Evening, April 18

Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings

"And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good."

  Genesis 32:12

   When Jacob was on the other side of the brook Jabbok, and Esau was
   coming with armed men, he earnestly sought God's protection, and as a
   master reason he pleaded, "And thou saidst, I will surely do thee
   good." Oh, the force of that plea! He was holding God to his
   word--"Thou saidst." The attribute of God's faithfulness is a splendid
   horn of the altar to lay hold upon; but the promise, which has in it
   the attribute and something more, is a yet mightier holdfast--"Thou
   saidst, I will surely do thee good." And has he said, and shall he not
   do it? "Let God be true, and every man a liar." Shall not he be true?
   Shall he not keep his word? Shall not every word that cometh out of his
   lips stand fast and be fulfilled? Solomon, at the opening of the
   temple, used this same mighty plea. He pleaded with God to remember the
   word which he had spoken to his father David, and to bless that place.
   When a man gives a promissory note, his honour is engaged; he signs his
   hand, and he must discharge it when the due time comes, or else he
   loses credit. It shall never be said that God dishonours his bills. The
   credit of the Most High never was impeached, and never shall be. He is
   punctual to the moment: he never is before his time, but he never is
   behind it. Search God's word through, and compare it with the
   experience of God's people, and you shall find the two tally from the
   first to the last. Many a hoary patriarch has said with Joshua, "Not
   one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God
   spake concerning you; all are come to pass." If you have a divine
   promise, you need not plead it with an "if," you may urge it with
   certainty. The Lord meant to fulfil the promise, or he would not have
   given it. God does not give his words merely to quiet us, and to keep
   us hopeful for awhile with the intention of putting us off at last; but
   when he speaks, it is because he means to do as he has said.