DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
We bless you this morning that we can repent of sin, for there was a time when it never struck us that there was much amiss with us, when sin was no plague to us; when we lived even in outward sin with but slight accusation of conscience, and certainly without any pain at heart.
You know, Lord, that sin is our greatest curse; we would sooner suffer anything than sin, at least when we are in our right mind we feel so. O God, deliver us from sin! At the very thought of its coming near to us we cry, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me” (Romans 7:24) and we only find comfort in the blessed truth that you give us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let that victory be very apparent, may it be very clear to our own consciousness, very much displayed in our lives. O God, help us to live towards you in all devotion, confidence, obedience, resignation and simple childlike trust. Help us to love you with all our heart and soul and mind.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24)
Now, the more holy a man gets the more he cries in this fashion. While he is low down in the scale, he puts up with sin, and he is uneasy, but when he gets to see Christ and get somewhat like him, the more nearly he approximates to the image of his Master, the more the presence of the least sinful thought is horrifying to him. He would, if he could, never look on sin again—never have the slightest inclination to it, but he finds his heart getting abroad and wandering when he would tether it down, if he could, to the cross and crucify it there. And so the more happy he is in Christ the more desperately does he cry against the wretchedness of being touched with sin, even in the least degree.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
A devotional to help you run from sin and cling to Christ
Today’s prayer and verse of the day focus on the horrors of our sin; they include a desperate prayer for forgiveness and mercy. I’ve been reflecting on these themes a lot recently as I’ve been studying Psalm 51. Psalm 51 is a stunningly honest prayer of confession and repentance by King David. Praying through Psalm 51 will leave you broken over your sin and incredibly thankful for God’s mercy.
One resource that’s been helpful as I’ve studied Psalm 51 is Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul Tripp. This book features 52 short devotionals (one for every week of the year) on Psalm 51. This is an incredible resource to help you remember the horrors of your sin and the wonders of God’s amazing grace.
You could read the book this summer in just five minutes a day. I can’t think of a better way to spend your summer than reflecting on God’s mercy towards broken sinners like us.
I hope you’ll buy a copy and enjoy mediating on God’s unending mercy with me.