DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
Our Father in heaven, you are infinitely beyond the grasp of our understanding; but in great condescension, you have brought yourself very near to the grasp of our love, and we trust this morning many of us can say with all sincerity, “You know all things. You know that I love you.”
O Lord, it has seemed to us impossible not to love you; for you are so supremely lovable, so full of goodness, so perfect. You have manifested yourself to us as love, and shall not love go out towards love? Especially this morning do we feel our hearts warmed towards you, in the person of your dear Son.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” (Luke 2:8–9)
These men were probably poor and illiterate, but that did not hinder God from revealing himself to them, nor prevent the coming of his Son to them. They were engaged in their ordinary calling, “keeping watch over their flock by night,” when this great blessing came to them. Seldom does such a blessing as this come to idlers. It was not while they were gadding abroad, and wasting their time, but while they kept watch over their flock that “the angel of the Lord came upon them.”
First one angel led the way, and then a multitude of the heavenly host followed; and these poor men, perhaps troubled with common superstition that the appearance of God, or any supernatural visitation, would always be followed by death, “were terrified.”
Editor’s Note: I’ll be featuring Spurgeon’s commentary on the Christmas story all week, so make sure you follow along throughout this week (and invite a friend to subscribe and follow along as well!)
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
How God’s Grace will Fuel for Your New Year’s Resolutions
As 2021 draws to a close, many of us are already thinking about how we can grow in godliness and fight sin more faithfully next year. While there’s nothing special about the new year, this is a great opportunity to reset, make new habits, fight old sins, and plan to glorify God more in 2021.
Of course, we are absolutely hopeless in the battle against sin without God’s help. On our own, we can never put away sin or put on righteousness — our hearts are too sin-stained.
But God has not left us alone — he has come to us. He has raised us to new life in his Son. He has sent us his Spirit to empower us.
One of my favorite books of all time is The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges. This book is an incredibly practical guide to Christian growth. It explains how God’s grace empowers us to change. This book will open your eyes to your urgent need to fight sin and the desperate need for help in that battle.
If you’ve read this newsletter very long, you know that I love this book and recommend it all the time. If you’ve read it and benefitted from it, buy a copy for someone else who needs help fighting sin and growing in holiness. If you haven’t read it, and you’re ready to grow in 2022, I hope you’ll grab a copy today.