Morning By Morning #340

Ask and it will be given to you.

Matthew 7:7

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

There is a place that still exists in England where a handout of bread is given to every passerby who asks for it. Whoever the traveler may be, he only has to knock on the door of St. Cross Hospital and he will be given an allotment of bread. Jesus Christ also has built a “St. Cross Hospital” so that whenever a sinner is hungry, he only has to knock to have his needs fulfilled. In fact, He has done even better; He has added a bath to His Hospital of the Cross so that a dark and filthy soul only has to go there to be cleaned. And the bath is always full and always effective, for no sinner ever entered it and found it could not wash away the stains of sin. The stains have all disappeared, for “though your sins are like scarlet [or crimson], they shall be as white as snow” (Isa. 1:18).

If this were not enough, attached to the Hospital of the Cross is a fully stocked closet, and a sinner who applies, simply as a sinner, may be clothed from head to toe. If he desires to be a soldier, he will not be given ordinary street clothes but will be covered from the sole of his foot to the top of his head with armor. If he asks for a sword and a shield, those will be given to him as well, for nothing good for him will be denied. He will have spending money for as long as he lives and will have an eternal heritage of glorious treasure when he enters into “the joy of the LORD” (Neh. 8:10).

O dear soul, if all these things can be yours merely by knocking at mercy’s door, then knock loudly this morning and ask great things of your generous Lord. Don’t leave the throne of grace until all your needs have been laid before the Lord and until by faith you have the comfortable assurance they will all be supplied. Your bashful-ness need not inhibit you when Jesus invites you to come. No unbelief should hinder you when Jesus promises. And no coldheartedness should restrain you when such blessings are yours for the asking.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Today Spurgeon mentions St. Cross Hospital in England. Yes, it is still in existence today just as it was in his day. In fact, it was originally established between 1132 and 1136 by William the Conqueror’s grandson Henri du Blois. It is the oldest charitable poorhouse in England, located near Winchester, and now includes St. Cross Church as well. It served as a wayside stop for pilgrims en route to Canterbury, and during the Crusades the crusaders would spend their last night there before sailing from Southhampton. The tradition of giving bread to passersby is still practiced today. All a visitor need do is stop at the Porter’s Gate and ask. One wonders how many go hungry when all they need do is ask.

One wonders as well how often we as believers go without because we don’t ask. Perhaps we don’t ask because we forget the provision is not based on our works but on Christ’s work, for the Scriptures say, “Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:14 – 16).