Morning and Evening with Charles Spurgeon

“He appeared first to Mary Magdalene.” — Mark 16:9 Jesus “appeared first to Mary Magdalene,” probably not only on account of her great love and persevering seeking, but because, as the context intimates, she had been a special trophy of Christ's delivering power. Learn from this, that the greatness of our sin before conversion should […]

“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.” — Leviticus 6:13 Keep the altar of private prayer burning. This is the very life of all piety. The sanctuary and family altars borrow their fires here, therefore let this burn well. Secret devotion is the very essence, evidence, and barometer, […]

“As it began to dawn, came Magdalene, to see the sepulchre.” — Matthew 28:1 Let us learn from Mary Magdalene how to obtain fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Notice how she sought. She sought the Saviour very early in the morning. If thou canst wait for Christ, and be patient in the hope of having […]

“If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.” — Exodus 20:25 God'S altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and […]

“When I cry unto Thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.” — Psalm 56:9 It is impossible for any human speech to express the full meaning of this delightful phrase, “God is for me.” He was “for us” before the worlds were made; He was “for us,” […]

“God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry?” — Jonah 4:9 Anger is not always or necessarily sinful, but it has such a tendency to run wild that whenever it displays itself, we should be quick to question its character, with this enquiry, “Doest thou well to be angry?” It may be that […]

“His heavenly kingdom.” — 2 Timothy 4:18 Yonder city of the great King is a place of active service. Ransomed spirits serve Him day and night in His temple. They never cease to fulfil the good pleasure of their King. They always “rest,” so far as ease and freedom from care is concerned; and never […]

“Sanctified by God the Father.” — Jude 1 “Sanctified in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Corinthians 1:2 “Through sanctification of the Spirit.” — 1 Peter 1:2 Mark the union of the Three Divine Persons in all their gracious acts. How unwisely do those believers talk who make preferences in the Persons of the Trinity; who think […]

“Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.” — Joel 1:3 In this simple way, by God's grace, a living testimony for truth is always to be kept alive in the land — the beloved of the Lord are to hand down their witness for […]

“After that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” — 1 Peter 5:10 You have seen the arch of heaven as it spans the plain: glorious are its colours, and rare its hues. It is beautiful, but, alas, it passes away, and lo, it is not. The fair colours give way […]

“And the evening and the morning were the first day.” — Genesis 1:5 The evening was “darkness” and the morning was “light,” and yet the two together are called by the name that is given to the light alone! This is somewhat remarkable, but it has an exact analogy in spiritual experience. In every believer […]

“Fellow citizens with the saints.” — Ephesians 2:19 What is meant by our being citizens in heaven? It means that we are under heaven's government. Christ the king of heaven reigns in our hearts; our daily prayer is, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The proclamations issued from the throne […]

“And God divided the light from the darkness.” — Genesis 1:4 A believer has two principles at work within him. In his natural estate he was subject to one principle only, which was darkness; now light has entered, and the two principles disagree. Mark the apostle Paul's words in the seventh chapter of Romans: “I […]

“Forget not all His benefits.” — Psalm 103:2 It is a delightful and profitable occupation to mark the hand of God in the lives of ancient saints, and to observe His goodness in delivering them, His mercy in pardoning them, and His faithfulness in keeping His covenant with them. But would it not be even […]

“Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.” — Psalm 25:5 When the believer has begun with trembling feet to walk in the way of the Lord, he asks to be still led onward like a little child upheld […]

“Tell me I pray thee wherein thy great strength lieth.” — Judges 16:6 Where lies the secret strength of faith? It lies in the food it feeds on; for faith studies what the promise is — an emanation of divine grace, an overflowing of the great heart of God; and faith says, “My God could […]

“When I passed by thee, I said unto thee, Live.” — Ezekiel 16:6 Saved one, consider gratefully this mandate (of mercy. Note that this fiat of God is majestic. In our text, we perceive a sinner with nothing in him but sin, expecting nothing but wrath; but the eternal Lord passes by in His glory; […]

“Brethren, pray for us.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:25 This one morning in the year we reserved to refresh the reader's memory upon the subject of prayer for ministers, and we do most earnestly implore every Christian household to grant the fervent request of the text first uttered by an apostle and now repeated by us. […]

“How many are mine iniquities and sins?” — Job 13:23 Have you ever really weighed and considered how great the sin of God's people is? Think how heinous is your own transgression, and you will find that not only does a sin here and there tower up like an alp, but that your iniquities are […]

“Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” — Proverbs 1:33 Divine love is rendered conspicuous when it I shines in the midst of judgments. Fair is that lone star which smiles through the rifts of the thunder clouds; bright is the oasis which blooms in the wilderness […]

“Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” — Isaiah 26:4 Seeing that we have such a God to trust to, let us rest upon Him with all our weight; let us resolutely drive out all unbelief, and endeavour to get rid of doubts and fears, which so […]

“Called to be saints.” — Romans 1:7 We are very apt to regard the apostolic saints as if they were “saints” in a more especial manner than the other children of God. All are “saints” whom God has called by His grace, and sanctified by His Spirit; but we are apt to look upon the […]

“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” — Psalm 24:4 Outward practical holiness is a very precious mark of grace. It is to be feared that many professors have perverted the doctrine of justification by faith in such a way as […]

“Sanctify them through Thy truth.” — John 17:17 Sanctification begins in regeneration. The Spirit of God infuses into man that new living principle by which he becomes “a new creature” in Christ Jesus. This work, which begins in the new birth, is carried on in two ways — mortification, whereby the lusts of the flesh […]

“If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him.” — 2 Timothy 2:12 We must not imagine that we are suffering for Christ, and with Christ, if we are not in Christ. Beloved friend, are you trusting to Jesus only? If not, whatever you may have to mourn over on earth, you are not “suffering […]

“The illfavoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven wellfavoured and fat kine.” — Genesis 41:4 Pharaoh's dream has too often been my waking experience. My days of sloth have ruinously destroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealous industry; my seasons of coldness have frozen all the genial glow of my […]

“Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.” — Psalm 28:1 A cry is the natural expression of sorrow, and a suitable utterance when all other modes of appeal fail us; but […]

“Our heart shall rejoice in Him.” — Psalm 33:21 Blessed is the fact that Christians can rejoice even in the deepest distress; although trouble may surround them, they still sing; and, like many birds, they sing best in their cages. The waves may roll over them, but their souls soon rise to the surface and […]

“The voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” — Genesis 3:8 My soul, now that the cool of the day has come, retire awhile and hearken to the voice of thy God. He is always ready to speak with thee when thou art prepared to hear. If […]

“In summer and in winter shall it be.” — Zechariah 14:8 The streams of living water which flow from Jerusalem are not dried up by the parching heats of sultry midsummer any more than they were frozen by the cold winds of blustering winter. Rejoice, O my soul, that thou art spared to testify of […]

“Ah Lord God, behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee.” — Jeremiah 32:17 At the very time when the Chaldeans surrounded Jerusalem, and when the sword, famine and pestilence had desolated the land, Jeremiah was commanded by […]

“And the glory which Thou gavest me I have given them.” — John 17:22 Behold the superlative liberality of the Lord Jesus, for He hath given us His all. Although a tithe of His possessions would have made a universe of angels rich beyond all thought, yet was He not content until He had given […]

“Howbeit, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart.” — 2 Chronicles 32:31 Hezekiah was growing so inwardly great, and priding […]

“Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Let us not imagine that the soul sleeps in insensibility. “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise,” is the whisper of Christ to every dying saint. They “sleep in Jesus,” but their souls are before the throne of God, […]

“But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.” — Exodus 7:12 This incident is an instructive emblem of the sure victory of the divine handiwork over all opposition. Whenever a divine principle is cast into the heart, though the devil may fashion a counterfeit, and produce swarms of opponents, as sure as ever God is in […]

“Looking unto Jesus.” — Hebrews 12:2 It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have […]

“Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.” — 1 Corinthians 7:20 Some persons have the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God is by becoming ministers, missionaries, or Bible women. Alas! how many would be shut out from any opportunity of magnifying the Most […]

“Only ye shall not go very far away.” — Exodus 8:28 This is a crafty word from the lip of the arch-tyrant Pharaoh. If the poor bondaged Israelites must needs go out of Egypt, then he bargains with them that it shall not be very far away; not too far for them to escape the […]

“Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” — 2 Peter 1:4 Vanish for ever all thought of indulging the flesh if you would live in the power of your risen Lord. It were ill that a man who is alive in Christ should dwell in the corruption of sin. “Why seek […]

“Art thou become like unto us?” — Isaiah 14:10 What must be the apostate professor's doom when his naked soul appears before God? How will he bear that voice, “Depart, ye cursed; thou hast rejected me, and I reject thee; thou hast played the harlot, and departed from Me: I also have banished thee for […]

“The dove found no rest for the sole of her foot.” — Genesis 8:9 Reader, can you find rest apart from the ark, Christ Jesus? Then be assured that your religion is vain. Are you satisfied with anything short of a conscious knowledge of your union and interest in Christ? Then woe unto you. If […]

“Get thee up into the high mountain.” — Isaiah 40:9 Our knowledge of Christ is somewhat like climbing one of our Welsh mountains. When you are at the base you see but little: the mountain itself appears to be but one-half as high as it really is. Confined in a little valley, you discover scarcely […]

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said… Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods.” — Daniel 3:16, 18 The narrative of the manly courage and marvellous deliverance of the three holy children, or rather champions, is well calculated to excite in the minds of believers firmness and steadfastness […]

“A certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto Him, Blessed is the womb that bare Thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But He said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” — Luke 11:27, 28 It is fondly imagined by some […]

“Waiting for the adoption.” — Romans 8:23 Even in this world saints are God's children, but men cannot discover them to be so, except by certain moral characteristics. The adoption is not manifested, the children are not yet openly declared. Among the Romans a man might adopt a child, and keep it private for a […]

“Ephraim is a cake not turned.” — Hosea 7:8 A cake not turned is uncooked on one side; and so Ephraim was, in many respects, untouched by divine grace: though there was some partial obedience, there was very much rebellion left. My soul, I charge thee, see whether this be thy case. Art thou thorough […]

“That those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” — Hebrews 12:27 We have many things in our possession at the present moment which can be shaken, and it ill becomes a Christian man to set much store by them, for there is nothing stable beneath these rolling skies; change is written upon all things. […]

“He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory.” — Zechariah 6:13 Christ Himself is the builder of His spiritual temple, and He has built it on the mountains of His unchangeable affection, His omnipotent grace, and His infallible truthfulness. But as it was in Solomon's temple, so in this; […]

“The foundation of God standeth sure.” — 2 Timothy 2:19 The foundation upon which our faith rests is this, that “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” The great fact on which genuine faith relies is, that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,” and […]

“Thou art fairer than the children of men.” — Psalm 45:2 The entire person of Jesus is but as one gem, and His life is all along but one impression of the seal. He is altogether complete; not only in His several parts, but as a gracious all-glorious whole. His character is not a mass […]

“Straightway they forsook their nets, and followed Him.” — Mark 1:18 When they heard the call of Jesus, Simon and Andrew obeyed at once without demur. If we would always, punctually and with resolute zeal, put in practice what we hear upon the spot, or at the first fit occasion, our attendance at the means […]