Posts Tagged ‘Charles Spurgeon’

Spurgeon: Whatever else may be questionable, this is absolutely certain

Posted: May 25, 2013 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, May, Psalms
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Psalm 118: Oh give thanks to the Lord……For he is good.

C. H Spurgeon comments:

This is reason enough for giving him thanks; goodness is his essence and nature, and therefore he is always to be praised whether we are receiving anything from him or not. Those who only praise God because he does them good should rise to a higher note and give thanks to him because he is good. In the truest sense he alone is good, “There is none good but one, that is God”; therefore in all gratitude the Lord should have the royal portion.

  • If others seem to be good, he is good.
  • If others are good in a measure, he is good beyond measure.
  • When others behave badly to us, it should only stir us up the more heartily to give thanks unto the Lord because he is good;
  • and when we ourselves are conscious that we are far from being good, we should only the more reverently bless him that “he is good.”

We must never tolerate an instant’s unbelief as to the goodness of the Lord; whatever else may be questionable, this is absolutely certain, that Jehovah is good; his dispensations may vary, but his nature is always the same, and always good. It is not only that he was good, and will be good, but he is good; let his providence be what it may. Therefore let us even at this present moment, though the skies be dark with clouds, yet give thanks unto his name.

Pouring out a drink offering to the Lord

Posted: May 25, 2013 by Pam Larson in 2 Samuel, Devotionals/Commentaries, May
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    Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the LORD and said, “Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
2 Samuel 23:16-17 ESV

From the ESV Study Bible:

This may at first seem wasteful of David, and ungrateful, but it is a gesture showing great value. He likens the water to the blood of his men, and for David to drink the water obtained at the risk of their lives would have been to take their blood lightly. But to pour it out before the Lord was a way of saying that he was not worthy of it, and he was offering it to the Lord instead. Such “drink offerings” were often poured out before the Lord: see Gen. 35:14; Num. 15:7–10; 28:7–15

What makes you tremble?

Posted: May 21, 2013 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, May, Psalms
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What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs? 

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.
—Psalm 114:5-8

Charles Spurgeon, in The Treasury of David:

Men fear the mountains, but the mountains tremble before the Lord. Sheep and lambs move lightly in the meadows; but the hills, which we are wont to call eternal, were as readily made to move as the most active creatures. Rams in their strength, and lambs in their play, are not more stirred than were the solid hills when Jehovah marched by. Nothing is immovable but God himself: the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but the covenant of his grace abideth fast for ever and ever. Even thus do mountains of sin and hills of trouble move when the Lord comes forth to lead his people to their eternal Canaan. Let us never fear, but rather let our faith say unto this mountain, “Be thou removed hence and cast into the sea, “and it shall be done.

Spurgeon: We must not give the Lord a new name nor invent a new nature

Posted: May 20, 2013 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, May, Psalms
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Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!

Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!

Charles H Spurgeon on Psalm 113:1-2

Gods.nameBy mentioning the name, the Psalmist would teach us to bless each of the attributes of the Most High, which are as it were the letters of his name; not quarrelling with his justice or his severity, nor servilely dreading his power, but accepting him as we find him revealed in the inspired word and by his own acts, and loving him and praising him as such. We must not give the Lord a new name nor invent a new nature, for that would be the setting up of a false god.

Spurgeon: no dread that evil tidings will come, and no alarm when they do come.

Posted: May 19, 2013 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, May, Psalms
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He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:7

rachel barkeyI would like this verse to be true of me, trusting in God, even when life hurts.  Plans may change, but God’s purpose remains. I was reminded of this when I read of Rachel, a young mom who  went home to her Lord on July 2, 2009 at 37 years of age.  At her website, “Death is not dying…a faith that saves,” she wrote a letter , “Plans that change and ones that don’t”

 Charles H. Spurgeon comments:  

bad newsHe shall not be afraid of evil tidings. He shall have no dread that evil tidings will come, and he shall not be alarmed when they do come. Rumours and reports he despises; prophecies of evil, vented by fanatical mouths, he ridicules; actual and verified information of loss and distress he bears with equanimity, resigning everything into the hands of God. His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. He is neither fickle nor cowardly; when he is undecided as to his course he is still fixed in heart: he may change his plan, but not the purpose of his soul. His heart being fixed in solid reliance upon God, a change in his circumstances but slightly affects him; faith has made him firm and steadfast, and therefore if the worst should come to the worst, he would remain quiet and patient, waiting for the salvation of God.

Rachel Barkey was an example of someone who steadfastly relied on God, and whose trust in God brought God great glory. On March 4, 2009, Rachel had an opportunity to share about her hope in the midst of terminal cancer. What began as a small talk to her church women’s group became an event attended by over 600 women and was an experience that left many with a desire to discover more about Rachel’s journey and faith.  Check out her video testimony here:

What is the best proof of intelligence?

Posted: May 18, 2013 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, May, Psalms
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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;  all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!

Charles H. Spurgeon on Psalm 111:10

IQ_curveMen may know and be very orthodox, they may talk and be very eloquent, they may speculate and be very profound; but the best proof of their intelligence must be found in their actually doing the will of the Lord.

  • The former part of the psalm taught us the doctrine of God’s nature and character, by describing his works:
  • the second part supplies the practical lesson by drawing the inference that to worship and obey him is the dictate of true wisdom.

We joyfully own that it is so. His praise endureth for ever. The praises of God will never cease, because his works will always excite adoration, and it will always be the wisdom of men to extol their glorious Lord.

God means what He says and does

Posted: May 11, 2013 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, May, Psalms
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Have you ever read Psalm 105 and counted how many times either God says, “I DID___” or how many times the Psalmist says, “HE (God) DID ______”   Try it today!

_joseph_brothers_Here is one example from Psalm 105:16-17  When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread,  he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

Indeed, even Joseph proclaims to his brothers in Genesis 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

C.H. Spurgeon, in the Treasury of David comments:

He sent a man before them, even Joseph. He was the advance guard and pioneer for the whole clan. His brethren sold him, but God sent him. Where the hand of the wicked is visible God’s hand may be invisibly at work, overruling their malice. No one was more of a man, or more fit to lead the van than Joseph: an interpreter of dreams was wanted, and his brethren had said of him, “Behold, this dreamer cometh.” Who was sold for a servant, or rather for a slave. Joseph’s journey into Egypt was not so costly as Jonah’s voyage when he paid his own fare: his free passage was provided by the Midianites, who also secured his introduction to a great officer of state by handing him over as a Slave. His way to a position in which he could feed his family lay through the pit, the slaver’s caravan, the slave market and the prison, and who shall deny but what it was the right way, the surest way, the wisest way, and perhaps the shortest way. Yet assuredly it seemed not so.

  • Were we to send a man on such an errand we should furnish him with money—Joseph goes as a pauper;
  • we should clothe him with authority—Joseph goes as a slave;
  • we should leave him at full liberty—Joseph is a bondman:

yet money would have been of little use when corn was so dear, authority would have been irritating rather than influential with Pharaoh, and freedom might not have thrown Joseph into connection with Pharaoh’s captain and his other servants, and so the knowledge of his skill in interpretation might not have reached the monarch’s ear. God’s way is the way. Our Lord’s path to his mediatorial throne ran by the cross of Calvary; our road to glory runs by the rivers of grief.

But you, O Lord….

Posted: May 8, 2013 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, May, Psalms
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But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;

you are remembered throughout all generations. Psalm 102:12

It would be interesting to read through the Bible and mark every “…but God” that you come across. In Psalm 102, the author is clearly distressed and depressed. “But you, O Lord…” He remembers God’s sovereignty and His eternal existence.

Charles H. Spurgeon comments in The Treasury of David:

brilliantsunsetIn the first part of the Psalm, Ps 102:1-11, the moaning monopolizes every verse, the lamentation is unceasing, sorrow rules the hour.

The second portion, from Ps 102:12-28, has a vision of better things, a view of the gracious Lord, and his eternal existence, and care for his people, and therefore it is interspersed with sunlight as well as shaded by the cloud, and it ends up right gloriously with calm confidence for the future, and sweet restfulness in the Lord.

The whole composition may be compared to a day which, opening with wind and rain, clears up at noon and is warm with the sun, continues fine, with intervening showers, and finally closes with a brilliant sunset.

He is high above all the people

Posted: May 5, 2013 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, May, Psalms
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The Lord is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is he!
—Psalm 99

Spurgeon comments at The Treasury of David:

He is great in the esteem of the gracious, great in his acts of mercy, and really great in himself: great in mercy, power, wisdom, justice, and glory. And he is high above all the people; towering above their highest thoughts and loftiest conceptions. The highest are not high to him, yet, blessed be his name, the lowliest are not despised by him. In such a God we rejoice, his greatness and loftiness are exceedingly delightful in our esteem; the more he is honoured and exalted in the hearts of men, the more exultant are his people. If Israel delighted in Saul because he was head and shoulders above the people, [we have been reading in 1 Samuel about Saul]  how much more should we exult in our God and King, Who is as high above us as the heavens are above the earth.

A joyful noise: can it be TOO hearty?

Posted: May 4, 2013 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, May, Psalms
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Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
— Psalm 98:4

Charles H. Spurgeon, in The Treasury of David,  says:

There is no fear of our being too hearty in magnifying the God of our salvation, only we must take care the song comes from the heart, otherwise the music is nothing but a noise in his ears, whether it be caused by human throats, or organ pipes, or far resounding trumpets. Loud let our hearts ring out the honours of our conquering Saviour; with all our might let us extol the Lord who has vanquished all our enemies, and led our captivity captive: He will do this best who is most in love with Jesus:

“I have found the pearl of greatest price,
My heart doth sing for joy;
And sing I must, a Christ I have.
Oh, what a Christ have I!”

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