Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

December 20– Evening

by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“Call the laborers and pay them their wages.”

—Matthew 20:8

God is a good employer; he pays his servants while they work as well as after they have completed the job. One of his payments, for instance, is an easy conscience. If you have spoken faithfully of Jesus to others, when you go to bed tonight you can feel happy in thinking, “Today, I have discharged my conscience of that man’s blood.” There is a great comfort in doing things like this for Jesus. Oh, how happy we are to place jewels in his crown— to allow him to see of the fruits of his work on the cross.

There is also very great reward in watching the first buddings of conviction in someone’s heart and soul! When you see that girl in the classroom, you can notice, “She seems to be tender of heart; I hope the Lord is working within her.” You may notice that boy, who said something which made you aware that he thinks more about divine truth than what you first had thought. Oh, the joy of hope that God is at work in him! This joy is overwhelming. It makes you hungry for more of it. To be a winner of souls is the happiest thing in the world. With every soul you bring to Christ, you see a bit of heaven coming to earth.

But, O, the great joy of that final day. Who can conceive of the bliss which awaits us above! Do you know how joyful Christ is over a saved sinner? This is the very joy we will possess in heaven. When he mounts the throne, we will mount it with him. When the heavens ring with “Well done!” you will participate in that reward. You have toiled and suffered with him, and you will now reign with him. You have sown with him, and you will reap with him. Your face was covered with sweat like his, and now your face will be bright with heaven’s splendor like his. [M&E]