Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

June 29– Evening

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

“[When ambassadors from Babylon came to ask Hezekiah about the bounty of the land], God left Hezekiah to himself to try him, so he might know all that was in his heart.” 

—2 Chronicles 32:31

Hezekiah was growing so inwardly great and priding himself so much in the favor given to him by God, that self-righteousness crept in.  Through his fleshly security, the grace of God was for a time, in its more active operations, withdrawn. If the grace of God should leave the best Christian, there is enough of sin in his heart to make him the worst of transgressors. If left to yourselves, you who are warmest for Christ would cool down like Laodicea into sickening lukewarmness. You who are sound in the faith would be white with the leprosy of false doctrine. You who now walk before the Lord in excellency and integrity would totter back and forth, staggering with the drunkenness of evil passion.

Like the moon, we borrow our light. We are bright when God’s grace shines on us, but we are darkness itself when the Sun of Righteousness withdraws himself. Therefore, let us cry to God to never leave us. “Lord, take not Your Holy Spirit from us! Do not withdraw your indwelling grace from us! Haven’t You promised to us, “I the Lord with keep it; I will water it every moment; so that no one might damage it, it will watch over it day and night?”

Lord, keep us everywhere. Keep us when we are in the valley, that do not murmur against Your humbling hand; keep us when on the mountain, so we don’t become giddy and frivolous by our success. Keep us in our youth, when our passions are strong; keep us in old age from becoming conceited in our own wisdom, and by so doing, prove ourselves greater fools than the young and giddy. And keep us when we come to die, lest, at the very last, we should deny You! Keep us living, keep us dying, keep us laboring, keep us suffering, keep us fighting, keep us resting, keep us everywhere, for everywhere we need You to be our God!” [M&E]