“They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.”— Hosea 5:7

Believer, here is a sorrowful truth! Thou art the beloved of the Lord, redeemed by blood, called by grace, preserved in Christ Jesus, accepted in the Beloved, on your way to heaven, and yet, “have dealt faithlessly” with God, your best friend; faithlessly with Jesus, whom you belong; faithlessly with the Holy Spirit, by whom you have been born against to life eternal!

How faithlessly you have been in the matter of vows and promises. Do you remember the love of your love in the early days, that happy time—the springtime of your spiritual life? How closely you held to your Master then, saying, “He will never charge me with indifference; my feet will never grow slow in the way of his service; I will not suffer my heart to wander after other loves; in Him is a blessing I could even enjoy. I give up everything for my Lord Jesus’ sake.”

Has it been so? Alas! If conscience speaks, it will say, “He who promised so well has performed most ill. Prayer has often been slurred— short but not sweet, brief but not fervent. Communion with Christ has been forgotten. Instead of a heavenly mind, there have been carnal cares, worldly vanities and thoughts of evil. Instead of service, there has been disobedience; instead of fervency, lukewarmness; instead of patience, petulance; instead of faith, confidence in an arm of flesh; and as a soldier of the cross, there has been cowardice, disobedience, and desertion, to a very shameful degree.”

“Thou hast dealt treacherously.”

Faithless to Jesus! What words shall be used in denouncing it? Words little avail: let our penitent thoughts execrate the sin which is so surely in us. Treacherous to thy wounds, O Jesus! Forgive us, and let us not sin again!

How shameful to be treacherous to him who never forgets us but who this day stands with our names engraved on his breastplate before the eternal throne.

Charles H. Spurgeon

Resources:

• https://spurgeonsmorningandevening.org/2022/12/12/

This was one of my favourites from the book Morning and Evening by Spurgeon. How we are to be thankful for what God offered and gave us, if not to praise Him for it. We get so caught up in our daily busy life that we forget to thank Him for the simple little things. Keep reading His word and be blessed by it. Don’t let your Bible aside for the entire weekend. Go read it! I pray your weekend with be filled with His blessing and steadfast love.

“Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”— Psalm 107:8

If we complained less, and were more thankful, we would be happier, and God would be more glorified. Every day thank God for ordinary mercies—we refer to them as ordinary and yet so priceless that without them, we are ready to perish.

Let us thank God for the eyes with which we behold the sun, for the health and strength to walk around, for the bread we eat, and for the clothes we wear. Let us thank Him that we are not among the hopeless or confined among the guilty; let us thank Him for liberty, for friends, for family associations and comforts; let us praise him, in fact, for everything which we receive from his generous hand, for although we deserve little, He provided an abundance.

The sweetest and the loudest note in our thankful songs should be of redeeming love. God’s redeeming acts towards His chosen are forever the favourite themes of their praise. If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our hymns of thanksgiving.

We have been redeemed from the power of our corruptions, uplifted from the depth of sin into which we were naturally plunged. We have been led to the cross of Christ—our shackles of guilt have been broken off; we are no longer slaves but children of the living God, and can anticipate the period when we will be presented before the throne without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

Even now, by faith we wrap ourselves in the fair linen which is to be our everlasting array and rehearse our unceasing thankfulness to the Lord our Redeemer. Child of God, can you remain silent?

Stir yourself with thoughts of your inheritance, and lead your captivity captive, crying with David, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Let the new month begin with new songs.

Charles H. Spurgeon

“O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!”— Isaiah 40:9

Each believer should be thirsting for God, for the living God, and longing to climb the hill of the Lord and see him face to face. We should not rest content in the mists of the valley when the summit of the mountain beckons us.

My soul thirst to drink deeply of the cup which is reserved for those who reach the mountain’s peak and bathe their brows in heaven. How pure are the dews of the hills, how fresh is the mountain air, how abundant is the provision of the dwellers aloft, whose windows look into the New Jerusalem!

Many saints are content to live like men in coal mines, who see not the sun; they eat dust like the serpent when they might taste the food of angels; they are content to wear the miner’s garb when they might put on king’s robes; tears disfigure their faces when they might anoint them with celestial oil.

I am convinced that many a believer pines in a dungeon when he might walk on the palace roof and view the goodly land. Rouse yourself, believer, from thy low condition! Discard your laziness, your lethargy, your coldness, or whatever interferes with your sincere and pure love for Christ, your soul’s Husband.

Make him the source, the centre, and the circumference of all your soul’s range of delight. What fully enchants you into such folly to remain in a pit when you may sit on a throne? Do not live in the lowlands of bondage now that mountain liberty is conferred upon you.

Do not be satisfied any longer with tiny attainments, but press forward to things more sublime and heavenly. Aspire to a higher, a nobler, a fuller life. Upward to heaven! Nearer to God!

     “When wilt thou come unto me, Lord?
       Oh come, my Lord most dear!
     Come near, come nearer, nearer still,
       I’m blest when thou art near.”

Charles H. Spurgeon

RESOURCES

• Morning and Evening Spurgeon:https://spurgeonsmorningandevening.com/2021/11/23/evening-november-23rd-2021/

• Image:https://i.pinimg.com/originals/45/a5/37/45a5370bf12e893202619a367426d74e.jpg

“Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.”— 2 Chronicles 30:27

Prayer is the never-failing resort of the Christian in any case, in every plight. When you cannot use your sword you may take to the weapon of all-prayer. Your powder may be damp, your bow-string may be relaxed, but the weapon of all-prayer need never be out of order.

Satan laughs at the javelin, but he trembles at prayer. Sword and spear need furbishing, but prayer never rusts, and when we think it most blunt it cuts the best. Prayer is an open door which none can shut.

Devils may surround you on all sides, but the way upward is always open, and as long as that road is unobstructed, you will not fall into the enemy’s hand. We can never be taken by blockade, escalade, mine, or storm, so long as heavenly succours can come down to us by Jacob’s ladder to relieve us in the time of our necessities.

Prayer is never out of season: in summer and in winter its merchandise is precious. Prayer gains audience with heaven in the dead of night, in the midst of business, in the heat of noonday, in the shades of evening.

In every condition, whether of poverty, or sickness, or obscurity, or slander, or doubt, your covenant God will welcome your prayer and answer it from His holy place. Nor is prayer ever futile. True prayer is evermore true power.

You may not always get what you ask, but you shall always have your real wants supplied. When God does not answer His children according to the letter, He does so according to the spirit. If thou ask for cornmeal, wilt you be angry because He gives thee the fine flour?

If you seek physical health, should you complain if instead He makes your sickness result in your spiritual health? Is it not better to have the cross sanctified than removed? This evening, my soul, forget not to offer thy petition and request, for the Lord is ready to grant thee thy desires.

Charles H. Spurgeon

It is of comfort that in all season we can return to Christ in faithfulness of our heart and pray.

Resources:

• https://spurgeonsmorningandevening.com/

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”— Ezekiel 36:26

A heart of flesh is known by its tenderness concerning sin. To have indulged a foul imagination, or to have allowed a wild desire to tarry even for a moment, is quite enough to make a heart of flesh grieve before the Lord. The heart of stone calls a great iniquity nothing, but not so the heart of flesh.

“If to the right or left I stray,
That moment, Lord, reprove;
And let me weep my life away,
For having grieved thy love”

The heart of flesh is tender of God’s will. My Lord Will-be-will is a great blusterer, and it is hard to subject him to God’s will; but when the heart of flesh is given, the will quivers like an aspen leaf in every breath of heaven, and bows like an osier in every breeze of God’s Spirit.

The hard heart is selfish and coldly demands, “Why should I weep for sin? Why should I love the Lord?” But the heart of flesh says; “Lord, thou knowest that I love thee; help me to love thee more!”

The hard heart does not love the Redeemer, but the renewed heart burns with affection towards him.

Many are the privileges of this renewed heart; “‘Tis here the Spirit dwells, ’tis here that Jesus rests.” It is fitted to receive every spiritual blessing, and every blessing comes to it. It is prepared to yield every heavenly fruit to the honour and praise of God, and therefore the Lord delights in it.A tender heart is the best defence against sin, and the best preparation for heaven. A renewed heart stands on its watchtower looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus. Have you this heart of flesh?

Charles Spurgeon

How was your week? Mine was busy harvesting lots of green pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers, and spaghetti squash. Also, I have visitors over and keeping up with my bible reading and devotion still is a priority for my husband and me. It has been a wonderful summer for us, walking at the beaches. There are so many here in New Brunswick that is available. I see the beauty of God’s Creation in our fallen world. A mix of good and evil, and I thank God for showing a little piece of what is to come.

What is your favourite song or hymn these days? Mine is Come Jesus Come by

Oh my, King, I waited for your return, whatever the times are good or bad. Give me the desire to be at your feet and know you more.

Come Jesus Come

[Verse 1]
Sometimes I fall, to my knees and pray
Come, Jesus come, let today be the day
Sometimes I feel, like I’m gonna break
But I’m holding on, to a hope that won’t fade

[Chorus]
Come, Jesus, come
We’ve been waiting so long
For the day You return to heal every hurt and right every wrong
We need You right now
Come and turn this around
Deep down I know, this world isn’t home
Come, Jesus, come
Come, Jesus, come

[Verse 2]
There’ll be no war, and there’ll be no chains
When Jesus comes, let today be the day
He’ll come for the weak, and the strong just
The same
And all will believe, in the power of His name

[Chorus]
Come, Jesus, come
We’ve been waiting so long
For the day You return to heal every hurt and right every wrong
We need You right now
Come and turn this around
Deep down I know, this world isn’t home
Come, Jesus, come
Come, Jesus, come

[Verse 3]
One day He’ll come, and we’ll stand face to
Face
Come and lay it all down, ’cause it might be today
The time is right now, there’s no need to wait
Your past will be washed, by rivers of grace

[Chorus]
Come, Jesus, come
We’ve been waiting so long
For the day You return to heal every hurt and right every wrong
We need You right now
Come and turn this around
Deep down I know, this world isn’t home
Come, Jesus, come
Come, Jesus, come
Come, Jesus, come

RESOURCES

• https://spurgeonsmorningandevening.com/
• https://genius.com/Stephen-mcwhirter-come-jesus-come-lyrics

Our Trouble Removed

“And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:”— Genesis 9:14

The rainbow, the symbol of the covenant with Noah, is typical of our Lord Jesus, the Lord’s witness to the people. When may we expect to see the token of the covenant? The rainbow is only to be seen painted upon a cloud.

When the sinner’s conscience is dark with clouds, when he remembers his past sin and mourneth and lamenteth before God, Jesus Christ is revealed to him as the covenant Rainbow, displaying all the glorious hues of the divine character and betokening peace.

To the believer, when his trials and temptations surround him, it is sweet to behold the person of our Lord Jesus Christ—to see him bleeding, living, rising, and pleading for us. God’s rainbow is hung over the cloud of our sins, our sorrows, and our woes to prophesy deliverance.

Nor does a cloud alone give a rainbow; there must be crystal drops to reflect the sun’s light. So, our sorrows must not only threaten but also really fall upon us. There had been no Christ for us if the vengeance of God had been merely a threatening cloud: punishment must fall in terrible drops upon the Surety.

Until there is a real anguish in the sinner’s conscience, there is no Christ for him; until the chastisement he feels becomes grievous, he cannot see Jesus. But there must also be a sun, for clouds and raindrops make no rainbows unless the sun shineth.

Beloved, our God, who is as the sun to us, always shines, but we do not always see him—clouds hide his face; but no matter what drops may be falling, or what clouds may be threatening, if he does but shines there will be a rainbow at once. It is said that when we see the rainbow, the shower is over.

Certain it is that when Christ comes, our troubles remove; when we behold Jesus, our sins vanish, and our doubts and fears subside. When Jesus walks the waters of the sea, how profound the calm!

Charles Spurgeon

Hope you’re having a wonderful summer. I’m having visitors this month, and the harvesting of my garden is keeping me quite busy. Keeping up with my blog is quite challenging, but I’m still praying and doing my devotion with my husband. Now, let’s go pray!

RESOURCES

https://spurgeonsmorningandevening.com/

“So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.”— Ruth 2:17

Let me learn from Ruth, the gleaner. As she went out to gather the ears of corn, so must I go forth into the fields of prayer, meditation, the ordinances and hearing the word to gather spiritual food.

The gleaner gathers her portion ear by ear; her gains are little by little: so must I be content to search for single truths, if there be no greater plenty of them. Every ear helps to make a bundle, and every gospel lesson assists in making us wise unto salvation.

The gleaner keeps her eyes open: if she stumbled among the stubble in a dream, she would have no load to carry home rejoicingly at eventide. I must be watchful in religious exercises lest they become unprofitable to me; I fear I have lost much already—O that I may rightly estimate my opportunities, and glean with greater diligence.

The gleaner stoops for all she finds, and so must I. High spirits criticize and object, but lowly minds glean and receive benefit. A humble heart is a great help towards profitably hearing the gospel. The engrafted soul-saving word is not received except with meekness.

A stiff back makes a bad gleaner; down, master pride, thou art a vile robber, not to be endured for a moment. What the gleaner gathers she holds: if she dropped one ear to find another, the result of her day’s work would be but scant; she is as careful to retain as to obtain, and so at last her gains are great.

How often do I forget all that I hear; the second truth pushes the first out of my head, and so my reading and hearing end in much ado about nothing! Do I feel duly the importance of storing up the truth?

A hungry belly makes the gleaner wise; if there be no corn in her hand, there will be no bread on her table; she labours under the sense of necessity, and hence her tread is nimble and her grasp is firm; I have even a greater necessity, Lord, help me to feel it, that it may urge me onward to glean in fields which yield so plenteous a reward to diligence.

Charles Spurgeon

RESOURCE

“And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.”— Ezekiel 16:6

Beliver, consider gratefully this mandate of mercy. Note that this fiat of God is majestic.

In our text, we perceive a sinner with nothing in him but sin, expecting nothing but wrath; but the eternal Lord passes by in his glory; he looks, he pauses, and he pronounces the solitary but royal word, “Live.” There speaks a God.

Onyly god can speak in this way, dispensing life with a single syllable! Again, this decree is manifold. When he says “Live,” it includes many things. Here is judicial life. The sinner is ready to be condemned, but the mighty One says, “Live,” and he rises pardoned and absolved.

It is spiritual life. We did not know Jesus—our eyes could not see Christ, our ears could not hear his voice—Jehovah said “Live,” and we who were dead in trespasses and sins were quickened. Moreover, it includes glory-life, which is the perfection of spiritual life.

“I said to you, Live:” and that word rolls on through all the years of time till death comes, and in the midst of the shadows of death, the Lord’s voice is still heard, “Live!” In the morning of the resurrection it is that self-same voice which is echoed by the arch-angel, “Live,” and as holy spirits rise to heaven to be blest forever in the glory of their God, it is in the power of this same word, “Live.”

Note again, that it is an irresistible mandate. Saul of Tarsus is on the road to Damascus to arrest the saints of the living God. A voice is heard from heaven and a light is seen above the brightness of the sun, and Saul is crying out, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

This mandate is a mandate of free grace. When sinners are saved, it is only and solely because God will do it to magnify his free, unpurchased, unsought grace. Christians, see your position, debtors to grace; show your gratitude by earnest, Christlike lives, and as God has bidden you live, see to it that you live in earnest. ~ Charles Spurgeon

Have a wonderful weekend!

RESOURCES

• https://spurgeonsmorningandevening.com/

• https://www.princeofpreachers.org/

My Well Beloved

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”— Genesis 3:8

My soul, now that the cool of the day has come, retire awhile and hearken to the voice of thy God. He is always ready to speak with thee when thou art prepared to hear.

If there be any slowness to commune it is not on his part, but altogether on thine own, for he stands at the door and knocks, and if his people will but open he rejoices to enter. But in what state is my heart, which is my Lord’s garden?

May I venture to hope that it is well trimmed and watered, and is bringing forth fruit fit for him? If not, he will have much to reprove, but still I pray him to come unto me, for nothing can so certainly bring my heart into a right condition as the presence of the Sun of Righteousness, who brings healing in his wings.

Come, therefore, O Lord, my God, my soul invites thee earnestly, and waits for thee eagerly. Come to me, O Jesus, my well-beloved, and plant fresh flowers in my garden, such as I see blooming in such perfection in thy matchless character!

Come, O my Father, who art the Husbandman, and deal with me in thy tenderness and prudence! Come, O Holy Spirit, and bedew my whole nature, as the herbs are now moistened with the evening dews. O that God would speak to me.

Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth! O that he would walk with me; I am ready to give up my whole heart and mind to him, and every other thought is hushed. I am only asking what he delights to give.

I am sure that he will condescend to have fellowship with me, for he has given me his Holy Spirit to abide with me forever. Sweet is the cool twilight, when every star seems like the eye of heaven, and the cool wind is as the breath of celestial love.

My Father, my elder Brother, my sweet Comforter, speak now in lovingkindness, for thou hast opened mine ear and I am not rebellious. ~ Charles Spurgeon

On this day, I pray for my country, our people, the refugees, our churches, our institutions, our ministers, our children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters, those who are homeless, the broken, and the lost. Oh God, forgive our land who has forsaken you. There is no other God besides you. All have turned away and worshipped gods of their own. But my house and I will worship you. Let my heart celebrate with joy this day because you’ve redeemed me for a better purpose.

In you, I trust and obey.

Resource

• Spurgeon Morning & Evening:https://spurgeonsmorningandevening.com/