Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

October 17– Evening

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

“[God] will gather his lambs in his arms.”

—Isaiah 40:11

Our Good Shepherd has in his flock a variety of sheep; some are strong in the Lord, and others are weak in faith. But he is impartial in his care for all his sheep, and the weakest lamb is as dear to him as the most advanced in the flock. Lambs tend to lag behind, prone to wander and apt to grow weary; but through all these weaknesses the Shepherd protects them with his arm of power. He nurses newborn souls, like young lambs barely alive, until life becomes vigorous within them. He finds weak minds ready to faint and die and consoles and renews their strength. And he gathers them all, for he is not willing that one of them should die.

What a quick eye he must have to see them all! What a tender heart to care for them all! What a far-reaching and powerful arm to gather them all! In his lifetime on earth, Jesus was a great gatherer of the weak, and, now that he dwells in heaven, his loving heart yearns towards the meek and contrite, the timid and feeble, the fearful and fainting here below. How gently did he gather me to himself– to his truth, to his blood, to his love, to his church! With what effective grace did he compel me to come to himself! And, since my first conversion, how frequently has he restored me from my wanderings, embracing me again within the circle of his everlasting arm!

The best of all is that he does it all himself— personally, not delegating the task of love, but lowering himself to rescue and preserve his most unworthy servant. How can I love him enough or serve him worthily? I would gladly make his name great unto the ends of the earth, but what can my feebleness do for him?

Great Shepherd, add to your mercies toward me one more– a heart to love you more truly as I ought. [M&E]