es benigno; —1 Pedro 2:3

 

THIS is not a matter to be taken for granted concerning every one of the human race. There is a possibility and a probability that some may not have tasted that the Lord is gracious. This is not a general but a special mercy; and it is needful to inquire [ask] whether we know the grace of God by inward experience. There is no spiritual favor that may [should] not be a matter for heart [soul] searching.

But while this should be a matter of earnest and prayerful inquiry, no one ought to be content while there is any such thing as an "if" about his having tasted that the Lord is gracious.

A jealous and holy distrust of self may give rise to the question even in the believer's heart, but the continuance of such a doubt would be an evil indeed. We must not rest without a desperate struggle to clasp [wrap] the Savior in the arms of faith, and say,

“I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him.”

Do not rest, O believer, until you have a full assurance of your interest in Jesus. Let nothing satisfy you until, by the infallible witness of the Holy Spirit bearing witness with your spirit, you are certified that you are a child of God.

Oh, trifle not [Don’t mess around] here; let no "perhaps" and "peradventure," and "if," and "may be," [and “hope-sos”] satisfy your soul. Build on eternal verities [truths], and verily build upon them.

Get the sure mercies of David, and surely get them. Let your anchor be cast into that which is within the veil [The Holy of Holies], and see to it that your soul is linked to the anchor by a cable that will not break.

Advance beyond these dreary "ifs;" 

abide no more in the wilderness of doubts and fears;

cross the Jordan of distrust, and enter the Canaan of peace,

where the Canaanite still lingers, but where the land does not cease flowing with milk and honey.

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EVENING May 21

"There is corn [grain] in Egypt. " —Genesis 42:2

—Hay víveres en Egipto—Genesis 42:2

 

FAMINE pinched [strained] all the nations, and it seemed inevitable that Jacob and his family should suffer great want [need]; but the God of providence, who never forgets the objects of electing love, had stored a granary for His people by giving the Egyptians warning of the scarcity, and leading them to store up the grain in the years of plenty.

Little did Jacob expect deliverance from Egypt, but there was the corn in store for him.

 Believer, though all things are apparently against you, rest assured that God has made a reservation on your behalf; in the roll [scroll] of your griefs there is a saving clause. Somehow, He will deliver you, and somewhere He will provide for you. The quarter from which your rescue arises may be a very unexpected one, but help will assuredly come in your extremity [dire need], and you will magnify the name of the Lord.

If men do not feed you, ravens will; and if earth yield not [doesn’t produce] wheat, heaven will drop with manna [food from heaven].

Therefore, be of good courage, and rest quietly in the Lord.

God can make the sun rise in the west if He pleases, and make the source of distress the channel of delight.

The corn [grain] in Egypt was all in the hands of the beloved Joseph; he opened or closed the granaries at will. And so the riches of providence are all in the absolute power of our Lord Jesus, who will dispense them liberally to His people.

Joseph was abundantly ready to nurture his own family; and Jesus is unceasing in His faithful care for His brethren. Our business is to go after the help which is provided for us: we must not sit still in despondency [depression], but stir ourselves up.

Prayer will bear us [carry us] soon into the presence of our royal Brother [The Lord Jesus]: once before [in the presence of] His throne we have only to ask and have.

His stores are not exhausted; there is corn still. His heart is not hard, He will give the corn to us.

Lord, forgive our unbelief, and constrain us this evening to draw largely [take a big helping] from your fullness and receive grace for grace.