Many have forsaken Christ, no longer to walk with Him. But what reason could we ever have to make such a change? Has there been any reason for it in the past? Hasn’t Jesus proved himself all-sufficient? He asks you this morning, “Have I been like a desert to you?” (see Jeremiah 2:31). When your soul has simply trusted Jesus, have you ever been brought to shame? Up to now, haven’t you found your Lord to be a compassionate and generous friend? Hasn’t simple faith in Him given you all the peace your spirit could desire? Can you possibly dream of a better friend than He has been to you? Then don’t change the old and tried for the new and false. Can your present difficulties compel you to leave Christ? When we are troubled by this world or with the more severe trials in the church, we find it a most blessed thing to rest our head on the Savior’s chest. This is the joy we have today: we are saved in Him. And if this joy is satisfying, why should we ever think of changing? Who trades gold for the dross? We will not reject the sun until we find a better light, nor leave our Lord until a brighter lover appears—and, since this can never be, we will hold Him with an immortal grasp and bind His name as a seal on our arm (Song of Solomon 8:6). As to the future, can you suggest anything that could arise to make you mutiny, to desert the old flag to serve under some other captain? I think not. If life is long, He does not change. If we are poor, what would be better than to have Christ make us rich? When we are sick, what more could we want than for Jesus to make our bed for us? Even when we die, isn’t it written that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39 ESV). So we say with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” (John 6:68). - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
The title implies one thing, you might say, and the content another. Not really.
Weak and heavy laden people are the ones whom often fall away from God. They are under pressure or stress, under heavy grieving or sorrow and believe the lie that they were abandoned by God.
In the similar context of where Spurgeon is today is those who are in need yet wondering about things. He gives you all the questions that I might be prompted to ask in this post.
In quite a few times in my life I have felt very distant from God. It wasn't Him, it was on me. I cannot place the blame anywhere else. In the silence it did not mean He wasn't there. He was waiting on me. In my times when I felt forsaken He had not. He was waiting on me. In the times of my darkest days when I couldn't perceive Him at all, He was waiting on me. Satan loves to remind me of those times. Trying to use them as reasons to prove that God had left me.
My friend, there is no evil that can happen that can separate us from God's love. Every sin of every kind was nailed to the cross when Jesus was nailed to the cross. Every 'little white lie' to the most heinous imaginable or unimaginable. Everything that was a part or aspect of sin was nailed to the cross. If a serial killer found Jesus before dying, and meant it, he would be in Heaven. If the worst kind of human being did the worst thing ever, yet found Christ, and it was genuine, they would be in Heaven after they died.
Your worst isn't able to separate you from the love of God if you truly are in Christ.
If you aren't a believer, then the only thing separating you from Christ is you. Your sin must be atoned for by the blood of Jesus.
Remember who was on another cross with Jesus? One believed and was with Him in Paradise. The other did not and was in torment in Hell. That's the truth of choosing Salvation vs not. At your death there are only two destinations. Your death can be at any moment. The internet is replete with trillions of examples of accidents or sudden deaths of people who were not expecting it. I have no guarantee that I will make it out of my house to go to work alive. I have no guarantee that I will make it to work alive. You have to remember your life and mine are in the hands of God.
But the things that I am going through!
Wouldn't you rather not be alone going through them? But to have the one who truly understands you there with you?
I confess freely and frequently to my Savior that I am weak and weary. I don't have what it takes to take on this world.
I am a nobody among nobodies. Some believe that there must be something special about me for how much we have been blessed. No, not at all. If I am blessed it's because of the Grace of my Savior. Grace being unmerited favor. Add to that His Mercy, my not receiving what I do deserve. The same can be there for you. The same is available to you.
God woke me up in the middle of last night to write that short earlier message about His return. As I said earlier the internet is replete with trillions of examples of split second death. The horror stories of people never once suspecting that their next moment would be in either Heaven or Hell. When Jesus does return, in a split second, that is going to happen all over the world at ONE TIME. Believers the world over will all vanish at one time in a split second. At a moment nobody will be expecting.
Having Christ as your Savior now is oh so important both for this moment in time now but also for that moment that is coming soon.
Yes it's hard on Christians right now in this world. But we will now and forever be with Jesus at His appearing. Jesus always gets the last word. Jesus tells those who believe to not fear He has overcome the world. If you are in Christ you have overcome the world. If you do not then the world will overcome you.
Many dozens who were once Disciples of Jesus left Him at that point of today's Scripture. Only the 12 remaining, yet one still wasn't saved that we know of.
Many who left...yet I wonder if after the resurrection that they might have come back? Jesus died once for all. Including Judas, including those who stopped walking with Jesus that day. Including you and I.
2020 has left trillions weak and heavy laden with so much. It is certainly not the time to be far away from God. Now is the time to draw near to Jesus. If you have not, open the door to your heart today and ask Jesus to come in. If you have and all seems too quiet, continue to pray and pour out your heart to Jesus. He is still near. His promises are from everlasting to everlasting.
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