Today's devotional by Spurgeon is definitely one to remember each day. Its just a reminder that we are prone to becoming tired and dry and we need to be filled again and again. So many things in life slow us down and bring us down and work against our joy and passion for God. So we must fight against that and take action! And remember, Paul compared the Christian life to a race...
Galatians 6:9"do not grow weary"
Romans 12:11 "not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord
1 Samuel 12:24 "Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you."
"Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered." 2 Chronicles 31:21
This is no unusual occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral universe that those men prosper who do their work with all their hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to their labour leaving half their hearts behind them.
God does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is he pleased to send wealth to those who will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure. It is universally confessed that if a man would prosper, he must be diligent in business. It is the same in religion as it is in other things. If you would prosper in your work for Jesus, let it be
heart work, and let it be done with
all your heart. Put as much force, energy, heartiness, and earnestness into religion as ever you do into business,
for it deserves far more. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities, but he does not encourage our idleness; he loves
active believers. Who are the most useful men in the Christian church? The men who do what they undertake for God
with all their hearts. Who are the most successful Sabbath-school teachers? The most talented? No; the most
zealous; the men whose hearts are on
fire, those are the men who see their Lord riding forth prosperously in the majesty of his salvation. Whole-heartedness shows itself in
perseverance; there may be failure at first, but the earnest worker will say, “It is the Lord’s work, and it must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in his strength I will accomplish it.” Christian, art thou thus “with all thine heart” serving thy Master? Remember the earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work was his! He could say, “
The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” When he sweat great drops of blood, it was no light burden he had to carry upon those blessed shoulders; and when he
poured out his heart, it was no weak effort he was making for the salvation of his people. Was Jesus in earnest, and are we lukewarm?
Nice one, Shelsy. I confess that, sometimes, Spurgeon's words are somewhat reminiscent to me of a present-day Charismatic (others have said so, too) --- something an "ex-Charisamtic" like myself can easily find less than appealing.
ReplyDeleteHowever, this reminder of the need to stoke our passion for the LORD & to be diligent & faithful in our efforts to do His work is both timely & relevant!
I especially appreciated his line: 'Whole-heartedness shows itself in perseverance; there may be failure at first, but the earnest worker will say, “It is the Lord’s work, and it must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in his strength I will accomplish it.”'