"Oh that I were as in months past."--Job 29:2
Numbers of Christians can view the past with pleasure, but regard the
present with dissatisfaction; they look back upon the days which they have
passed in communing with the Lord as being the sweetest and the best they have
ever known, but as to the present, it is clad in a sable garb of gloom and
dreariness. Once they lived near to Jesus, but now they feel that they
have wandered from Him, and they say, "O that I were as in months past!"
They complain that they have lost their evidences, or that they have not present
peace of mind, or that they have no enjoyment in the means of grace, or that
conscience is not so tender, or that they have not so much zeal for God's
glory. The causes of this mournful state of things are manifold. It
may arise through a comparitive neglect of prayer, for a neglected closet is the
beginning of all spiritual decline. Or it may be the result of
idolatry. The heart has been occupied with something else, more than with
God; the affections have been set on the things of earth, instead of the things
of heaven. A jealous God will not be content with a divided heart; He must
be loved first and best. He will withdraw the sunshine of His presence
from a cold, wandering heart. Or the cause may be found in self-confidence
and self-righteousness. Pride is busy in the heart, and self is exalted
instead of lying low at the foot of the cross. Christian, if you are not
now as you "were in months past", do not rest satisfied with wishing for a
return of former happiness, but go at once to seek your Master, and tell Him
your sad state. Ask His grace and strength to help you to walk more
closely with Him; humble yourself before Him, and He will lift you up, and give
you yet again to enjoy the light of His countenance. Do not sit down to
sigh and lament; while the beloved Physician lives there is hope, nay there is a
certainty of recovery for the worst cases.--Charles Spurgeon
No comments:
Post a Comment