Evening, June 13

Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings

"Remove far from me vanity and lies."

  Proverbs 30:8

   "O my God, be not far from me."

  --Psalm 38:21

   Here we have two great lessons--what to deprecate and what to
   supplicate. The happiest state of a Christian is the holiest state. As
   there is the most heat nearest to the sun, so there is the most
   happiness nearest to Christ. No Christian enjoys comfort when his eyes
   are fixed on vanity--he finds no satisfaction unless his soul is
   quickened in the ways of God. The world may win happiness elsewhere,
   but he cannot. I do not blame ungodly men for rushing to their
   pleasures. Why should I? Let them have their fill. That is all they
   have to enjoy. A converted wife who despaired of her husband was always
   very kind to him, for she said, "I fear that this is the only world in
   which he will be happy, and therefore I have made up my mind to make
   him as happy as I can in it." Christians must seek their delights in a
   higher sphere than the insipid frivolities or sinful enjoyments of the
   world. Vain pursuits are dangerous to renewed souls. We have heard of a
   philosopher who, while he looked up to the stars, fell into a pit; but
   how deeply do they fall who look down. Their fall is fatal. No
   Christian is safe when his soul is slothful, and his God is far from
   him. Every Christian is always safe as to the great matter of his
   standing in Christ, but he is not safe as regards his experience in
   holiness, and communion with Jesus in this life. Satan does not often
   attack a Christian who is living near to God. It is when the Christian
   departs from his God, becomes spiritually starved, and endeavours to
   feed on vanities, that the devil discovers his vantage hour. He may
   sometimes stand foot to foot with the child of God who is active in his
   Master's service, but the battle is generally short: he who slips as he
   goes down into the Valley of Humiliation, every time he takes a false
   step invites Apollyon to assail him. O for grace to walk humbly with
   our God!