Faith's Check Book, Daily Entry
C. H. Spurgeon
December 5
High Places of Defense
He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. (Isaiah 33:16)
The man to whom God has given grace to be of blameless life dwells in perfect security.He dwells on high, above the world, Out of gunshot of the enemy, and near to heaven. He has high aims and motives, and he finds high comforts and company. He rejoices in the mountains of eternal love, wherein he has his abode.
He is defended by munitions of stupendous rock. The firmest things in the universe are the promises and purposes of the unchanging God, and these are the safeguard of the obedient believer.
He is provided for by this great promise: "Bread shall be given him." As the enemy cannot climb the fort, nor break down the rampart, so the fortress cannot be captured by siege and famine. The Lord, who rained manna in the wilderness, will keep His people in good store even when they are surrounded by those who would starve them.
But what if water should fail? That cannot be. "His waters shall be sure." There is a never-failing well within the impregnable fortress. The Lord sees that nothing is wanting. None can touch the citizen of the true Zion. However fierce the enemy, the Lord will preserve His chosen.
Y soul
begin this wintry month with thy God. The cold snows and the piercing
winds all remind thee that He keeps His covenant with day and night, and
tend to assure thee that He will also keep that glorious covenant which
He has made with thee in the person of Christ Jesus. He who is true to
His Word in the revolutions of the seasons of this poor sin-polluted
world, will not prove unfaithful in His dealings with His own
well-beloved Son.
Winter in the soul
is by no means a comfortable season, and if it be upon thee just now it
will be very painful to thee: but there is this comfort, namely, that the Lord
makes it. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the buds of
expectation: He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes over the once
verdant meadows of our joy: He casteth forth His ice like morsels
freezing the streams of our delight. He does it all, He is the great
Winter King, and rules in the realms of frost, and therefore thou canst
not murmur. Losses, crosses, heaviness, sickness, poverty, and a
thousand other ills, are of the Lord's sending, and come to us with wise
design. Frosts kill noxious insects, and put a bound to raging
diseases; they break up the clods, and sweeten the soul. O that such
good results would always follow our winters of affliction!
ALE-BEARING
emits a threefold poison; for it injures the teller, the hearer, and
the person concerning whom the tale is told. Whether the report be true
or false, we are by this precept of God's Word forbidden to spread it.
The reputations of the Lord's people should be very precious in our
sight, and we should count it shame to help the devil to dishonour the
Church and the name of the Lord. Some tongues need a bridle rather than a
spur. Many glory in pulling down their brethren, as if thereby they
raised themselves. Noah's wise sons cast a mantle over their father, and
he who exposed him earned a fearful curse. We may ourselves one of
these dark days need forbearance and silence from our brethren, let us
render it cheerfully to those who require it now. Be this our family
rule, and our personal bond—SPEAK EVIL OF NO MAN.
