Let Not Our Heart Sink Within Us
Every Wednesday morning our church staff gathers for a weekly meeting and prayer time. We typically begin by discussing a chapter in the book we are reading together. This morning, however, we didn’t do that because of sickness and weariness from the past couple weeks. So, I asked the staff which of the daily devotionals on my desk we should read from and they chose Spurgeon’s Chequebook of the Bank of Faith. As always, God’s providential timing couldn’t have been more perfect! The January 5th reading encouraged our hearts so much, that I thought I’d share it with all of you.
“I will strengthen thee.” (Isaiah 41:10)
When called to serve or to suffer, we take stock of our strength, and we find it to be less than we thought, and less than we need. But let not our heart sink within us while we have such a word as this to fall back upon, for it guarantees us all that we can possibly need. God has strength omnipotent; that strength he can communicate to us; and his promise is that he will do so. He will be the food of our souls, and the health of our hearts; and thus he will give us strength. There is no telling how much power God can put into a man. When divine strength comes, human weakness is no more a hindrance.
Do we not remember seasons of labour and trial in which we received such special strength that we wondered at ourselves? In the midst of danger, we were calm, under bereavement we were resigned, in slander we were self-contained, and in sickness we were patient. The fact is, that God gives unexpected strength when unusual trials come upon us. We rise out of our feeble selves. Cowards play the man, foolish ones have wisdom given them, and the silent receive in the self-same hour what they shall speak. My own weakness makes me shrink, but God’s promise makes me brave. Lord, strengthen me “according to thy word.”
Charles Spurgeon’s Chequebook of the Bank of Faith
For further reflection and encouragement read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.
