Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

 March 10– Evening

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

“A man’s life is but a few days and full of trouble.” 

—Job 14:1

It may be of great service to us, before we fall asleep tonight, to remember this mournful fact. And may lead us to be freed from earthly things. There is nothing pleasant in recalling that we are not above the downfalls of adversity, but it may humble us and prevent our boasting like the Psalmist who said, “My mountain stands firm; I will never be moved.” It may keep us from taking too deep root in this earthly soil from which we are so soon to be transplanted into the heavenly garden.

Let us recall the frail tenure upon which we hold our temporal blessings. If we would remember that all the trees of earth are marked for the woodman’s ax, we should not be so ready to build our nests in them. We should love, but we should love in a way that anticipates death and which factors in separation. Our dear relations are loaned to us for a season; the hour is coming when we must return them to the lender’s hand.

This is certainly true of our worldly goods. Riches will grow wings and fly away. Our health is equally precarious; we are frail flowers, indeed, and must not plan on blooming forever. There is a time appointed for weakness and sickness when we will glorify God more by suffering than by earnest activity. At no point of time in this life do we escape from the sharp arrows of affliction. Man’s life is a barrel full of bitter wine; he who looks for joy in it would have more success looking for honey in a jar of pickles.

Dear reader, don’t set your affections upon things of earth, but seek those things which are above. Here the moth devours and the thief breaks in and steals, but there all joys are perpetual and eternal. This pathway of trouble is the way home. Lord, tonight make this thought a pillow for many a weary head! [M&E]