Reverence and Awe

» Today's reading at Blue Letter Bible






In today's devotion Spurgeon encourages us in two areas: 1) calling on and trusting in God's promises to His children & 2) staying fervent in our prayers.

If you're anything like me, you find it hard at times to simply do something because it "should" be done. I find something much easier to "do" when I enjoy that which I'm doing. This can be the case in our work, family and spiritual lives. I've been encouraged over the years by John Piper's take on the battle between duty & delight (his book "The Dangerous Duty of Delight" was helpful) and I'm encouraged today by Charles.

Today's devotion was interesting to me because I believe that one of the best ways to stay fervent in our prayers is to call on and trust in the promises of God. God's promises, not ours, is our motivation to come boldly to His throne. We have been adopted into the Lord's family, no longer illegitimate. He is our God and we are His people, the people of His pasture. The ransom for our sins has been paid by the blood of Christ, He is our propitiation. He now wraps us in His robes of righteousness so that we will never have to come to Him wrapped in our own filthy rags of unrighteousness.

As Spurgeon said, "God's promises were never meant to be thrown aside as waste paper; He intended that they should be used." I pray that we would be "using" our Savior's promises. That we would recognize he "delights to cash His own notes"... then simply kneel in gratitude before Him.

If you are reading this and struggling in your prayer life.... try this.... go through God's Word and read some of His promises. Devote yourself to their remembrance and worship Him, simply worship Him!!

Here are a few of my favorites promises in Scripture:

Ephesians 1:11-12
"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory."

1 Peter 1:3-5
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

Romans 8:35,37-39
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

He is great and greatly to be praised!!!

For His Glory,
Pastor Matt

Labels: Devotional, Morning and Evening, Spurgeon