Evening, August 28
Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings
Isaiah 54:1
"Sing, O barren."
Isaiah 54:1
Though we have brought forth some fruit unto Christ, and have a joyful
hope that we are "plants of his own right hand planting," yet there are
times when we feel very barren. Prayer is lifeless, love is cold, faith
is weak, each grace in the garden of our heart languishes and droops.
We are like flowers in the hot sun, requiring the refreshing shower. In
such a condition what are we to do? The text is addressed to us in just
such a state. "Sing, O barren, break forth and cry aloud." But what can
I sing about? I cannot talk about the present, and even the past looks
full of barrenness. Ah! I can sing of Jesus Christ. I can talk of
visits which the Redeemer has aforetimes paid to me; or if not of
these, I can magnify the great love wherewith he loved his people when
he came from the heights of heaven for their redemption. I will go to
the cross again. Come, my soul, heavy laden thou wast once, and thou
didst lose thy burden there. Go to Calvary again. Perhaps that very
cross which gave thee life may give thee fruitfulness. What is my
barrenness? It is the platform for his fruit-creating power. What is my
desolation? It is the black setting for the sapphire of his everlasting
love. I will go in poverty, I will go in helplessness, I will go in all
my shame and backsliding, I will tell him that I am still his child,
and in confidence in his faithful heart, even I, the barren one, will
sing and cry aloud.
Sing, believer, for it will cheer thine own heart, and the hearts of
other desolate ones. Sing on, for now that thou art really ashamed of
being barren, thou wilt be fruitful soon; now that God makes thee loath
to be without fruit he will soon cover thee with clusters. The
experience of our barrenness is painful, but the Lord's visitations are
delightful. A sense of our own poverty drives us to Christ, and that is
where we need to be, for in him is our fruit found.