Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions
For the morning of February 12thby Charles H. Spurgeon
"For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our
consolation also aboundeth by Christ."
--2 Corinthians 1:5
There is a blessed proportion. The Ruler of Providence bears
a pair of scales--in this side He puts His people's trials, and
in that He puts their consolations. When the scale of trial is
nearly empty, you will always find the scale of consolation in
nearly the same condition; and when the scale of trials is full,
you will find the scale of consolation just as heavy. When the
black clouds gather most, the light is the more brightly
revealed to us. When the night lowers and the tempest is coming
on, the Heavenly Captain is always closest to His crew. It is a
blessed thing, that when we are most cast down, then it is that
we are most lifted up by the consolations of the Spirit. One
reason is, because trials make more room for consolation.
Great hearts can only be made by great troubles. The spade of
trouble digs the reservoir of comfort deeper, and makes more
room for consolation. God comes into our heart--He finds it
full--He begins to break our comforts and to make it empty; then
there is more room for grace. The humbler a man lies, the more
comfort he will always have, because he will be more fitted to
receive it. Another reason why we are often most happy in our
troubles, is this--then we have the closest dealings with God.
When the barn is full, man can live without God: when the purse
is bursting with gold, we try to do without so much prayer. But
once take our gourds away, and we want our God; once cleanse
the idols out of the house, then we are compelled to honour
Jehovah. "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord."
There is no cry so good as that which comes from the bottom of
the mountains; no prayer half so hearty as that which comes up
from the depths of the soul, through deep trials and
afflictions. Hence they bring us to God, and we are happier; for
nearness to God is happiness. Come, troubled believer, fret not
over your heavy troubles, for they are the heralds of weighty
mercies.
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