Christian, Paul tells us of his Israelite brethren, “they did not stumble so as to fall” (Rom. 11:11). Do then you believe God would allow those He has chosen to fall? May it never be!
You belong to Him. He is your God, and He has promised to strengthen you, to help you, to uphold you with His righteous right hand (Isa. 41:10). Those He chooses will obtain the salvation He promised, as those He hardens will not (Rom. 11:7).
The road laid before us is rough; those who seek to walk with Him walk a path that is not easy. But He lights our way. He strengthens us (Phil. 4:13). He sustains us (Ps. 51:12).
We will face tribulations and adversity along the way. Our job is not to lean upon our own understanding, but to lean into Him and trust Him (Pr. 3:5). This may be the most difficult lesson of the Christian life, learning to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Yet this we must do. We must learn to see beyond our circumstances to the inheritance that awaits us.
Oh how wonderful it will be when we enter into glory! And He is able to keep us for that day, for that purpose, to keep us from falling, so that we may stand blameless before Him with great joy (Jud. 1:24). Hallelujah, Amen!
——————
Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions
Morning, October 9
"Able to keep you from falling." Jude 24
In some sense the path to heaven is very safe, but in other respects there is no road so dangerous. It is beset with difficulties. One false step (and how easy it is to take that if grace be absent), and down we go. What a slippery path is that which some of us have to tread! How many times have we to exclaim with the Psalmist, "My feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped." If we were strong, sure-footed mountaineers, this would not matter so much; but in ourselves, how weak we are! In the best roads we soon falter, in the smoothest paths we quickly stumble. These feeble knees of ours can scarcely support our tottering weight. A straw may throw us, and a pebble can wound us; we are mere children tremblingly taking our first steps in the walk of faith, our heavenly Father holds us by the arms or we should soon be down. Oh, if we are kept from falling, how must we bless the patient power which watches over us day by day! Think, how prone we are to sin, how apt to choose danger, how strong our tendency to cast ourselves down, and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than we have ever done, "Glory be to Him, who is able to keep us from falling." We have many foes who try to push us down. The road is rough and we are weak, but in addition to this, enemies lurk in ambush, who rush out when we least expect them, and labour to trip us up, or hurl us down the nearest precipice. Only an Almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes, who are seeking to destroy us. Such an arm is engaged for our defence. He is faithful that hath promised, and He is able to keep us from falling, so that with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety, and say, with joyful confidence,
Against me earth and hell combine,
But on my side is power divine;
Jesus is all, and He is mine!
Christian, Paul tells us of his Israelite brethren, “they did not stumble so as to fall” (Rom. 11:11). Do then you believe God would allow those He has chosen to fall? May it never be!
You belong to Him. He is your God, and He has promised to strengthen you, to help you, to uphold you with His righteous right hand (Isa. 41:10). Those He chooses will obtain the salvation He promised, as those He hardens will not (Rom. 11:7).
The road laid before us is rough; those who seek to walk with Him walk a path that is not easy. But He lights our way. He strengthens us (Phil. 4:13). He sustains us (Ps. 51:12).
We will face tribulations and adversity along the way. Our job is not to lean upon our own understanding, but to lean into Him and trust Him (Pr. 3:5). This may be the most difficult lesson of the Christian life, learning to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Yet this we must do. We must learn to see beyond our circumstances to the inheritance that awaits us.
Oh how wonderful it will be when we enter into glory! And He is able to keep us for that day, for that purpose, to keep us from falling, so that we may stand blameless before Him with great joy (Jud. 1:24). Hallelujah, Amen!
——————
Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions
Morning, October 9
"Able to keep you from falling." Jude 24
In some sense the path to heaven is very safe, but in other respects there is no road so dangerous. It is beset with difficulties. One false step (and how easy it is to take that if grace be absent), and down we go. What a slippery path is that which some of us have to tread! How many times have we to exclaim with the Psalmist, "My feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped." If we were strong, sure-footed mountaineers, this would not matter so much; but in ourselves, how weak we are! In the best roads we soon falter, in the smoothest paths we quickly stumble. These feeble knees of ours can scarcely support our tottering weight. A straw may throw us, and a pebble can wound us; we are mere children tremblingly taking our first steps in the walk of faith, our heavenly Father holds us by the arms or we should soon be down. Oh, if we are kept from falling, how must we bless the patient power which watches over us day by day! Think, how prone we are to sin, how apt to choose danger, how strong our tendency to cast ourselves down, and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than we have ever done, "Glory be to Him, who is able to keep us from falling." We have many foes who try to push us down. The road is rough and we are weak, but in addition to this, enemies lurk in ambush, who rush out when we least expect them, and labour to trip us up, or hurl us down the nearest precipice. Only an Almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes, who are seeking to destroy us. Such an arm is engaged for our defence. He is faithful that hath promised, and He is able to keep us from falling, so that with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety, and say, with joyful confidence,
Against me earth and hell combine,
But on my side is power divine;
Jesus is all, and He is mine!
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