Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

September 1– Evening

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

“Trust in [the Lord] at all times.”

—Psalm 62:8

Faith is as much the rule for temporal life as well as spiritual life. We ought to have faith in God for our earthly affairs as well as for our heavenly business. It is only as we learn to trust in God for the supply of all our daily need that we will live above the world. We are not to be idle, for that would show we did not trust in God who has ordained work but in the devil who is the father of idleness. We are not to be imprudent or rash, for that would indicate that we trust in chance and not the living God who is a God of thoughtfulness and order.

Let me commend to you a life of trusting God in temporal things. If you trust in God, you will not later regret that you have grown rich through sinful means; even if you achieve no success, at least your conscience will be clear. If you trust in God, you will not be guilty of self-contradiction, running this way today and that way tomorrow, like a boat tossed by the wind. Instead, you will be like a ship propelled by steam, cutting through the waves, defying the wind, and making one straightforward track to its destination.

Be a person who lives by inward principles, and do not bow to the ever-changing customs of worldly wisdom. Walk in the path of integrity with steadfast steps, and demonstrate that you are invincibly strong in the strength that God alone can give. In this way, you will be delivered from anxious thoughts. You will not be troubled with bad news. Your heart will be fixed on the Lord.

How pleasant it is to float on the stream of God’s providence! There is no more blessed way of living than a life of dependence upon a covenant-keeping God. We have no concern, for he is concerned for us. We have no troubles because we cast our burdens upon the Lord. [M&E]