Category: <span>thoughts by Charles Spurgeon</span>


“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10

All the characteristics of Christ, as God and man, are open to us.

All the fullness of the God, however we try to comprehend what that means, is ours to ponder and experience. He can’t actually give us the attributes of God, but He has done all that can be done, because He has made

His divine power and Deity secondary to our salvation, and we have been “given fullness in Christ“.

Stand tall, friend, and behold the Lord Jesus tying the whole of His divine Godhead to His chariot of salvation! How vast are His grace, faithfulness, immutability, power, and limitless knowledge! All these are by the Lord Jesus made the pillars of the temple of salvation, and all, without any dimming of their majesty, are given to us as our endless inheritance.

The unfathomable love of the Savior’s heart is all ours!

Every jewel in the crown of majesty, the immensity of divine knowledge, and the sternness of divine justice, are all ours. The whole of Christ, the Son of God, is given to us to richly enjoy. His wisdom is our direction, His knowledge our instruction, His power our protection, His justice our security, His love our comfort, His mercy our solace, and His faithfulness our trust.

He keeps nothing hidden for Himself. He opens the depths of the Mount of God and calls us to dig in its mines for its hidden treasures. “All, all, all are yours,” He says, “be satisfied with favor and full of the goodness of the Lord.” How sweet it is to witness Jesus, and to call on Him with confidence as we seek exactly what He has already faithfully promised: “fullness in Christ

Question: Which of God’s many glorious attributes stands out to you the most today?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon.
Used by Permission
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

FURTHER READING

God is Good All the Time by Helen Lescheid

• Grace Upon Grace – A Devotional by Roy Lessin

Faithfulness – by Karen Woodard

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men


“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:17


Divine omniscience (God’s all-knowingness) gives no comfort to the ungodly mind, but to the child of God it overflows with consolation. God is always thinking about us, never turns aside His mind from us, and always has us before His eyes. This is precisely what we want and need, because it would be dreadful to exist for a moment beyond the observation of our heavenly Father.

His thoughts are always tender, loving, wise, sensible, and far-reaching. They bring to us countless benefits, so it is a choice delight to remember them. The Lord always did think about His people, and so comes their election and the covenant of grace by which their salvation is secured. And He will always think about them, and this will result in their final perseverance by which they will be brought safely to their final rest.

In all our wanderings the watchful glance of the Eternal Watcher is always fixed on us, and we never roam beyond the Shepherd’s eye. In our sorrows He observes us incessantly, and no painful moment escapes Him. In our trials He perceives all our weariness, and writes in His book all the struggles of His faithful ones. These thoughts of the Lord encompass us in all our paths, and penetrate the innermost region of our being. Not a nerve or tissue, valve or vessel, of our bodily organization is uncared for. All the little ones of our world are in the thoughts of the great God.

Dear reader, is this precious to you? Then hold steadfastly to it. Never be led astray by those philosophic fools who preach about an impersonal God (deism) or talk of self-existent, self-governing matter (naturalism). The Lord lives and thinks about us, this is a truth far too precious for us to ever abandon. Catching the attention of an important person is valued so highly that those who have it counts their blessings. But if that is so, how much more valuable is it to be constantly in the thoughts of the King of kings! If the Lord’s thoughts are on me, all is well, and we may rejoice evermore.

Have you considered that you are constantly in God’s thoughts? Does this truth give you comfort and confidence?

by Charles H. Spurgeon
Used by Permission
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2011

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men

God, who comforts the downcast.”  2 Corinthians 7:6

Who else comforts like Him? The sweetest promises and whispered words of comfort, coming from us, can fall upon deaf ears to someone who is truly poor, melancholy, and distressed. As much as we may try to comfort them, it may only be a note or two of mournful resignation that you get in reply. You will bring forth no psalms of praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful sonnets. But let God come to His child, let Him lift up their head, and the mourner’s eyes glisten with hope. “’Tis paradise, if thou art here; If thou depart, ‘tis hell.”

You could not have cheered them, but the Lord has done it. “God, who comforts the downcast.”  Even when there is no comfort to be found in the world, there is comfort in God. There is no physician among the creatures, but the Creator is Jehovah-Rophe (“The LORD who Heals“). It is marvelous how one sweet word of God will become whole songs for Christians. One word of God is like a piece of gold, and the Christian is the metal-worker who can hammer that promise out for whole weeks.

So, then, ogYou are like a poor dry well. When a pump is dry, you must pour water down it first to prime it, and then you will get water. So too when you are dry, go to God, ask Him to pour His joy in your heart, and then your joy will be full. Don’t go to earthly friends, for you may find them to be like Job’s ‘comforters’. Instead, go first and foremost to your ‘God, who comforts the downcast’ and you will soon say, ‘When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” (Psalm 94:19)

Question: Where in your Bible do you most often turn when you’re seeking consolation?

Originally written by Charles Spurgeon.
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/charles-spurgeon_comforter-downcast/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/


Subscribe to Daily Devotionals by Email

thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men


“Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15


Many Christians remain stunted and immature in spiritual things, staying the same year after year. For some we can see no passionate and powerful changes in their character or behavior. They merely exist, but never “grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head.”

But should we be content with staying at rest, when we might advance in the fullness of our understanding, experience, and practice of the Lord and His ways? Should we be satisfied to believe in Christ, and to say, “I am safe,” without wishing to know in our own experience more of the fullness which is to be found in Him? It should not be so. We should, as good workers in heaven’s house, deeply desire to be enriched in the knowledge of Jesus.

It is commendable to attend to other people’s needs, but we must not neglect our own spiritual growth. Why should it always be winter time in our hearts? We must have our seed time, but shouldn’t we long for a spring time, and then a summer season, which will give promise of an early harvest?

If we are going to ripen in grace, we must live near to Jesus -in His presence- ripened by the sunshine of His smiles. We must continue in sweet fellowship with Him. We must leave the distant view of His face and come near, as John did, and pillow our head on Him. Then we will find ourselves advancing in holiness, in love, in faith, in hope, in every precious gift.

The sun rises first on mountain-tops and covers them with its light, and presents one of the most charming sights to the eye of the traveler. So it is when we see the glow of the Spirit’s light on a person who has risen up in spiritual stature, like Saul, above his fellows, until like a mighty snow-capped Alp he reflects the beams of the Son of Righteousness, and bears the glow of His glory high above for all to see. When we witness God working in a person that way, we can only rightly glorify His Father which is in heaven, who has ripened this son or daughter by the sunshine of His smiles.

Question: What kind of things most often distract us from fellowship with God? What can be done to avoid these things?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon.
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2011.
Used by Pemission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

• A Squawking World – Devotional by Marilyn Ehle

How to Spend a Day with the Lord

Pursuing Shalom A Devotional by Allan Mitchell


Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest


thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men


“For me to live is Christ” Philippians 1:21


A Christian did not always live for Christ. He or she began to do so when God the Holy Spirit convinced them of their sin, and when by grace he or she was brought to see the dying Savior substituting Himself in their place on the cross. Then, from the moment of our new and spiritual rebirth, we begin to live for Christ.

Jesus is to believers the one pearl of great price for whom we are willing to part with all that we have. He has so completely won our love that it beats alone for Him. To His glory we strive to live, and in defense of His gospel we would even die. He is the pattern of our life, and the model after which we aim to sculpt ourselves.

Paul’s words “For me to live is Christ” mean more than most people think. They imply that the aim and end of his life was Christ. His life itself attempted to embody Jesus. Jesus was his every breath, the soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life.

Can you say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this idea?

Can you honestly say that for you to live is Christ?

Consider your job: Are you doing it for Christ? Or is it done only for self-benefit and family advantage? If we profess to live for Christ, how can we live for another object without committing spiritual adultery?

While many carry out the principle of living for Christ halfheartedly, few would dare say that they live wholly for Christ as the apostle Paul did. Yet this alone is the true life of a Christian. This life’s source and nourishment are all gathered up in Christ Jesus.

Lord, accept me. I present myself, praying to live only in You and for You. Let my life be a ready sacrifice to you, and let my motto be, “For me to live is Christ.”

By Charles H. Spurgeon
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

Serving the Lord Wholeheartedly – by Katherine Kehler

Unexpected Turns on Your Pathway –  by Gail Rodgers

Serving Faithfully and Fully by Julie Lairsey


thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men


“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.”  Song of Solomon 2:15


A little thorn may cause much suffering. A little cloud may hide the sun. Little foxes spoil the vines; and little sins do mischief to the tender heart. These little sins burrow in the soul, and make it so full of that which is hateful to Christ, that He will hold no comfortable fellowship and communion with us. A great sin cannot destroy a Christian, but a little sin can make him or her miserable. Jesus will not walk with His people unless they turn away from every known sin. He says, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:10)

Some Christians very seldom enjoy their Savior’s presence. How can this be? Surely it must be deeply hurtful for a tender child to be separated from their father. Aren’t you a child of God, and yet satisfied to go on without seeing your Father’s face? Aren’t you the spouse of Christ, and yet you’re content without His company? If so, you’ve fallen into a sad state, for when He has left her the pure spouse of Christ mourns like a dove without her mate.

Ask the question, what has driven Christ from you? He hides His face behind the wall of your sins. That wall may be built up of little pebbles as easily as it may be built up of great stones. The sea is made of drops; the rocks are made of grains: and the sea which divides you from Christ may be filled with the drops of your little sins; and the rock which has nearly wrecked your boat, may have been made by the daily working of the coral insects of your little sins. If you want to live with Christ, and walk with Christ, and see Christ, and have fellowship with Christ, take heed of “the little foxes that ruin the vineyards.” Jesus invites you to go with Him and take them. Jesus will surely be with you and help you eliminate foxes by His mighty power. Go with Him to the hunting!

by Charles H. Spurgeon
Used by Permission
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

•  Just Beneath the Surface – by John Grant

•   Forgiveness Frees – by Bethany Hayes

•  Keep a Soft Heart – by Gail Rodgers


SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest


 

thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men

I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.” Psalm 52:8 (KJV)


Meditate on the mercy of the Lord.

It is tender mercy. With His gentle, loving touch, He heals broken hearts and wraps up wounds. He is not only gracious in what He provides, but also in the gracious manner He provides it.

It is great mercy. There is nothing little about God, and His mercy is like Himself: infinite. You can’t measure it. His mercy is so great that it forgives even the most terrible sins to the most terrible sinners, and then proceeds to give great favors and great privileges. His mercy raises gives us great enjoyments in the great heaven of the great God.

It is undeserved mercy, as indeed all true mercy must be. Deserved mercy is only another name for justice, and we who are sinners have no right to the kind consideration of the Most High. As rebels, who were once doomed to the eternal fire we deserve, it is the sovereign love of God alone which saves us, for we have no such power ourselves.

It is rich mercy. God’s mercy is medicine to your sagging spirits; a golden ointment to your bleeding wounds; a heavenly bandage to your broken bones; a royal chariot for your weary feet.

It is diverse mercy. As Paul Bunyan said, “All the flowers in God’s garden are double.” There is no single mercy. You may think you have only one mercy, but you will find God’s mercy is multifaceted, reflecting and shining His glory.

It is plentiful mercy. Billions have received it, yet it is far from being exhausted. It is as fresh, as full, and as free as it has ever been.

And finally it is unfailing mercy. It will never leave you. If mercy is your friend, mercy will be with you in temptation. It will be with you in times of trouble to prevent you from sinking, with you to be the light and life of your life, and with you even in imminent death, to be the joy of your soul when earthly comfort is fading fast.

Question: As you meditate on how God has shown mercy to you, to whom that you know can you demonstrate mercy today in response?

by Charles H. Spurgeon
Used by Permission
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009.

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

•  The Dynamics of Mercy – by Max Lucado

•  Misery and Mercy – by Sue Braid

•  Mercy, Peace and Love – by Roy Lessin

 


SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest


thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” Jude 1:24-25


In some sense the path to heaven is safe. But in other respects there is no road as dangerous; it is overrun with difficulties.

One false step (and how easy it is to step absently if grace is absent), and down we go. What a slippery path some of us tread! How many times have we cried along with the Psalmist, “My feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped.” If we were strong, sure-footed mountaineers, this would not matter so much; but relying on our own abilities, how weak we are! In the best roads we soon falter, in the smoothest paths we quickly stumble. A straw may throw us, and a pebble can wound us; we are mere children tremblingly taking our first steps in the walk of faith. Thankfully our heavenly Father holds us by the arms or we would soon fall all the way back down!

We have many foes who try to push us down. The road is rough and we are weak, but in addition to this, enemies lurk in ambush, who rush out when we least expect them, and try to trip us, or hurl us down the nearest cliff. Only an Almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes, who are seeking to destroy us. Such an arm is engaged for our defense.

If we are kept from falling, how much more should we bless the patient God which watches over us day by day! Think how prone we are to sin, how apt to choose danger, how often we end up bringing ourselves down, and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than we have ever done, “Glory be to Him, who is able to keep us from falling.”

He promises that He will remain faithful, and He is able to keep us from falling, so that even with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety, and say, with joyful confidence, “Against me earth and hell combine, But on my side is power divine; Jesus is all, and He is mine!

Question: How do you try to constantly keep your eyes on Jesus?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon,
Used by Permission
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

•  Staying on God’s Path 

•  Dangerous Path 

•   A Prayer to Stay on God’s Path


SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest


 

 

thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men


“… the kindness and love of God our Savior …” Titus 3:4

How sweet it is to witness the Savior intimately connecting with His own beloved people! There can be nothing more delightful than being led into this fertile field of delight by the Holy Spirit. Let your mind, just for a moment, consider the history of the Redeemer’s love, and a multitude of winsome acts of God’s affection will come to mind. All of these acts of God’s love weave our hearts closer with Christ, and the intertwining of our thoughts and emotions with the mind of Jesus.

When we meditate on this amazing love, and see our glorious God granting His church all His ancient wealth, we should want to leap for joy. Who can endure such love? Even the partial sense of God’s love which the Holy Spirit is sometimes pleased to show us is more than we can contain. How incredible must it be to fully experience it! Someday we will be able to discern all the Savior’s gifts, and have wisdom to understand them, as well as time to meditate on them. We will commune with Jesus in an even closer way than we do now. But who can imagine the sweetness of such fellowship? It is one of the wonderful things that God has prepared for everyone who loves Him.

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” 1 Corinthians 13:12

When we actually see heavenly things themselves, with our own eyes, the stream of fellowship in which we will bathe will be so incredibly deep! This will simply overwhelm us with love. Until then, our loudest sonnets will be reserved for our loving benefactor, Jesus Christ our Lord, whose love to us surpasses all other loves.

Question: How could you show God’s love to someone else today?

Originally, written by Charles H. Spurgeon.
Used by Permission
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

•  A Study on the Heart of God by Sylvia Gunter (Alphabet)

•   A Bible Study on How God Demonstrates His Love

•  Salvation Explained


SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest


thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,  if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Philippians 3:7-11

The truth of the risen Savior is ever so precious.

The resurrection is the cornerstone which supports the entire building of Christianity. It is the keystone in the arch of our salvation. It would take a volume to set forth all the streams of living water which flow from this one sacred source, the resurrection of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But to know that He has risen, and to have fellowship with Him by possessing a risen life, this is even still more precious.

Because He left his tomb, we are able to leave the tomb of worldliness ourselves. The truth of the resurrection is the basis of the experience, but as the flower is more lovely than the root, so is the experience of fellowship with the risen Savior more lovely than the bare fact itself.

I encourage you to trust wholeheartedly that Christ rose from the dead, so much so as to be moved to sing about it and to derive all consolation from it. But I urge you, don’t merely rest contented there. Although you can’t see Him visibly like the disciples did, you should seek to see Jesus through spiritual eyes. And though like Mary Magdalene you may not “touch” Him, you are still privileged to converse with Him, and to know that because He is risen, you too both are and will be risen to new life in Him.

While it’s truly wonderful to know crucified Savior who died for my sins, but to know a risen Savior who has given me new life is incomparable. Short of this knowledge of the head and heart there can be no ultimate satisfaction of our deepest longings. May you today know Him and the power of His resurrection. Rise, for the Lord is risen!

Question: Where do you see head knowledge of Jesus’ resurrection overlapping with your daily heart life?

by Charles H. Spurgeon
Used by Permission
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.


If you are not absolutely sure that Christ is in your life, that you would go straight to heaven if you died today, you can be sure right now.

By faith, respond to the invitation of Jesus and open the door of your life to Him. Why not make this your prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I need You. I know You are the Son of God, the Savior of all men. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Enable me to live a supernatural life beginning today. Amen.”


If you prayed this prayer we would love to hear from you . If you would like to know God deeper we can connect you with an email mentor and/or send you some great links.


Enter Email

Further Reading

•   Jesus’ Resurrection: Fact or Fiction?

•   Who’s Got the Body?   A short, documented examination of evidences for Jesus’ resurrection.  By Rusty Wright

•   Why Do Christians Celebrate Easter by Dr. James L. Wilson


SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest


thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men

“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.” Psalm 119:15


There are times when solitude is better than community, and silence is wiser than speech. We will be better Christians if we take more time to be “alone” with God, and gathering spiritual strength through meditation on His Word, so that we will be refreshed to work in His service.

We should take time to ponder God’s word, because then we get real nourishment out of it. Truth is something like a cluster of grapes on the vine: if we want wine, we must work for it; we must press and squeeze it many times. The worker’s feet must come down joyfully upon the bunches, or else the juice will not flow. They must stomp the grapes well, or else much of the precious liquid will be wasted. So likewise we must, by meditation, work at God’s clusters of truth, if we really want to grow through God’s wisdom.

Our bodies are not sustained just by putting food into our mouths. The process which supplies our muscle, nerves, and bones is the process of digestion. By digestion the outward food becomes absorbed into our bodies. Likewise, our souls don’t become well-nourished merely by listening to this and that, to part here and there of divine truth. Hearing, reading, and learning require inwardly digesting to be useful, and this digesting of the truth requires meditating upon it.

We may wonder why some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make slow advances in their spiritual walk? It’s because they do not thoughtfully meditate on God’s Word. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it. They would eat the corn, but they will not go into the field to gather it. The fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it. The water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it.

Our prayer today is “Lord, help us overcome such foolishness.” And let this be our firm intention in response: “God, I will meditate on your precepts.”

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon.
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2008.
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

•  God Is…

•  Going Deeper with God

•  Salvation Explained


SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest


thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men

“… for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:6b-7

Untested faith may be real faith, but it is sure to be immature faith. It is likely to remain immature as long as it never faces difficulties.

When all things seem against it, faith often prospers. Storms are faith’s illuminators. When a calm reigns on the sea, spreading a ship’s sails is futile because the ship will never leave its harbor. However, when the howling winds rush forth causing the water to crash intensely around the ship, even though the vessel may rock and its deck may be flooded by the waves, it is only then that it will progress towards its destination.

No stars gleam as brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky. No water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand. And no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs through adversity. Tested faith brings experience. You would never have believed your own weakness had you not needed to pass through trials. And you would never have known God’s strength had His strength not been needed to carry you through. Faith is precious, and since they may build faith they are precious too.

This shouldn’t, however, discourage anyone who is young in faith. You’ll face enough trials without even looking for them! These faith building tests will be measured out to you in due time. Meanwhile, if you currently lack experience, thank God for what grace you’ve received and praise Him for the degree of holy confidence you’ve attained so far, while honestly asking Him to bring you even more. Continue to walk in faith, and, through success and adversity, you will have more and more of the blessing of God until your faith is powerful enough to move mountains!

Question: What trials have you faced lately, and how could they be working to mature your faith?

Originally written by Charles H Spurgeon
Updated to modern English, by Darren Hewer, 2008.
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

•  Forgiveness – Yourself / Others

•  Struggles, Despair articles

•  Salvation Explained


SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest


thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men


“To Him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:36


To Him be the glory forever!” This should be the single desire of all Christians. All other wishes must be come second to this one. The Christian may wish for prosperity in their business, but only insofar as it may help us to promote this–“To Him be the glory forever!” We may desire to attain more gifts and more graces, but it should only be that “To Him be the glory forever!”

You are not acting as you ought to do when you are moved by any other motive than to give glory to your Lord. As a Christian, if you are “of God, and through God,” then live “to God.” Let nothing ever set your heart beating so mightily as love to Him. Let this ambition fire your soul; let it become the foundation of everything you do, and become your sustaining motive whenever your passion grows cold. Make God your only goal. When I depend on myself, sorrow begins; but my joy will be complete when God becomes my supreme delight. Let your desire for God’s glory be a growing desire. If you blessed Him in your youth, do not be content with the kind of praises you gave Him then.

Has God prospered your business? Give Him more as He has given you more.

Has God given you experience? Praise Him by stronger faith than you exercised at first.

Does your knowledge grow? Then sing more sweetly.

Do you enjoy happier times than you once had? Have you been healed from sickness, and has your sorrow been turned into peace and joy? Then give Him more music; increase the thankful fervor of your praise. Practically in your life give Him honor. The “Amen” to your praise to your great and gracious Lord will then increasingly become your own individual service and increasing holiness.

Question: Why is it sometimes tempting to take the praise and glory for ourselves instead of giving it to God?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer.

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

•  Count your Blessings

•  Jesus is Always There!

•  Salvation Explained


SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men


“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.” Psalm 65:11


All year round, every hour of every day, God is richly blessing us.

He blesses us when we sleep, and when we wake His mercy is upon us. The sun may leave us a legacy of darkness, but our God never ceases to shine on His children with beams of love.

Like a river, His loving kindness is always flowing, with a fullness as inexhaustible as His own nature. Like the atmosphere which constantly surrounds the earth and sustains all life, the compassion of God surrounds all His creatures. In it, we live, and move, and have our being. (Acts 17:27-28)

Yet as the sun on summer days encourages us with beams more warm and bright than at other times, and as rivers are at certain seasons swollen by the rain, so is it with the mercy of God. His mercy has its golden hours, its days of overflow, when the Lord magnifies His grace to His children.

The blessings of the joyous days of harvest are a special season of excessive favor. It is in the glory of autumn that the ripe gifts of providence are abundantly bestowed. It is the mellow season of realization. Before there was nothing but hope and expectation, but great is the joy of harvest. Happy are the harvesters who fill their arms with the yield of heaven!

The Psalmist tells us that the harvest is the “crown of the year.” Surely these crowning mercies call for crowning thanksgiving! Let us give it all to God it by fostering the inward emotion of gratitude. Let our hearts be warmed! Let our spirits remember, meditate, and think about the goodness of the Lord! Then let us praise Him with our lips, and magnify His name, from whose abundance all goodness flows. Finally, let us glorify God by yielding our gifts to His cause, giving a practical proof of our gratitude to the Lord of the harvest!

Question: How has God blessed you lately? Can you set aside time today to thank Him?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon,
Used by Permission
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2011.

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

•  Searching for a Higher Purpose

•  A Moving Mountain – Have you ever heard of a mountain moving a person?

•  Salvation Explained


SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men


“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 (KJV)


Let’s today imagine ourselves in Bethlehem, in company of astounded shepherds and adoring Magi who have gathered to see Him who was born King of the Jews. Together we can sing in faith “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” Jesus is Jehovah incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our brother and friend. This is a new opportunity for us adore and admire Him.

Remember first His miraculous conception. It was a thing unheard of before, and unparalleled since, that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a Son.

God’s first promise in the Garden of Eden says “The seed of the woman,” not the offspring of man. A woman sinned in the Garden, but in God’s grace a woman also had the privilege of ushering in the one would will restore Paradise. Our Savior, although fully human, was in His human nature the Holy One of God. This realization should cause us to reverently bow before the holy Child whose innocence restores humankind to its ancient glory. Jesus is, in fact, our previous, and only, hope of glory.

Remember second His humble parents. His mother is described simply as “a virgin.” Not a princess, or prophetess. Not rich or powerful. What humble accommodations for a new-born king! Yet she could still sing the sweetest songs of praise and was chosen for her faithfulness to God despite her modest circumstances.

Immanuel, God with us … in our nature, our sorrow, our life, our death, and now with us forever. Or rather we are with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and glorious triumph.

Question: God with us … where do you turn when it feels like God isn’t with us, even though we know He is?

By Charles H. Spurgeon
Used by Permission

We Welcome your comments.

Enter Email
reCAPTCHA

Further Reading

•  Christmas Inspirations

•  The Christmas Story – the story of Jesus Birth

•  Salvation Explained


SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK


Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest


thoughts by Charles Spurgeon Thoughts by Men