May 11, Evening Devotional
"Be strong and very courageous." Joshua 1:7
Our God's tender love for His servants makes Him concerned for the state of their inward feelings. He desires them to be of good courage. Some regard it as a small thing for a believer to be vexed with doubts and fears, but God doesn't think so. From this text it is plain that our Master doesn't want us to be entangled with fears. He wants us to be without anxiety, without doubt, without cowardice. Our Master doesn't think so lightly of our unbelief as we do. When we are hopeless we are subject to a grievous malady, not to be trifled with, but to be carried at once to the beloved Physician. Our Lord doesn't love to see our countenance sad. It was a law of Xerxes that no one should come into the king's court dressed in mourning: this is not the law of the King of kings, for we may come mourning as we are; but still He wants us to put off the spirit of heaviness and put on the garment of praise, for there is so much reason to rejoice. The Christian ought to be of a courageous spirit in order to glorify the Lord by enduring trials in an heroic manner. If you are fearful and fainthearted, you will dishonor your God. Besides, what a bad example it is. This disease of doubtfulness and discouragement is an epidemic which soon spreads among the Lord's flock. One downcast believer makes twenty souls sad. Moreover, unless your courage is kept up, Satan will be too much for you. Let your spirit be joyful in God your Savior, the joy of the Lord shall be your strength, and no fiend of hell shall make headway against you: but cowardice throws down the banner. Moreover, work is light to a man of cheerful spirit; and success waits upon cheerfulness. Those who toil, rejoicing in their God, believing with all their hearts, has success guaranteed. Those who sow in hope shall reap in joy; therefore, dear reader, "be strong and very courageous."
C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.
For any of you readers who enjoy these devotionals, I just found them on-line! They have them on Christianity.com, you can sign up for daily e-mails: http://christianity.com/devotionals/morningandevening/
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"The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance." C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms.
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2 comments:
Thanks for posting those great quotes!
Thanks! I read them every day, and when one strikes a chord with me, and retype them here. :)
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