DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
O Lord, we have heard of some that can look back upon their lives with pleasure and satisfaction, but we wish to look nowhere but to you, our Savior. You are our wisdom—not our experience: you are our righteousness—not our good deeds and almsgivings; you are our sanctification—not our prayers and watchings.
You are everything to us, and we are just nothing. We were nothing when you began with us, when we lay wallowing in the blood, cast out in death in the open field to perish. Then you said “Live,” and we lived by virtue of that word, and by that word of God shall men live, and so do we live.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)
It is a wonderful thing to be delivered from materialism, to be freed from the notion that things are absolutely essential for the accomplishment of the divine purpose. If God had so willed it, we could have been nourished by air. Although the Lord has chosen to feed us bread, our real life does not live on bread but on the word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
This is one of the passages with which our Lord fought and overcame Satan in the desert. Happy is that servant of God who will arm himself with this same truth and say, “I am not to be provided for merely by money. God will somehow provide for me, and I can leave all care about the means to him.” That which we can see may fail us, for it is, like us, a shadow. But the one we cannot see will never fail us. If we lean on his arm, we will never be ashamed, world without end.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
Know the Gospel. Share the Gospel. (A Resource to Help You)*
How can we share the gospel, unless we know it? Sure, we can share our opinions and experiences, but people need much more — they need to hear, understand, and believe the gospel itself.
I’m excited about a new resource from Matthias Media that will help you (and others you know) grow your understanding of the big story of Scripture, so that you’ll be more equipped to share it with others.
Learn the Gospel by Tony Payne walks through the biggest themes and scenes in the Bible’s storyline and gives helpful comments and application along the way.
If you’ve ever seen the “Two Ways to Live” evangelistic booklet, Learn the Gospel is an expansion of this to help Christians strengthen their understanding. It gives you a simple, thorough unpacking of the story of Jesus. It’s interactive, with space to write, reflect, and apply what you’re learning. AND it’s easy to use with a group (PERFECT for a small group or one-on-one discipleship).
THIS MONTH ONLY (Less than one week left!), if you order one or more copies of Learn the Gospel, you’ll also receive FIVE FREE copies of The Essential Jesus to share with others (which helps non-Christians read, understand, and apply the complete text of Luke’s Gospel).
Learn the Gospel really is an invaluable resource. I can’t wait to hear about how God uses it to grow your understanding and love for his Word. I hope you’ll buy it today.
Buy Learn the Gospel from Matthias Media and receive five free copies of The Essential Jesus.