Psalms Chapter 66 1 (To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm.) Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: 2 Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. 3 Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. 5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men. 6 He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him. 7 He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. 8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: 9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. 10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. 12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. 13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows, 14 Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah. 16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. 17 I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: 19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. Psalms Chapter 67 1 (To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song.) God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. 3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. 5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

Silent Warrior He rides the horse through endless skies, his shadow merging where the eagle flies. A spear that gleams like a vow untold, to guard the land, the hearts it holds. No one hears the tears he hides, only fire burning in his eyes. Upon his shoulders, ancestors rest, their whispered oaths beat in his chest. Though mist and time may veil the ground, He keeps the sacred circle bound. For this land is blood and flame, a spirit that shall not wane. O silent warrior, lone and true, the winds still carry your promise through. To guard this earth, both root and wing, forever bound to the sacred ring. 🎨 Serin Alar

Warrior & Her Horse She wears the sun upon her face, a mark of strength, a sacred trace. No storm can break, no night can bind, the fire that lives within her mind. Her horse stands steady, fierce and true, together they’ve walked the earth they knew. The soil remembers each step, each vow; Her spirit guards the present now. She is no shadow, she will not fall, her love for the land outshines it all. A warrior woman, proud and free, the earth is hers, eternally. 🎨 Serin Alar

Whispers of the Corn She closes her eyes, and the fields return— golden rows swaying, songs of summer wind. Her hands once touched the silk of corn, her laughter carried with the flight of birds. Now in the hush, memory blooms— The earth still holds her, The past still breathes.

Psalms Chapter 56 1 (To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.) Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. 2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. 3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. 5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. 7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God. 8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? 9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. 10 In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. 11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. 12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. 13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? Psalms Chapter 57 1 (To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.) Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. 4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. 6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah. 7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. 10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. 11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth. Psalms Chapter 58 1 (To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David.) Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? 2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. 4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; 5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely. 6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD. 7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. 8 As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. 9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath. 10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

Christian, we are called to be "separate," different from the world around us. It is in the definition of the Greek word translated "church" - ἐκκλησίᾳ (ekklesia), which comes from two Greek words: ek - which means "out, or out of" and the verb kaleo, which means "to call." Thus Christians are those who have been "called out" of the world. Believer, you are admonished by Scripture to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom. 12:2). We are but sojourners here, awaiting our departure from these earthly tents and our entrance into our eternal home (2 Cor. 4:1). Yet while we dwell here, it is our job to shine light in the darkness. We will have tribulation in this world, but be of strong heart, for Jesus has overcome the world (Jn. 16:33). We must remember in times of trouble, when enemies are attacking, the exhortation given us by Paul: "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay' says the Lord. 'But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:19-21 The world will hate us, for it hated Him first (Jn. 15:18). We must remain holy for Christ's sake, because we are called to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:15). We must rise above, show ourselves different, and allow Christ to live through us so that those who are called will hear His voice and come to Him. ------------ Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Morning, September 11 "Be ye separate." 2 Corinthians 6:17 The Christian, while in the world, is not to be of the world. He should be distinguished from it in the great object of his life. To him, "to live," should be "Christ." Whether he eats, or drinks, or whatever he does, he should do all to God's glory. You may lay up treasure; but lay it up in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, where thieves break not through nor steal. You may strive to be rich; but be it your ambition to be "rich in faith," and good works. You may have pleasure; but when you are merry, sing psalms and make melody in your hearts to the Lord. In your spirit, as well as in your aim, you should differ from the world. Waiting humbly before God, always conscious of His presence, delighting in communion with Him, and seeking to know His will, you will prove that you are of heavenly race. And you should be separate from the world in your actions. If a thing be right, though you lose by it, it must be done; if it be wrong, though you would gain by it, you must scorn the sin for your Master's sake. You must have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Walk worthy of your high calling and dignity. Remember, O Christian, that thou art a son of the King of kings. Therefore, keep thyself unspotted from the world. Soil not the fingers which are soon to sweep celestial strings; let not these eyes become the windows of lust which are soon to see the King in His beauty- let not those feet be defiled in miry places, which are soon to walk the golden streets- let not those hearts be filled with pride and bitterness which are ere long to be filled with heaven, and to overflow with ecstatic joy. Then rise my soul! and soar away, Above the thoughtless crowd; Above the pleasures of the gay, And splendours of the proud; Up where eternal beauties bloom, And pleasures all divine; Where wealth, that never can consume, And endless glories shine. * yes, my intro this morning was to some degree influenced by the tragic events of yesterday

Colossians 3:1-2 Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Believer, can you even imagine what it will be like when we enter into glory, clothed in white raiment that was washed so in the blood of the Lamb? To be in God's presence, behold His awesome glory, and to sing with the other creatures: “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME" (Rev. 4:8). Neither eye has seen nor mind conceived the glory that awaits us in our new home. What we do know is that there will be no need of a sun, because the glory of God will illuminate all (Rev. 21:23), there will be no night (Rev. 21:25), there will be no pain, no weeping, no more corruption. Oh how marvelous the thought! Shall we dawdle here, or work to speed His coming? Let us pray with the Apostle John, "Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22, 20), that we might put aside this earthly tent and enter into His glorious presence! ------------ Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Evening, September 9 "And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment." Revelation 4:4 These representatives of the saints in heaven are said to be around the throne. In the passage in Canticles, where Solomon sings of the King sitting at his table, some render it "a round table." >From this, some expositors, I think, without straining the text, have said, "There is an equality among the saints." That idea is conveyed by the equal nearness of the four and twenty elders. The condition of glorified spirits in heaven is that of nearness to Christ, clear vision of His glory, constant access to His court, and familiar fellowship with His person: nor is there any difference in this respect between one saint and another, but all the people of God, apostles, martyrs, ministers, or private and obscure Christians, shall all be seated near the throne, where they shall for ever gaze upon their exalted Lord, and be satisfied with His love. They shall all be near to Christ, all ravished with His love, all eating and drinking at the same table with Him, all equally beloved as His favourites and friends even if not all equally rewarded as servants. Let believers on earth imitate the saints in heaven in their nearness to Christ. Let us on earth be as the elders are in heaven, sitting around the throne. May Christ be the object of our thoughts, the centre of our lives. How can we endure to live at such a distance from our Beloved? Lord Jesu, draw us nearer to Thyself. Say unto us, "Abide in Me, and I in you"; and permit us to sing, "His left hand is under my head, and His right hand doth embrace me." O lift me higher, nearer Thee, And as I rise more pure and meet, O let my soul's humility Make me lie lower at Thy feet; Less trusting self, the more I prove The blessed comfort of Thy love.

Believer, Scripture tells us that in times past, God spoke to His people through prophets, carrying them along by His Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:20), revealing His plans so that His people might be aware; but when the time had come, He sent His Son to speak directly to us, and to save us (Heb. 1:1). "Many prophets and righteous men desired to see" Jesus, and to hear what He came to say, yet never saw nor heard (Mt. 13:17). Yet we have His word, recorded also by men inspired of God, so that we might be taught, reproved, corrected, and trained, so that we would be fully equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Oh the wonder that God should reveal so much to us! Oh the blessing to be able to spend time in His word hearing from Him each day! Brethren, are you forsaking this time? Yes, we are new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17), and spiritual ones at that, so we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:14-16), but we cannot simply sit and discern God's word without actually reading it. Brothers and sisters, if you truly wish to grow in your relationship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, spend time in His word. For it is through His word that He reveals Himself to us, and getting to know Him is crucial to our walk in the Spirit. After all, this is eternal life, that we may know God, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (Jn. 17:3). ------------ Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Morning, September 9 "I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not." Jeremiah 33:3 There are different translations of these words. One version renders it, "I will shew thee great and fortified things." Another, "Great and reserved things." Now, there are reserved and special things in Christian experience: all the developments of spiritual life are not alike easy of attainment. There are the common frames and feelings of repentance, and faith, and joy, and hope, which are enjoyed by the entire family; but there is an upper realm of rapture, of communion, and conscious union with Christ, which is far from being the common dwelling-place of believers. We have not all the high privilege of John, to lean upon Jesus' bosom; nor of Paul, to be caught up into the third heaven. There are heights in experimental knowledge of the things of God which the eagle's eye of acumen and philosophic thought hath never seen: God alone can bear us there; but the chariot in which He takes us up, and the fiery steeds with which that chariot is dragged, are prevailing prayers. Prevailing prayer is victorious over the God of mercy, "By his strength he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto Him: he found Him in Beth-el, and there He spake with us." Prevailing prayer takes the Christian to Carmel, and enables him to cover heaven with clouds of blessing, and earth with floods of mercy. Prevailing prayer bears the Christian aloft to Pisgah, and shows him the inheritance reserved; it elevates us to Tabor and transfigures us, till in the likeness of his Lord, as He is, so are we also in this world. If you would reach to something higher than ordinary grovelling experience, look to the Rock that is higher than you, and gaze with the eye of faith through the window of importunate prayer. When you open the window on your side, it will not be bolted on the other.

Christian, do you recognize the power God wrought working new life in you? This is the same power God used to raise Jesus from the dead. We are no longer dead in our sins, but alive to God, by the "washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit" (Tit. 3:5). Believer, that power is still at work in you. It did not stop with your conversion. It is this power that causes you to will and to work for His glory (Phil. 2:13). It was for this you were made a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), to do the good works God prepared beforehand so that you would walk in them (Eph. 2:10). Let us therefore, brethren, present ourselves to God as living and holy sacrifices (Rom. 1:12) as did Jesus, who died for us, so that our worship may not be in vain, but pleasing to God. Remember always that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that now courses through you, enabling you to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called" (Eph. 4:1). And let us do so that in the end, we may hear those blessed words, "Well done thou good and faithful servant!" ------------ Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Evening, September 8 "The exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead." Ephesians 1:19, 20 In the resurrection of Christ, as in our salvation, there was put forth nothing short of a divine power. What shall we say of those who think that conversion is wrought by the free will of man, and is due to his own betterness of disposition? When we shall see the dead rise from the grave by their own power, then may we expect to see ungodly sinners of their own free will turning to Christ. It is not the word preached, nor the word read in itself; all quickening power proceeds from the Holy Ghost. This power was irresistible. All the soldiers and the high priests could not keep the body of Christ in the tomb; Death himself could not hold Jesus in his bonds: even thus irresistible is the power put forth in the believer when he is raised to newness of life. No sin, no corruption, no devils in hell nor sinners upon earth, can stay the hand of God's grace when it intends to convert a man. If God omnipotently says, "Thou shalt," man shall not say, "I will not." Observe that the power which raised Christ from the dead was glorious. It reflected honour upon God and wrought dismay in the hosts of evil. So there is great glory to God in the conversion of every sinner. It was everlasting power. "Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him." So we, being raised from the dead, go not back to our dead works nor to our old corruptions, but we live unto God. "Because He lives we live also." "For we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God." "Like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Lastly, in the text mark the union of the new life to Jesus. The same power which raised the Head works life in the members. What a blessing to be quickened together with Christ!

When Israel came against Judah to prevent anyone going out or coming in to king Asa, instead of relying upon the Lord God, Asa turned to Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram who lived in Damascus (2 Chron 16). Though Asa was helped at the time, a seer named Hanani came and chastised Asa, telling him he had acted foolishly in not trusting the Lord, and prophesying that from thence forward, Asa would have wars. Indeed, from that time, Asa was plagued with troubles, refused to turn back to the Lord, and suffered for it. Furthermore, God, through His prophets foretold the destruction of Damascus, a city which would be like a tumultuous sea, and which would have no peace. Christian, are you trying to deal with issues in your life under your own power? Are you forgetting to seek the Lord and instead leaning on crutches of man's design? This can only bring trouble. For the Lord will break the crutch, and your difficulties will become worse. But even in such adversity, we can find strength to overcome when we return to Him. Do not be an Asa who in his failing refused to go back to the one who had raised Him up and received hardship in return. Instead, let Abraham be your example, who though he too failed to always trust in God's plan and timing, who lied about his wife because he feared kings, who took it upon himself to try to fulfill God's promise to him of a son, still turned back to God in faith and was not only restored but blessed as a result. Oh brethren, that we would only seek Him at all times in all things! We are but fragile flesh, prone to weakness and at war with the sin that lives in our members. Yet we find our strength in Him (Phil. 4:9), and always will if we but rely on Him instead of ourselves. ------------ Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Evening, September 7 "There is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet." Jeremiah 49:23 Little know we what sorrow may be upon the sea at this moment. We are safe in our quiet chamber, but far away on the salt sea the hurricane may be cruelly seeking for the lives of men. Hear how the death fiends howl among the cordage; how every timber starts as the waves beat like battering rams upon the vessel! God help you, poor drenched and wearied ones! My prayer goes up to the great Lord of sea and land, that He will make the storm a calm, and bring you to your desired haven! Nor ought I to offer prayer alone, I should try to benefit those hardy men who risk their lives so constantly. Have I ever done anything for them? What can I do? How often does the boisterous sea swallow up the mariner! Thousands of corpses lie where pearls lie deep. There is death-sorrow on the sea, which is echoed in the long wail of widows and orphans. The salt of the sea is in many eyes of mothers and wives. Remorseless billows, ye have devoured the love of women, and the stay of households. What a resurrection shall there be from the caverns of the deep when the sea gives up her dead! Till then there will be sorrow on the sea. As if in sympathy with the woes of earth, the sea is for ever fretting along a thousand shores, wailing with a sorrowful cry like her own birds, booming with a hollow crash of unrest, raving with uproarious discontent, chafing with hoarse wrath, or jangling with the voices of ten thousand murmuring pebbles. The roar of the sea may be joyous to a rejoicing spirit, but to the son of sorrow the wide, wide ocean is even more forlorn than the wide, wide world. This is not our rest, and the restless billows tell us so. There is a land where there is no more sea- our faces are steadfastly set towards it; we are going to the place of which the Lord hath spoken. Till then, we cast our sorrows on the Lord who trod the sea of old, and who maketh a way for His people through the depths thereof.

Psalms Chapter 46 1 (To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Psalms Chapter 47 1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.) O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. 2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. 3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. 4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. 5 God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. 8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

Wings of Prayer Within the shape of human form, butterfly wings unfold like flames of color, embracing the crimson sky with the gentle pulse of a soul. Hands pressed in quiet prayer, light rises like a sacred spring— calling rain to the grasslands, calling wind to the forests, calling peace to the earth that longs to heal again. The butterfly is me, the human is me— one body, one spirit, woven in eternal rhythm. O Mother Earth, Receive these wings as gratitude, Receive this breath as a bridge, So generations yet to come may live in the light, and in peace. 🎨 Serin Alar

Psalms Chapter 44 1 (To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil.) We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. 2 How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. 3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. 4 Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. 5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. 7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. 8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah. 9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies. 10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves. 11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen. 12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price. 13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. 14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. 15 My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me, 16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger. 17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. 18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; 19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. 20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; 21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. 22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. 23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever. 24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression? 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth. 26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

Christian, do you lament all that is happening in the world around you? Are you tormented daily by the sin and corruption that surrounds us, as was Lot (2 Pet. 2:7-8)? Bear in mind that we are called to remain in this world until it, like Sodom and Gomorrah, faces its final destruction. Jesus prayed to the Father, "I do not ask You to take [Christians] out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one" (Jn. 17:15). He Himself tells us that the world will hate us, and that "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you" (Jn. 15:18-19). We are not of this world, and we are not to be conformed to it (Rom. 12:2), but we are to stand out, to shine His light, to be those who want peace (Ps. 120:6-7), to live as strangers on earth as did those of times past who were great in faith (Heb. 11:13). Let us remember that we seek a better "country" (Heb. 11:16), and our true home is not here, but in heaven, as citizens of God's kingdom. And God will keep us, give us strength (Isa. 41:10), give us peace that surpasses all comprehension, and protect our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7). ---------- Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Morning, September 5 "Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar." Psalm 120:5 As a Christian you have to live in the midst of an ungodly world, and it is of little use for you to cry "Woe is me." Jesus did not pray that you should be taken out of the world, and what He did not pray for, you need not desire. Better far in the Lord's strength to meet the difficulty, and glorify Him in it. The enemy is ever on the watch to detect inconsistency in your conduct; be therefore very holy. Remember that the eyes of all are upon you, and that more is expected from you than from other men. Strive to give no occasion for blame. Let your goodness be the only fault they can discover in you. Like Daniel, compel them to say of you, "We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." Seek to be useful as well as consistent. Perhaps you think, "If I were in a more favourable position I might serve the Lord's cause, but I cannot do any good where I am"; but the worse the people are among whom you live, the more need have they of your exertions; if they be crooked, the more necessity that you should set them straight; and if they be perverse, the more need have you to turn their proud hearts to the truth. Where should the physician be but where there are many sick? Where is honour to be won by the soldier but in the hottest fire of the battle? And when weary of the strife and sin that meets you on every hand, consider that all the saints have endured the same trial. They were not carried on beds of down to heaven, and you must not expect to travel more easily than they. They had to hazard their lives unto the death in the high places of the field, and you will not be crowned till you also have endured hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Therefore, "stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."

Our God is able to do far more than we ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). So then, brethren, do we not come before Him with our every need? While Jesus walked the earth, the infirm, the afflicted, the weak all came to Him seeking the solution to their woes. We just need to remember, as Jesus taught us to pray, "Your will be done" (Mt. 6:10) and in the garden in His own prayer said the same (Mt. 26:42). Even the leper, when He approached the Lord in Mark 1:40 fell before Him and said, "if You are willing..." He will hear and answer our prayers, when they are according to His will: "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him: (1 Jn. 5:14-15). Most importantly, He grants us cleansing, not from illness (though He can grant that as well), but from sin, from spiritual sickness. As He tells us in 1 Pet. 2:24-25, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls." He died to provide our spiritual healing, so that we might "die to sin and live to righteousness." Like sheep we had gone astray (Isa. 53:6; 1 Pet. 2:25), but the Good Shepherd has gathered us back to Himself. Brethren, we are saved because it was His will. Let us now conform ourselves further to His will through prayer and supplication. -------- Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Morning, September 4 "I will; be thou clean." Mark 1:41 Primeval darkness heard the Almighty fiat, "light be," and straightway light was, and the word of the Lord Jesus is equal in majesty to that ancient word of power. Redemption like Creation has its word of might. Jesus speaks and it is done. Leprosy yielded to no human remedies, but it fled at once at the Lord's "I will." The disease exhibited no hopeful signs or tokens of recovery, nature contributed nothing to its own healing, but the unaided word effected the entire work on the spot and for ever. The sinner is in a plight more miserable than the leper; let him imitate his example and go to Jesus, "beseeching Him and kneeling down to Him." Let him exercise what little faith he has, even though it should go no further than "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean"; and there need be no doubt as to the result of the application. Jesus heals all who come, and casts out none. In reading the narrative in which our morning's text occurs, it is worthy of devout notice that Jesus touched the leper. This unclean person had broken through the regulations of the ceremonial law and pressed into the house, but Jesus so far from chiding him broke through the law Himself in order to meet him. He made an interchange with the leper, for while He cleansed him, He contracted by that touch a Levitical defilement. Even so Jesus Christ was made sin for us, although in Himself He knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. O that poor sinners would go to Jesus, believing in the power of His blessed substitutionary work, and they would soon learn the power of His gracious touch. That hand which multiplied the loaves, which saved sinking Peter, which upholds afflicted saints, which crowns believers, that same hand will touch every seeking sinner, and in a moment make him clean. The love of Jesus is the source of salvation. He loves, He looks, He touches us, WE LIVE.

Psalms Chapter 41 1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. 3 The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. 4 I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee. 5 Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish? 6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. 7 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. 8 An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. 9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. 10 But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. 11 By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. 12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. 13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

Colossians 3:2-3 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you died and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.

Psalms 104:5 - Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

Believer, it is true that God does not tempt us, but He does at times test us. Just as the smith smelts away the dross from silver, so God uses trials to smelt away the dross from our lives. Such is the process of sanctification. God would have us holy and wholly devoted to Him. Whether we are encumbered by sin, or our fruitfulness is being choked out by the cares of this world, our testing fortifies our faith and purifies our lives. Our faith is more precious than gold, and its testing by fire is to "result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:7). James tells us to count such trials as joy, because we go through them for our benefit, that we might be "perfect and complete" (Jas. 1:2-4). Listen to the words of God given through the prophet Zechariah regarding Israel: "'It will come about in all the land,' Declares the LORD, 'That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. 'And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’" This is how God treats His chosen ones. So in your trials, do not despair. The end result will far outshadow the short-lived difficulty of any testing. ------------ Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Evening, September 3 "The Lord trieth the righteous." Psalm 11:5 All events are under the control of Providence; consequently all the trials of our outward life are traceable at once to the great First Cause. Out of the golden gate of God's ordinance the armies of trial march forth in array, clad in their iron armour, and armed with weapons of war. All providences are doors to trial. Even our mercies, like roses, have their thorns. Men may be drowned in seas of prosperity as well as in rivers of affliction. Our mountains are not too high, and our valleys are not too low for temptations: trials lurk on all roads. Everywhere, above and beneath, we are beset and surrounded with dangers. Yet no shower falls unpermitted from the threatening cloud; every drop has its order ere it hastens to the earth. The trials which come from God are sent to prove and strengthen our graces, and so at once to illustrate the power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues, and to add to their energy. Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so high a value upon His people's faith that He will not screen them from those trials by which faith is strengthened. You would never have possessed the precious faith which now supports you if the trial of your faith had not been like unto fire. You are a tree that never would have rooted so well if the wind had not rocked you to and fro, and made you take firm hold upon the precious truths of the covenant grace. Worldly ease is a great foe to faith; it loosens the joints of holy valour, and snaps the sinews of sacred courage. The balloon never rises until the cords are cut; affliction doth this sharp service for believing souls. While the wheat sleeps comfortably in the husk it is useless to man, it must be threshed out of its resting place before its value can be known. Thus it is well that Jehovah trieth the righteous, for it causeth them to grow rich towards God.

Brethren, do you have a family member who is sick? Fall on your knees, call upon Christ, and tell Him. For we are told, "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:6-7). Also, forget not that family is a blessing. See your spouse, your siblings, your children, your parents, your in-laws through the eyes of Christ. Are they saved? Show them grace. Are they lost? Show them compassion. Christ must be first in all things, which is why He tells us we must "hate" our families (Lk. 14:26). He does not truly mean we should "hate" them, but that He must hold the primary position in your heart. So, let us love and enjoy our families, pray for them in their illnesses, and lead them to Christ, all the while putting Him first. After all, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (Jn. 17:3). ------------ Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Morning, September 2 "But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell Him of her." Mark 1:30 Very interesting is this little peep into the house of the Apostolic Fisherman. We see at once that household joys and cares are no hindrance to the full exercise of ministry, nay, that since they furnish an opportunity for personally witnessing the Lord's gracious work upon one's own flesh and blood, they may even instruct the teacher better than any other earthly discipline. Papists and other sectaries may decry marriage, but true Christianity and household life agree well together. Peter's house was probably a poor fisherman's hut, but the Lord of Glory entered it, lodged in it, and wrought a miracle in it. Should our little book be read this morning in some very humble cottage, let this fact encourage the inmates to seek the company of King Jesus. God is oftener in little huts than in rich palaces. Jesus is looking round your room now, and is waiting to be gracious to you. Into Simon's house sickness had entered, fever in a deadly form had prostrated his mother-in-law, and as soon as Jesus came they told Him of the sad affliction, and He hastened to the patient's bed. Have you any sickness in the house this morning? You will find Jesus by far the best physician, go to Him at once and tell Him all about the matter. Immediately lay the case before Him. It concerns one of His people, and therefore will not be trivial to Him. Observe, that at once the Saviour restored the sick woman; none can heal as He does. We may not make sure that the Lord will at once remove all disease from those we love, but we may know that believing prayer for the sick is far more likely to be followed by restoration than anything else in the world; and where this avails not, we must meekly bow to His will by whom life and death are determined. The tender heart of Jesus waits to hear our griefs, let us pour them into His patient ear.

Believer, do you trust God fully, at all times? How often do we rely upon our own intellect, emotion, resources, anything but Him? Has He not promised always to provide our needs? (Mt. 6:25-33) Is He a man that He should lie, or a son of man that He should repent? (Num. 23:19) We are told instead to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Pro. 3:5-6) Such simple advice, but at times, so difficult to follow. Yet we know that He will not fail in His purpose; thus we need to remember to cling to Him, not this world which will pass away. --------- Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Evening, September 1 "Trust in Him at all times." Psalm 62:8 Faith is as much the rule of temporal as of spiritual life; we ought to have faith in God for our earthly affairs as well as for our heavenly business. It is only as we learn to trust in God for the supply of all our daily need that we shall live above the world. We are not to be idle, that would show we did not trust in God, who worketh hitherto, but in the devil, who is the father of idleness. We are not to be imprudent or rash; that were to trust chance, and not the living God, who is a God of economy and order. Acting in all prudence and uprightness, we are to rely simply and entirely upon the Lord at all times. Let me commend to you a life of trust in God in temporal things. Trusting in God, you will not be compelled to mourn because you have used sinful means to grow rich. Serve God with integrity, and if you achieve no success, at least no sin will lie upon your conscience. Trusting God, you will not be guilty of self-contradiction. He who trusts in craft, sails this way today, and that way the next, like a vessel tossed about by the fickle wind; but he that trusteth in the Lord is like a vessel propelled by steam, she cuts through the waves, defies the wind, and makes one bright silvery straightforward track to her destined haven. Be you a man with living principles within; never bow to the varying customs of worldly wisdom. Walk in your path of integrity with steadfast steps, and show that you are invincibly strong in the strength which confidence in God alone can confer. Thus you will be delivered from carking care, you will not be troubled with evil tidings, your heart will be fixed, trusting in the Lord. How pleasant to float along the stream of providence! There is no more blessed way of living than a life of dependence upon a covenant-keeping God. We have no care, for He careth for us; we have no troubles, because we cast our burdens upon the Lord.

Few things annoy me more than Christians who try to criticize me on social media for advocating for the lives of the unborn. Anyone who says that they are a Christian should feel the same way I do, and if they don't they can unfollow me immediately because I would sooner leave social media and live as a hermit than to stop crying out against the destruction of babies in the place that should be the safest place on earth: in their mother's womb. #EndAbortionNow

Christian, do you fully trust in the One who promised that He would "redeem you with an outstretched arm?" (Ex. 6:6) By the strength of His arm He gives us strength (Ps. 89:21). He promises to gather us with His arm and carry us (Isa. 40:11). And by His arm He will judge (Isa. 51:5). The arm of the Lord is strong; who can stand against it? What other god is there who, with outstretched arm, can perform the wonders of our God? Praise Him, for He alone is God! He alone saves. Humble yourself at the foot of His throne and let Him uphold you with His mighty arm! "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." - Isa. 41:10 ------------- Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions Morning, August 31 "On mine arm shall they trust." Isaiah 51:5 In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can trust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his vessel is on its beam-ends, and no human deliverance can avail, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on such a rock as this! O blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone! There is no getting at our God sometimes because of the multitude of our friends; but when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless that he has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his Father's arms, and is blessedly clasped therein! When he is burdened with troubles so pressing and so peculiar, that he cannot tell them to any but his God, he may be thankful for them; for he will learn more of his Lord then than at any other time. Oh, tempest-tossed believer, it is a happy trouble that drives thee to thy Father! Now that thou hast only thy God to trust to, see that thou puttest thy full confidence in Him. Dishonour not thy Lord and Master by unworthy doubts and fears; but be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Show the world that thy God is worth ten thousand worlds to thee. Show rich men how rich thou art in thy poverty when the Lord God is thy helper. Show the strong man how strong thou art in thy weakness when underneath thee are the everlasting arms. Now is the time for feats of faith and valiant exploits. Be strong and very courageous, and the Lord thy God shall certainly, as surely as He built the heavens and the earth, glorify Himself in thy weakness, and magnify his might in the midst of thy distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven would be spoiled if the sky were supported by a single visible column, and your faith would lose its glory if it rested on anything discernible by the carnal eye. May the Holy Spirit give you to rest in Jesus this closing day of the month.