Morning By Morning #153

There was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Genesis 1:5

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Was it truly this way even in the beginning, that darkness and light divided the domain of time the very first day? Then is it any wonder I also experience changes in my circumstances from the sunshine of prosperity to the midnight of adversity. When it comes to the concerns of my soul, there will not always be the blazing sun of noonday. I must expect times when I must mourn the absence of former joys and must seek “my beloved…[in] the night” (Song 5:2 KJV). Nor am I alone in this, for all the Lord’s beloved ones have had to sing songs mixed with judgment and mercy, trials and deliverance, and of mourning and rejoicing.

It is part of divine Providence’s plan that “day and night will never cease” (Gen. 8:22), either in the natural or the spiritual realm, until we reach the land foretold in the Scriptures where “there will be no more night” (Rev. 22:5). And remember, what our heavenly Father ordains is wise and good.

What then, my soul, is best for me to do? I must first learn to be content with God’s divine order of things and be willing, just as Job was, to “accept good from God, and…trouble” (Job 2:10). Next, I must determine to have rejoicing flow from my life in the morning and the evening. I must praise the Lord for the sun of joy when it rises and for the gloom of evening as it falls. There is beauty in both the sunrise and sunset, so I should sing of it and glorify the Lord. Just as a nightingale does, I should sing at all hours and believe that the night is as useful as the day. The dew of God’s grace falls most heavily during the night of sorrow, and His stars of promise shine most gloriously amid the darkness of grief.

I must continue serving through all the changes in life. My daytime watchword must be “to work” and at night “to watch.” Each hour of the day and night has a special duty, so I must faithfully continue in my calling as the Lord’s servant until He suddenly “comes in His glory” (Matt. 25:31).

My soul, your evening of old age and death draws near, but do not dread it, for it is part of the day. Remember, God’s Word says, “The LORD…shields him all day long” (Deut. 33:12).

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Day and night are parts of the cycle of life. Yet our response to them is what makes all the difference. Walking in joy or gloom is our decision and should never be determined by our circumstances. We should learn, as Paul did, “to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phil. 4:11). In fact, he thought it was totally absurd to waste our time complaining: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).

And Peter tells us we possess “a living hope…into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade—kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). Notice that the “keeping” of our inheritance is not up to us. It is not based on our works any more than our salvation is. No, God does the keeping, and it has nothing to do with our circumstances! Then, agreeing with Deuteronomy 33:12 quoted above, Peter states that we “are shielded by God’s power” until the very end—“until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5).

So, my friend, if you and your inheritance are secured by God’s power—not yours—why should you ever fear the dark times of life? Rejoice instead!