Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

September 27– Morning

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

“Happy are you, O Israel; who is like you, a people saved by the Lord?” 

—Deuteronomy 33:29

Anyone who says that Christianity makes men miserable is himself an utter stranger to it. Consider for a moment to what a joyous position it exalts us!

First, it makes us sons of God. Do you suppose that God will give all the happiness to his enemies and reserve all the mourning for his own family? Will his foes be filled with joy while his own children inherit sorrow and misery? Will the sinner, who has no part in Christ, be rich in happiness, while we go mourning like beggars? No! We will rejoice in the Lord always and glory in our inheritance, for we “have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but we have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, “Abba, Father.” Yes, the rod of chastisement must rest upon us when it is fitting, but it works in us to produce the sweet fruits of righteousness.

Consider this– we are joyfully married unto Christ! Will our great Bridegroom permit his spouse to linger in constant grief? Our hearts are knit unto him; we are his members, and though for a while we may suffer as he once suffered, yet we are even now blessed with heavenly blessings in him. We have the down payment of our inheritance in the comforts of the Spirit which are neither few nor small. We will inherit joy forever and even now have foretastes of it. We see streaks of the light of joy to announce our eternal sunrise.

Truly is it said of us, “Happy are you, O Israel; who is like you, O people saved by the Lord?” [M&E]