Under Old Testament tradition, an elder daughter was the first in a family to be given in marriage before the younger (Gen. 29:26). Likewise, the eldest or firstborn son received the blessing of his father before any younger siblings (much like Jesus being resurrected ahead of us).

There is an order to things, as I stated, Jesus the firstborn, and we who follow. We cannot precede Him, for He has already entered into the kingdom. But there is another order that isn’t simply a matter of eldest to youngest.

In our faith, Jesus taught, “the last shall be first, and the first last” (Mt. 20:16). What does this mean that the last shall be first and the first last?

Jesus explained elsewhere, “if anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mk. 9:35). Those who serve, who put others before themselves, shall be exalted. The Christian life is one of servitude, we are called to consider others more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3). Paul told the Corinthians that he and those with him did “not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).

So, Christian, are you serving? Do you treat others as more important? Or do you put yourself first, so that in God’s kingdom, you will be last? Consider your priorities, and make sure you are making every effort to be first in the kingdom.

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, November 14

"And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn." Genesis 29:26

We do not excuse Laban for his dishonesty, but we scruple not to learn from the custom which he quoted as his excuse. There are some things which must be taken in order, and if we would win the second we must secure the first. The second may be the more lovely in our eyes, but the rule of the heavenly country must stand, and the elder must be married first. For instance, many men desire the beautiful and well-favoured Rachel of joy and peace in believing, but they must first be wedded to the tender-eyed Leah of repentance. Every one falls in love with happiness, and many would cheerfully serve twice seven years to enjoy it, but according to the rule of the Lord's kingdom, the Leah of real holiness must be beloved of our soul before the Rachel of true happiness can be attained. Heaven stands not first but second, and only by persevering to the end can we win a portion in it. The cross must be carried before the crown can be worn. We must follow our Lord in His humiliation, or we shall never rest with Him in glory.

My soul, what sayest thou, art thou so vain as to hope to break through the heavenly rule? Dost thou hope for reward without labour, or honour without toil? Dismiss the idle expectation, and be content to take the ill-favoured things for the sake of the sweet love of Jesus, which will recompense thee for all. In such a spirit, labouring and suffering, thou wilt find bitters grow sweet, and hard things easy. Like Jacob, thy years of service will seem unto thee but a few days for the love thou hast to Jesus; and when the dear hour of the wedding feast shall come, all thy toils shall be as though they had never been- an hour with Jesus will make up for ages of pain and labour.

Jesus, to win Thyself so fair,
Thy cross I will with gladness bear:
Since so the rules of heaven ordain,
The first I'll wed the next to gain.

Brethren, God has no love for the double-minded, nor will such a person receive anything from Him (Jas. 1:7). For the double-minded man is unstable and unfaithful. Why would God honor such a one?

Though related, worse even than simple double-mindedness is divided loyalty. Jesus taught of this, exhorting that “no one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other” (Mt. 6:24). While Jesus explicitly tied this to money, it is true of any idol.

Consider the politician who holds dual citizenship? Can he be said truly to always have the interest of America at heart? Or are his interests, and thus, loyalty, divided? How can one serve in the Congress of the U.S. and seek that which is best for America when dealing with matters of foreign affairs that affect the politician’s country of origin?

Likewise, any idol we attempt to serve while attempting also to serve God divides our minds and our loyalty, and it will result in being cut off. For God is a jealous God (Ex. 20:5; Deut. 4:24) and promises, “I will cut off…those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom” (Zeph. 1:5).

God doesn’t want half-hearted followers. He wants all of us. As He says in Deuteronomy, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13; Deut. 4:29).

What in your life is dividing your allegiance? What pursuits are drawing you away from God instead of leading you to Him? Let us not be double-minded, but instead, “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, November 14

"I will cut off them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham." Zephaniah 1:5

Such persons thought themselves safe because they were with both parties: they went with the followers of Jehovah, and bowed at the same time to Malcham. But duplicity is abominable with God, and hypocrisy His soul hateth. The idolater who distinctly gives himself to his false god, has one sin less than he who brings his polluted and detestable sacrifice unto the temple of the Lord, while his heart is with the world and the sins thereof. To hold with the hare and run with the hounds, is a dastard's policy. In the common matters of daily life, a double-minded man is despised, but in religion he is loathsome to the last degree. The penalty pronounced in the verse before us is terrible, but it is well deserved; for how should divine justice spare the sinner, who knows the right, approves it, and professes to follow it, and all the while loves the evil, and gives it dominion in his heart?

My soul, search thyself this morning, and see whether thou art guilty of double-dealing. Thou professest to be a follower of Jesus- dost thou truly love Him? Is thy heart right with God? Art thou of the family of old Father Honest, or art thou a relative of Mr. By-ends? A name to live is of little value if I be indeed dead in trespasses and sins. To have one foot on the land of truth, and another on the sea of falsehood, will involve a terrible fall and a total ruin. Christ will be all or nothing. God fills the whole universe, and hence there is no room for another god; if, then, He reigns in my heart, there will be no space for another reigning power. Do I rest alone on Jesus crucified, and live alone for Him? Is it my desire to do so? Is my heart set upon so doing? If so, blessed be the mighty grace which has led me to salvation; and if not so, O Lord, pardon my sad offence, and unite my heart to fear Thy name.

Believer, how often do you pray? Do you pray always and not lose heart? This is the instruction of the Lord to His followers in Luke 18:1, that “at all times [we] ought to pray and not to lose heart” (Lk. 18:1).

He demonstrates this with the parable of the unjust judge and the widow who would not rest until she received justice. Eventually, the unjust judge, though he feared neither man nor God, relented. Then Jesus reveals the meaning behind His message: “will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly” (Lk. 18:7-8).

Brethren, when you suffer injustice, do not become disheartened. Bring your plea to God, with thanksgiving, and He will give you peace (Phil. 4:6-7). Our Father in heaven, unlike the man in Jesus parable, is a just judge. How then will He not provide justice for His adopted children, those He has chosen?

Our Father knows our need before we even ask (Mt. 6:8). So pray, pray continually, cry out to God for justice, and He will be there to provide it.

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, November 13

"Men ought always to pray." Luke 18:1

If men ought always to pray and not to faint, much more Christian men. Jesus has sent His church into the world on the same errand upon which He Himself came, and this mission includes intercession. What if I say that the church is the world's priest? Creation is dumb, but the church is to find a mouth for it. It is the church's high privilege to pray with acceptance. The door of grace is always open for her petitions, and they never return empty-handed. The veil was rent for her, the blood was sprinkled upon the altar for her, God constantly invites her to ask what she wills. Will she refuse the privilege which angels might envy her? Is she not the bride of Christ? May she not go in unto her King at every hour? Shall she allow the precious privilege to be unused? The church always has need for prayer. There are always some in her midst who are declining, or falling into open sin. There are lambs to be prayed for, that they may be carried in Christ's bosom. The strong, lest they grow presumptuous; and the weak, lest they become despairing. If we kept up prayer-meetings four-and-twenty hours in the day, all the days in the year, we might never be without a special subject for supplication. Are we ever without the sick and the poor, the afflicted and the wavering? Are we ever without those who seek the conversion of relatives, the reclaiming of back-sliders, or the salvation of the depraved? Nay, with congregations constantly gathering, with ministers always preaching, with millions of sinners lying dead in trespasses and sins; in a country over which the darkness of Romanism is certainly descending; in a world full of idols, cruelties, devilries, if the church doth not pray, how shall she excuse her base neglect of the commission of her loving Lord? Let the church be constant in supplication, let every private believer cast his mite of prayer into the treasury.

Believer, are you bearing fruit? Do you struggle to do so? Perhaps it is because you are attempting not to bear fruit, but to produce it.

Christian, never forget: the branch does not generate fruit - it bears it. Growth comes from the root. An olive branch does not produce olives, nor do the canes on a grapevine. While the fruit appears on these limbs, growth begins at the trunk, sourced from that which is firmly planted in the soil.

Likewise, apart from Christ, we cannot bear fruit. It is not from ourselves that the fruit grows, though it may be seen through us. It is our root, Jesus Christ, who produces fruit in us. This is why we are instructed to abide in Him and Him in us, because “the branch cannot bear fruit of itself” (Jn. 15:4).

Jesus was very clear on this, exhorting, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). Read that again and let it sink in: apart from Him, we can do nothing.

So consider, if you do not see fruit in your life, are you abiding in Him? Or are we, like the Jews of Jesus’ time, giving Him lip service while our hearts are far from Him?

Dear brethren, let us take honest inventory of ourselves, and if we find we are not bearing fruit, ask the question: “Are we abiding in Him? Have we been crucified with Him so that it is no longer we who live but He who lives in us?” (Gal. 2:20)

Seek with all your heart to abide in Him, that you may rest in the assurance Jesus gives, that “if you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (Jn. 15:7-8).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, November 13

"The branch cannot bear fruit of itself." John 15:4

How did you begin to bear fruit? It was when you came to Jesus and cast yourselves on His great atonement, and rested on His finished righteousness. Ah! what fruit you had then! Do you remember those early days? Then indeed the vine flourished, the tender grape appeared, the pomegranates budded forth, and the beds of spices gave forth their smell. Have you declined since then? If you have, we charge you to remember that time of love, and repent, and do thy first works. Be most in those engagements which you have experimentally proved to draw you nearest to Christ, because it is from Him that all your fruits proceed. Any holy exercise which will bring you to Him will help you to bear fruit. The sun is, no doubt, a great worker in fruit-creating among the trees of the orchard: and Jesus is still more so among the trees of His garden of grace. When have you been the most fruitless? Has not it been when you have lived farthest from the Lord Jesus Christ, when you have slackened in prayer, when you have departed from the simplicity of your faith, when your graces have engrossed your attention instead of your Lord, when you have said, "My mountain standeth firm, I shall never be moved"; and have forgotten where your strength dwells- has not it been then that your fruit has ceased? Some of us have been taught that we have nothing out of Christ, by terrible abasements of heart before the Lord; and when we have seen the utter barrenness and death of all creature power, we have cried in anguish, "From Him all my fruit must be found, for no fruit can ever come from me." We are taught, by past experience, that the more simply we depend upon the grace of God in Christ, and wait upon the Holy Spirit, the more we shall bring forth fruit unto God. Oh! to trust Jesus for fruit as well as for life.

Believe, when you grow weary, when difficulties seem insurmountable, when you suffer attack from the spiritual or the physical, where or to whom do you turn? How blessed we are to have God as our refuge Ps. 62:8)!

Christian, do not let your circumstances distract or dishearten you. We have a resting place, an abode which is a mighty fortress in which to take refuge - He is the Lord our God (Ps. 18:2).

He gives us strength in affliction (Jer. 16:19). He is our shield and deliverer (Ps. 144:2). He is our habitation and our rock - unshakeable, unchanging, immovable (Ps. 71:3).

What have we to fear from the world, when we have so great a God? Let your faith rest in Him, and take rest in Him yourself. Cast all your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7). Find in Him peace, the peace that only He can give, a peace which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). Abide in Him, because the eternal God is our refuge (Deut. 33:27).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, November 10

"The eternal God is thy refuge." Deuteronomy 33:27

The word refuge may be translated "mansion," or "abiding-place," which gives the thought that God is our abode, our home. There is a fulness and sweetness in the metaphor, for dear to our hearts is our home, although it be the humblest cottage, or the scantiest garret; and dearer far is our blessed God, in whom we live, and move, and have our being. It is at home that we feel safe: we shut the world out and dwell in quiet security. So when we are with our God we "fear no evil." He is our shelter and retreat, our abiding refuge. At home, we take our rest"; it is there we find repose after the fatigue and toil of the day. And so our hearts find rest in God, when, wearied with life's conflict, we turn to Him, and our soul dwells at ease. At home, also, we let our hearts loose"; we are not afraid of being misunderstood, nor of our words being misconstrued. So when we are with God we can commune freely with Him, laying open all our hidden desires; for if the "secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him," the secrets of them that fear Him ought to be, and must be, with their Lord. Home, too, is the place of our truest and purest happiness: and it is in God that our hearts find their deepest delight. We have joy in Him which far surpasses all other joy. It is also for home that we work and labour. The thought of it gives strength to bear the daily burden, and quickens the fingers to perform the task; and in this sense we may also say that God is our home. Love to Him strengthens us. We think of Him in the person of His dear Son; and a glimpse of the suffering face of the Redeemer constrains us to labour in His cause. We feel that we must work, for we have brethren yet to be saved, and we have our Father's heart to make glad by bringing home His wandering sons; we would fill with holy mirth the sacred family among whom we dwell. Happy are those who have thus the God of Jacob for their refuge!

Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, November 9

"His place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure." Isaiah 33:16

Do you doubt, O Christian, do you doubt as to whether God will fulfil His promise? Shall the munitions of rock be carried by storm? Shall the storehouses of heaven fail? Do you think that your heavenly Father, though He knoweth that you have need of food and raiment, will yet forget you? When not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father, and the very hairs of your head are all numbered, will you mistrust and doubt Him? Perhaps your affliction will continue upon you till you dare to trust your God, and then it shall end. Full many there be who have been tried and sore vexed till at last they have been driven in sheer desperation to exercise faith in God, and the moment of their faith has been the instant of their deliverance; they have seen whether God would keep His promise or not. Oh, I pray you, doubt Him no longer! Please not Satan, and vex not yourself by indulging any more those hard thoughts of God. Think it not a light matter to doubt Jehovah. Remember, it is a sin"; and not a little sin either, but in the highest degree criminal. The angels never doubted Him, nor the devils either: we alone, out of all the beings that God has fashioned, dishonour Him by unbelief, and tarnish His honour by mistrust. Shame upon us for this! Our God does not deserve to be so basely suspected; in our past life we have proved Him to be true and faithful to His word, and with so many instances of His love and of His kindness as we have received, and are daily receiving, at His hands, it is base and inexcusable that we suffer a doubt to sojourn within our heart. May we henceforth wage constant war against doubts of our God- enemies to our peace and to His honour; and with an unstaggering faith believe that what He has promised He will also perform. "Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief."

Believer, yesterday morning I encouraged you to “walk in Him” (Col. 2:6). But what does it mean to walk in Christ? It is a walk of faith, not being moved by our circumstances, but by knowing the One who is faithful regardless of our situation. And that faith leads to obedience, obedience to that which Christ taught.

One of the most important teachings of Christ to His disciples is recorded for us in John 13:34-35 - “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The love expressed here is God’s ἀγάπη (agape) love. This is not romantic love, nor is it simple brotherly love; this is love that seeks what is best for the object of that love. Unlike the world’s definition of love, which expects that the one being loved should be accepted for whom he or she is, agape love rejoices in truth (1 Cor. 13:6). In this way, agape love is more difficult than worldly love, because it requires of us an honesty that can cut to the bone.

Yet it is to this honest love that we are called. It is not loving to leave someone wallowing in sin. It is not loving to allow someone to run headlong toward destruction, whether immediate or eternal. It is not loving to lie in order to spare someone’s feelings when that lie leaves him at odds with God.

For the unsaved, the most loving thing we can do is preach the gospel.

To our brethren, the most loving thing we can do is be bold in truth. Yet there is more. If we see our brethren in need, we should meet that need, not merely loving in word but in deed (1 Jn. 3:18; Jas. 2:14-17). We should seek to encourage one another, to build one another up in the faith, to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24-25). In doing all these things, we will, as Jesus exhorted in Jn. 13:34-35, show ourselves to be His disciples.

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, November 9

"So walk ye in Him." Colossians 2:6

If we have received Christ Himself in our inmost hearts, our new life will manifest its intimate acquaintance with Him by a walk of faith in Him. Walking implies action. Our religion is not to be confined to our closet; we must carry out into practical effect that which we believe. If a man walks in Christ, then he so acts as Christ would act; for Christ being in him, his hope, his love, his joy, his life, he is the reflex of the image of Jesus; and men say of that man, "He is like his Master; he lives like Jesus Christ." Walking signifies progress. "So walk ye in Him"; proceed from grace to grace, run forward until you reach the uttermost degree of knowledge that a man can attain concerning our Beloved. Walking implies continuance. There must be a perpetual abiding in Christ. How many Christians think that in the morning and evening they ought to come into the company of Jesus, and may then give their hearts to the world all the day: but this is poor living; we should always be with Him, treading in His steps and doing His will. Walking also implies habit. When we speak of a man's walk and conversation, we mean his habits, the constant tenour of his life. Now, if we sometimes enjoy Christ, and then forget Him; sometimes call Him ours, and anon lose our hold, that is not a habit; we do not walk in Him. We must keep to Him, cling to Him, never let Him go, but live and have our being in Him. "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him"; persevere in the same way in which ye have begun, and, as at the first Christ Jesus was the trust of your faith, the source of your life, the principle of your action, and the joy of your spirit, so let Him be the same till life's end; the same when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and enter into the joy and the rest which remain for the people of God. O Holy Spirit, enable us to obey this heavenly precept.

Before His crucifixion, Jesus shared a last passover with His disciples. Prior to the meal’s beginning, those followers were yet unaware what would transpire that night. They knew only that he told them to go find a man carrying a pitcher of water, follow him to the house he entered, and ask the master of the house where the guest room was that Jesus’ might eat this meal with the apostles (Mk. 14:14).

What an honor for the homeowner to host such an event! To have the Lord come personally into one’s house to partake of such an important feast.

That eve was one gravity, but also one we celebrate and imitate. It was on that night that Jesus explained to His disciples that He was instituting a new covenant, one better than the old, signed and sealed with His own blood, as He taught when He passed the cup. It was then that He proclaimed the sacrifice of His own body on the cross as their redemption. It was at that table, that He instituted our practice of remembrance in eating the bread and drinking the cup.

How blessed then the master of the house, for opening the door for the Lord to come in and dine. Many in the Church have shut Jesus out. Yet He stands at the door and knocks, that whosoever opens the door, He will come in and dine with Him (Rev. 3:20).

Believer, are you listening? Do you hear His voice and the rapping of door knocker? Will you be like the homeowner and open the door that you might be blessed to have Him come in and dine with you?

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, November 8

"The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with My disciples?" Mark 14:14

Jerusalem at the time of the passover was one great inn; each householder had invited his own friends, but no one had invited the Saviour, and He had no dwelling of His own. It was by His own supernatural power that He found Himself an upper room in which to keep the feast. It is so even to this day- Jesus is not received among the sons of men save only where by His supernatural power and grace He makes the heart anew. All doors are open enough to the prince of darkness, but Jesus must clear a way for Himself or lodge in the streets. It was through the mysterious power exerted by our Lord that the householder raised no question, but at once cheerfully and joyfully opened his guestchamber. Who he was, and what he was, we do not know, but he readily accepted the honour which the Redeemer proposed to confer upon him. In like manner it is still discovered who are the Lord's chosen, and who are not; for when the gospel comes to some, they fight against it, and will not have it, but where men receive it, welcoming it, this is a sure indication that there is a secret work going on in the soul, and that God has chosen them unto eternal life. Are you willing, dear reader, to receive Christ? Then there is no difficulty in the way; Christ will be your guest; His own power is working with you, making you willing. What an honour to entertain the Son of God! The heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, and yet He condescends to find a house within our hearts! We are not worthy that He should come under our roof, but what an unutterable privilege when He condescends to enter! For then He makes a feast, and causes us to feast with Him upon royal dainties, we sit at a banquet where the viands are immortal, and give immortality to those who feed thereon. Blessed among the sons of Adam is he who entertains the angels' Lord.

The Christian life is one of walking in Christ. Jesus taught that whoever wishes to come after Him must deny himself and daily take up his cross and follow (Lk. 9:23). Paul himself said that he had been crucified with Christ, and that he no longer lived, but Christ lived in him (Gal. 2:20). This is the lot of the one who has received Christ Jesus the Lord (Col. 2:6).

So then brethren, let us walk in Him. Let us be build up in Him. Let us be established in our faith. We do can do this by hiding God’s word in our heart (Ps. 119:9-11), by praying for one another, and by gathering together, encouraging one another, and stimulating one another to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24-25).

Only in this way may we pursue “the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Only in this way can we put to death the flesh and the sin that dwells in our members (Rom. 7:23). We must walk in the spirit so that we may crucify the flesh and its desires (Gal. 5:16-24).

So then, believer, just as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him (Col. 2:6).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, November 8

"As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord." Colossians 2:6

The life of faith is represented as receiving- an act which implies the very opposite of anything like merit. It is simply the acceptance of a gift. As the earth drinks in the rain, as the sea receives the streams, as night accepts light from the stars, so we, giving nothing, partake freely of the grace of God. The saints are not, by nature, wells, or streams, they are but cisterns into which the living water flows; they are empty vessels into which God pours His salvation. The idea of receiving implies a sense of realization, making the matter a reality. One cannot very well receive a shadow; we receive that which is substantial: so is it in the life of faith, Christ becomes real to us. While we are without faith, Jesus is a mere name to us- a person who lived a long while ago, so long ago that His life is only a history to us now! By an act of faith Jesus becomes a real person in the consciousness of our heart. But receiving also means grasping or getting possession of. The thing which I receive becomes my own: I appropriate to myself that which is given. When I receive Jesus, He becomes my Saviour, so mine that neither life nor death shall be able to rob me of Him. All this is to receive Christ- to take Him as God's free gift; to realize Him in my heart, and to appropriate Him as mine.

Salvation may be described as the blind receiving sight, the deaf receiving hearing, the dead receiving life; but we have not only received these blessings, we have received CHRIST JESUS Himself. It is true that He gave us life from the dead. He gave us pardon of sin; He gave us imputed righteousness. These are all precious things, but we are not content with them; we have received Christ Himself. The Son of God has been poured into us, and we have received Him, and appropriated Him. What a heartful Jesus must be, for heaven itself cannot contain Him!

Believer, do you preach the gospel to the lost? If not, why not? Jesus told His disciples that, when the Holy Spirit came, He would give us power to be witnesses for Jesus (Acts 1:8).

You have the power, and you have the command. For Jesus also said, “go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19). This was not directly merely to those in a leadership role of a 501(c)3 corporation. He did not say to invite unbelievers to your gatherings so that they might hear the good news. No! He charged each and every one of His followers with preaching the kingdom of God.

You need no special skill. You need not speak eloquently. As a matter of fact, eloquence of speech may be a hindrance. For even Paul said to the Corinthians that he did not come with “superiority of speech” nor “of wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:1). Instead, he chose to “know nothing” other than “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” so that their “faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:2,5).

And what is that power of God? The gospel itself! As Paul also explained, he was not “ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).

The gospel is simple and straightforward. Paul summarizes it thusly:
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). He goes on to explain how Jesus appeared to many, but the core of the message is simple and clear.

So, what is holding you back? Are you ashamed? If that is the case, remember Jesus’ words: “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mk. 8:38).

With what God did for you through His Son, not only should we be unashamed, but bold. For “God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power” (2 Tim. 1:7). Pray for God to give you boldness in witnessing, as Paul asked the Ephesians to pray for him (Eph. 6:19). Then go, preach the gospel and make disciples!

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, November 7

"And ye shall be witnesses unto Me." Acts 1:8

In order to learn how to discharge your duty as a witness for Christ, look at His example. He is always witnessing: by the well of Samaria, or in the Temple of Jerusalem: by the lake of Gennesaret, or on the mountain's brow. He is witnessing night and day; His mighty prayers are as vocal to God as His daily services. He witnesses under all circumstances; Scribes and Pharisees cannot shut His mouth; even before Pilate He witnesses a good confession. He witnesses so clearly, and distinctly that there is no mistake in Him. Christian, make your life a clear testimony. Be you as the brook wherein you may see every stone at the bottom- not as the muddy creek, of which you only see the surface- but clear and transparent, so that your heart's love to God and man may be visible to all. You need not say, "I am true:" be true. Boast not of integrity, but be upright. So shall your testimony be such that men cannot help seeing it. Never, for fear of feeble man, restrain your witness. Your lips have been warmed with a coal from off the altar; let them speak as like heaven-touched lips should do. "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand." Watch not the clouds, consult not the wind- in season and out of season witness for the Saviour, and if it shall come to pass that for Christ's sake and the gospel's you shall endure suffering in any shape, shrink not, but rejoice in the honour thus conferred upon you, that you are counted worthy to suffer with your Lord; and joy also in this- that your sufferings, your losses, and persecutions shall make you a platform, from which the more vigorously and with greater power you shall witness for Christ Jesus. Study your great Exemplar, and be filled with His Spirit. Remember that you need much teaching, much upholding, much grace, and much humility, if your witnessing is to be to your Master's glory.

Believer, do you ever feel forsaken, forgotten by God? You are not alone. Israel felt this way, as is recorded in Isa. 49:14. The great king David felt so, as he wrote in Psalm 22:1. Even our Lord experienced this feeling, as He quoted David while He hung on the cross for our salvation.

But Christian, God has not forgotten you. For “He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you’” (Heb. 13:5). Men may turn their backs on you, friends may desert you, but God is not a man (Num. 23:19).

Even when David felt forsaken, and the Lord in quoting Him, what does Scripture tell us? “He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried to Him for help, He heard” (Ps. 22:24).

As God told Israel when they believed themselves forsaken, He has written our names in His hands (Isa. 49:16). He can no more forget us than a nursing mother can forget the child on her teat (Isa. 49:15). Our adoptive Father would not be so callous as to not have compassion on those whom “He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:20).

While we may at times feel distant from God, He is never far off. It is usually a case of us having wandered. But if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (Jas. 4:8).

Christian, take time today to draw near to God.

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, November 7

"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands." Isaiah 49:16

No doubt a part of the wonder which is concentrated in the word "Behold", is excited by the unbelieving lamentation of the preceding sentence. Zion said, "The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me." How amazed the divine mind seems to be at this wicked unbelief! What can be more astounding than the unfounded doubts and fears of God's favoured people? The Lord's loving word of rebuke should make us blush; He cries, "How can I have forgotten thee, when I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands? How darest thou doubt my constant remembrance, when the memorial is set upon my very flesh?" O unbelief, how strange a marvel thou art! We know not which most to wonder at, the faithfulness of God or the unbelief of His people. He keeps His promise a thousand times, and yet the next trial makes us doubt Him. He never faileth; He is never a dry well; He is never as a setting sun, a passing meteor, or a melting vapour; and yet we are as continually vexed with anxieties, molested with suspicions, and disturbed with fears, as if our God were the mirage of the desert. "Behold," is a word intended to excite admiration. Here, indeed, we have a theme for marvelling. Heaven and earth may well be astonished that rebels should obtain so great a nearness to the heart of infinite love as to be written upon the palms of His hands. "I have graven thee." It does not say, "Thy name." The name is there, but that is not all: "I have graven thee." See the fulness of this! I have graven thy person, thine image, thy case, thy circumstances, thy sins, thy temptations, thy weaknesses, thy wants, thy works; I have graven thee, everything about thee, all that concerns thee; I have put thee altogether there. Wilt thou ever say again that thy God hath forsaken thee when He has graven thee upon His own palms?

Brethren, never forget that we are bound by a new covenant, not one of law, but of grace. Remember also that, just as the old covenant was sealed with the blood of circumcision, the new covenant was sealed with the blood of our savior.

Could God have paid a higher price to redeem us than to offer up the life of His own Son? And “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things” (Rom. 8:32)?

Fellow believers, how blessed we are to be members of “the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). As such, let us “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is [our] spiritual service of worship”, and let us “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind[s]” (Rom. 12:1-2).

For we were slaves to sin, but we were purchased by a new master and now are slaves to righteousness (Rom. 6:17-18). We have come to know the Truth, Jesus, and He has set us free (Jn. 8:32).

Always keep in mind that we “not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life”, “but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 18-19). So put the old behind, let go of your sins, because we are new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17), and it is no longer we who live, but Christ lives in us (Gal. 2:20).

Now, by the covenant His blood, through faith, we have assurance of our salvation (1 Jn. 5:13).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, November 6

"Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you." Hebrews 9:20

There is a strange power about the very name of blood, and the sight of it is always affecting. A kind heart cannot bear to see a sparrow bleed, and unless familiarized by use, turns away with horror at the slaughter of a beast. As to the blood of men, it is a consecrated thing: it is murder to shed it in wrath, it is a dreadful crime to squander it in war. Is this solemnity occasioned by the fact that the blood is the life, and the pouring of it forth the token of death? We think so. When we rise to contemplate the blood of the Son of God, our awe is yet more increased, and we shudder as we think of the guilt of sin, and the terrible penalty which the Sin-bearer endured. Blood, always precious, is priceless when it streams from Immanuel's side. The blood of Jesus seals the covenant of grace, and makes it for ever sure. Covenants of old were made by sacrifice, and the everlasting covenant was ratified in the same manner. Oh, the delight of being saved upon the sure foundation of divine engagements which cannot be dishonoured! Salvation by the works of the law is a frail and broken vessel whose shipwreck is sure; but the covenant vessel fears no storms, for the blood ensures the whole. The blood of Jesus made His testament valid. Wills are of no power unless the testators die. In this light the soldier's spear is a blessed aid to faith, since it proved our Lord to be really dead. Doubts upon that matter there can be none, and we may boldly appropriate the legacies which He has left for His people. Happy they who see their title to heavenly blessings assured to them by a dying Saviour. But has this blood no voice to us? Does it not bid us sanctify ourselves unto Him by whom we have been redeemed? Does it not call us to newness of life, and incite us to entire consecration to the Lord? O that the power of the blood might be known, and felt in us this night!

Believer, are you parched? Do you, as a deer pants for water, long for God?

What is keeping you from drinking out of the everlasting spring Jesus promised? Are you trying to dig your own well? Why, when Jesus promised not only to provide water that you might drink now, but that you may never thirst again (Jn. 4:14)? He has given us water that creates in us a well springing up unto eternal life!

Why then are you thirsty? Do not be mistaken, we all should have an unending thirst for God’s word; however, since it is so readily available, we should never find ourselves dehydrated, parched, longing to have our tongue but touched with a dampened fingertip.

If your spiritual live has become so arid, perhaps it is time to examine why. Are you regularly spending time with the Lord, in His word and in prayer? Are you fellowshipping with other Christians, using your gifts to edify them and being edified by them exercising theirs? Are you preaching the gospel to the lost? This last is not a call for pastors to reach unbelievers invited into the congregation, but an exhortation to all Christians to be bold, unashamed, bearing witness of the Lord as the Holy Spirit empowers us to do (Acts 1:8; Rom. 1:16).

There are many reasons why we may suffer through drought, but it generally comes back to us leaving the well, because the well will not leave us.

Drink deeply, brethren, for He promises to pour out water on the thirsty (Isa. 44:3).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, November 6

"I will pour water upon him that is thirsty." Isaiah 44:3

When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As well chain the eagle's wing to make it mount, as doubt in order to increase our grace. It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first; and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the fainting believer afterwards. Slavish fear brings not back the backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him to Jesus' bosom. Are you this morning thirsting for the living God, and unhappy because you cannot find him to the delight of your heart? Have you lost the joy of religion, and is this your prayer, "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation"? Are you conscious also that you are barren, like the dry ground; that you are not bringing forth the fruit unto God which He has a right to expect of you; that you are not so useful in the Church, or in the world, as your heart desires to be? Then here is exactly the promise which you need, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty." You shall receive the grace you so much require, and you shall have it to the utmost reach of your needs. Water refreshes the thirsty: you shall be refreshed; your desires shall be gratified. Water quickens sleeping vegetable life: your life shall be quickened by fresh grace. Water swells the buds and makes the fruits ripen; you shall have fructifying grace: you shall be made fruitful in the ways of God. Whatever good quality there is in divine grace, you shall enjoy it to the full. All the riches of divine grace you shall receive in plenty; you shall be as it were drenched with it: and as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the bursting rivers, and the fields are turned into pools, so shall you be- the thirsty land shall be springs of water.

Christian, are you thankful? Truly thankful to God? This is part of our calling. We are to “give thanks to Him” and “bless His name” (Ps. 100:4).

Our circumstances matter not. He has given us the breath of life, and more so, life eternal in Christ Jesus. How then can we not be thankful?

When you are well, give thanks. When you have plenty, give thanks. When you are ill or imprisoned, give thanks. Hungry or in need? Give thanks! In the darkest of times, give thanks. Regardless our trials or tribulations, give thanks.

I exaggerate not. Scripture exhorts, “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thes. 5:18). This is not merely suggestion, it is God’s will. We are to be thankful always.

If you are not giving thanks in all things, examine yourself. See what is within you that is preventing you showing your gratefulness to God. Then pray, with thanksgiving, letting God know what is on your heart, so that He might give you His peace which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:6-7).

Remember always the words of the psalmist so that you will be ever thankful and bless His name:

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle…
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:1-5, 10-13

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, November 5

"Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." Psalm 100:4

Our Lord would have all His people rich in high and happy thoughts concerning His blessed person. Jesus is not content that His brethren should think meanly of Him; it is His pleasure that His espoused ones should be delighted with His beauty. We are not to regard Him as a bare necessary, like to bread and water, but as a luxurious delicacy, as a rare and ravishing delight. To this end He has revealed Himself as the "pearl of great price" in its peerless beauty, as the "bundle of myrrh" in its refreshing fragrance, as the "rose of Sharon" in its lasting perfume, as the "lily" in its spotless purity.

As a help to high thoughts of Christ, remember the estimation that Christ is had in beyond the skies, where things are measured by the right standard. Think how God esteems the Only Begotten, His unspeakable gift to us. Consider what the angels think of Him, as they count it their highest honour to veil their faces at His feet. Consider what the blood-washed think of Him, as day without night they sing His well deserved praises. High thoughts of Christ will enable us to act consistently with our relations towards Him. The more loftily we see Christ enthroned, and the more lowly we are when bowing before the foot of the throne, the more truly shall we be prepared to act our part towards Him. Our Lord Jesus desires us to think well of Him, that we may submit cheerfully to His authority. High thoughts of Him increase our love. Love and esteem go together. Therefore, believer, think much of your Master's excellencies. Study Him in His primeval glory, before He took upon Himself your nature! Think of the mighty love which drew Him from His throne to die upon the cross! Admire Him as He conquers all the powers of hell! See Him risen, crowned, glorified! Bow before Him as the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the mighty God, for only thus will your love to Him be what it should.

Saints, how blessed we are to have the armor of God for our protection from the wickedness that pervades the world (Eph. 6:10-17).

The righteousness that is our breastplate guards our hearts.

Our salvation envelops our minds as a helmet, a bulwark keeping our thoughts captive to Christ and fending off deceit.

God’s word we take up as a sword, using it for both offense and defense, relying on it as did Christ during His temptation to lead us in truth and to pierce to the heart any evil that comes against us (Heb. 4:12).

The faith we wield acts as a shield against the attacks of Satan and those allegiant to him.

And God therefore promises, “no weapon that is formed against you will prosper” (Isa. 54:17).

Our lot is not to sit idle and watch as the world goes by. We are called as soldiers into battle, braving the spiritual forces that war against us in this world. And we need not fear, for God is with us (Isa. 41:10). We should have no fear of man; for what can man do to us but kill the flesh? No, let is always be bold in the face of evil, as the only right fear is that of God who can destroy both body and soul in the fires of hell (Mt. 10:28), because this fear, the fear of God, is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm. 111:10; Pr. 1:7, 9:10).

Let us then don our armor, take up arms, and enter the war against evil to which we were called. For we know in the end, victory belongs to the Lord (Pr. 21:31; 1 Cor. 15:57; 1 Jn. 5:4; Rev. 17:14)!

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, November 5

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper." Isaiah 54:17

This day is notable in English history for two great deliverances wrought by God for us. On this day the plot of the Papists to destroy our Houses of Parliament was discovered, 1605.

While for our princes they prepare
In caverns deep a burning snare,
He shot from heaven a piercing ray,
And the dark treachery brought to day.
And secondly - today is the anniversary of the landing of King William III, at Torbay, by which the hope of Popish ascendancy was quashed, and religious liberty was secured, 1688.

This day ought to be celebrated, not by the saturnalia of striplings, but by the songs of saints. Our Puritan forefathers most devoutly made it a special time of thanksgiving. There is extant a record of the annual sermons preached by Matthew Henry on this day. Our Protestant feeling, and our love of liberty, should make us regard its anniversary with holy gratitude. Let our hearts and lips exclaim, "We have heard with our ears, and our fathers have told us the wondrous things which Thou didst in their day, and in the old time before them." Thou hast made this nation the home of the gospel; and when the foe has risen against her, Thou hast shielded her. Help us to offer repeated songs for repeated deliverances. Grant us more and more a hatred of Antichrist, and hasten on the day of her entire extinction. Till then and ever, we believe the promise, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper." Should it not be laid upon the heart of every lover of the gospel of Jesus on this day to plead for the overturning of false doctrines and the extension of divine truth? Would it not be well to search our own hearts, and turn out any of the Popish lumber of self-righteousness which may lie concealed therein?

Believer, in the light of Christ, we see light (Ps. 36:9). This passage is echoed by John, when he writes, “in Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” (Jn. 1:4).

Jesus is our light who guides us through the darkness. Living in a fallen world bring trial and tribulation, but we are not unable to see our way. For His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Ps. 119:105).

Jesus Himself exclaimed to His disciples, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (Jn. 8:12). Therefore, let us walk in the light He provides while we are here.

Let us also look forward to that day when we will see His light unhindered by this mortal world. For when we enter into His kingdom, we “will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine” us (Rev. 22:5). Hallelujah!

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, November 4

"In Thy light shall we see light." Psalm 36:9

No lips can tell the love of Christ to the heart till Jesus Himself shall speak within. Descriptions all fall flat and tame unless the Holy Ghost fills them with life and power; till our Immanuel reveals Himself within, the soul sees Him not. If you would see the sun, would you gather together the common means of illumination, and seek in that way to behold the orb of day? No, the wise man knoweth that the sun must reveal itself, and only by its own blaze can that mighty lamp be seen. It is so with Christ. "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona:" said He to Peter, "for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee." Purify flesh and blood by any educational process you may select, elevate mental faculties to the highest degree of intellectual power, yet none of these can reveal Christ. The Spirit of God must come with power, and overshadow the man with His wings, and then in that mystic holy of holies the Lord Jesus must display Himself to the sanctified eye, as He doth not unto the purblind sons of men. Christ must be His own mirror. The great mass of this blear-eyed world can see nothing of the ineffable glories of Immanuel. He stands before them without form or comeliness, a root out of a dry ground, rejected by the vain and despised by the proud. Only where the Spirit has touched the eye with eye-salve, quickened the heart with divine life, and educated the soul to a heavenly taste, only there is He understood. "To you that believe He is precious"; to you He is the chief corner-stone, the Rock of your salvation, your all in all; but to others He is "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence." Happy are those to whom our Lord manifests Himself, for His promise to such is that He will make His abode with them. O Jesus, our Lord, our heart is open, come in, and go out no more for ever. Show Thyself to us now! Favour us with a glimpse of Thine all-conquering charms.