Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

 January 14– Evening

by C. H. Spurgeon, Revised and Edited by W. C. Neff

“As Peter began to sink, he cried, ‘Lord, save me!”” 

—Matthew 14:30

Sinking times are praying times with the Lord’s servants. Peter had neglected prayer upon starting his journey, but, when he began to sink, his danger made him a beggar. Fortunately, his cry– although late– was not too late.

In our hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find ourselves as naturally driven to prayer as the shipwrecked boat is driven upon the shore by the waves. The fox returns to its hole for protection, the bird flies to the wood for shelter, and, even so, the tried believer hastens to the mercy seat for safety. Heaven’s great harbor of refuge is all-out prayer; thousands of weather-beaten vessels have found a haven there; so, the moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us to head for it with full sail.

Short prayers are long enough. Peter’s gasping petition consisted of only three words, but they were sufficient. Not length but strength is desirable. A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more wings of humility, they would be all the better. Verbiage is to devotion as chaff to the wheat. Precious things come in small packages, and the amount of real prayer in many long orations might have been uttered in a petition as short as Peter’s. The Lord is found at the end of ourselves. A keen sense of danger forces an anxious cry that Jesus hears, and, when he hears, he feels our need and comes to our aid. At the last moment, we appeal to our Master, but his swift hand makes up for our delays.

Are we nearly engulfed today in the boisterous waters of affliction? Let us then lift up our souls to our Savior and rest assured that he will not allow us to perish. When we can do nothing, Jesus can do all things; let us enlist his powerful aid to our cause, and all will be well.” [M&E]