THE WORD, NECESSARY FOOD

 --CHARLES SPURGEON


"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"   (Matthew 4:4).

If God so willed it we could live without bread, even as Jesus did for forty days; but we could not live without His Word. By that Word we were created, and by it alone can we be kept in being, for he sustaineth all things by the Word of His power. Bread is a second cause; the LORD Himself is the first source of our sustenance. He can work without the second cause as well as with it; and we must not tie Him down to one mode of operation. Let us not be too eager after the visible, but let us look to the invisible God. We have heard believers say that in deep poverty, when bread ran short, their appetites became short, too; and to others, when common supplies failed, the LORD has sent in unexpected help. But we must have the Word of the LORD. With this alone we can withstand the devil. Take this from us, and our enemy will have us in his power, for we shall soon faint. Our souls need food, and there is none for them outside of the Word of the LORD. All the books and all the preachers in the world cannot furnish us a single meal: it is only the Word from the mouth of God that can fill the mouth of a believer. LORD, evermore give us this bread. We prize it above royal dainties.

FRETFUL? WORRIED?--W. F. BELL

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers....Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil" (Psalm 37:1,8).  "But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days"  (Daniel 12:13).
 
It amazes me how much "worry" we put ourselves through!  It is a common thing for us to say, "I'm worried about the economy," or "I'm worried about my health," or "I'm worried about the future of our country."  Even church people are guilty, talking about how insecure they feel, saying something like, "Things are so bad, it does not look like we can make it."  Beloved, where is Christ-honoring "faith" in all of this?  Is our "faith" so abstract that it has no stabilizing effects whatever upon us?  If we feel this way, we better read again Psalm 37:3-7.

It was C. H. Spurgeon who made the bold (but true) statement: "There can be nothing in the Father's decree which should justly alarm His child. Though the abomination of desolation be set up, yet the true believer shall not be defiled; rather shall he be purified, and made white, and tried. Though the earth be burned up, no smell of fire shall come upon the chosen. Amid the crash of matter and the wreck of worlds, the Lord Jehovah will preserve His own."

Could you possibly read more faith-filled words than those?  "Though the earth be burned up."  It shall be.  "Amid the crash of worlds."  Indeed, there is coming such a crash.  But note: "Jehovah will preserve His own."  What more assurance do we need?  Divine predestination and divine preservation provide God's humble people with great consolation.  So, why do we fret and worry?  It is our unbelief that makes us do so.  There is no other reason.  We reject God's Word for our own feelings.  Then our fears conquer our faith, because we refuse to submit to God's sovereign Providences (this is when we prefer our "circumstances" to be better or different from what they are).

"Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure" (2 Timothy 2:19).  What a great "nevertheless" that is!  "Stands sure."  Yes, "sure" for sure!  We "rest" in God's love, and therefore know "great peace" (Psalm 119:165).  Our peace is from the infinite grace of God, and such peace is therefore "as a river" (Isaiah 48:18).  And someday our "lot" shall be in the heavenly Canaan, as was promised Daniel.  And no economic crash, loss of health, or natural disaster can possibly deprive us of our sure inheritance.

Thus "by grace" we enjoy true, spiritual "rest" in Christ even now, free from all worry and fretting.  "For the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted" (Isaiah 49:13).  Beloved, because "Jehovah reigns," our sad unbelief is replaced with a joyous Hallelujah!          

COMMUNION WITH CHRIST--SAMUEL RUTHERFORD

I urge upon you communion with Christ; a growing communion. There are curtains to be drawn aside in Christ that we never saw, and newfoldings of love in Him. I despair that I shall ever win to the far end of that love, there are so many aspects to it. 

Therefore dig deep, and sweat and labor and take pains for Him, and set by as much time in the day for Him as you can. We will be won in the labor.