DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
In the recollection of all that you have done for us your people, we are filled with amazement, as well as with gratitude, that you should have loved us before the foundation of the world; that sovereign love should have pitched upon us poor unworthy ones, that you should love us so much to redeem us with the blood of Jesus and give the Only Begotten to die for unworthy creatures like us; that you should love us notwithstanding our sins and transgressions, that you should love us despite the hardness of our hearts and the rebellion of our nature. It is strange, it surpasses belief at times; yet do we know it to be so.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land.” (Matthew 27:45)
The darkness was surely a rebuke to the insulting cruelty of sinful man. It was such a strong rebuke, though without a voice, that was experienced by that assembled throng! The Roman in his pride, the Jewish man in his bigotry, and the Gentile in his hatred of all that was sacred—they were all there, and all did their utmost to pour contempt on Christ. And in the midst of it, they were all smitten with blindness. This was an amazing rebuke by God against the wickedness of man, which came to its climax around the cross of the Savior.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
A devotional to prepare for Good Friday.
Today’s prayer thanked God for his astounding, never-ending love, which was supremely displayed on the cross. This is what Jesus came to do — to die for his people. As we approach Good Friday and Easter, it’s important for us to slow down and think like this about why Christ died and why he rose again. Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die by John Piper is an excellent devotional for considering the cost and the reward of the cross.
The book offers fifty short devotionals, each explaining a different reason Jesus came to die. Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die is a great devotional to focus your heart on Christ and his cross.
This book will definitely “reveal Jesus Christ to the troubled heart,” showing you the depth of your sin and the wonder of God’s love. I know it will encourage you — I hope you’ll grab a copy today.