Skip to main content

Thoughts From Charles Spurgeon

Dear Friends,

I do not know about you, but this past week I found myself feeling tired and lacking focus. So many things going on. Many opinions to sift through, events to consider, conflicts that need to be resolved, interpersonal issues to address... It has the potential to be distracting and draining. And if you happen to have felt that as well, I urge you to read the following thought by Charles Spurgeon as he considers Jesus' words, "Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28).

So enticing, is it not? Rest. Spiritual rest. Inner rest. Rest of soul that leads to the ability to attain physical rest and refreshment. It's a promise. A promise from the Savior. A promise we need to remember every so often when things pile up and make it hard for us to rest. A promise for every weary person that will come to Him... That's why I thought I would offer you wise words from Spurgeon this week, giving guidance on how to find the rest Jesus promises to us when the things of this world work against it. At a time where many feel a sense of unrest, I trust his words might help you find that promised rest. Enjoy.

"The HEART is by nature as restless as the ocean's waves. It seeks an object for it's affections, and when it finds one beneath the stars, it is doomed to sorrow... The more tender the heart, the greater the unrest. For some people the heart is simply the strongest muscle, and these individuals remain undisturbed, because they are callous. But the sensitive, the generous, the unselfish, are often found, "seeking rest and finding none" (Matt. 12:43). To such individuals the Lord Jesus says, "come unto me...and I will give you rest." Look here, loving ones, here is a refuge for your wounded love. You may delight yourself in the well-Beloved One and never fear that He will fail or forget you. Love will not be wasted, however much it may be lavished upon Jesus. He deserves it all, and He requires it all. In loving Him, the heart finds a delicious contentment. When the head rests on His chest (as did the apostle John at the last meal) it enjoys an ease that no down-filled pillow could bestow. Madame Guyon rested amid severe persecutions, because her great love for Jesus filled her soul to the brim! O aching heart, come here, for Jesus says, "I will give you rest."

The CONSCIENCE, when it is alive and awake, is much disturbed when the holy law of God has been broken by sin. As you know, once the conscience is aroused, it is not easily quieted... Like the troubled sea, it cannot rest, but it constantly casts the mire and dirt of past transgressions and iniquities upon the shore of memory. If this be your situation, then Jesus says to you, "I will give you rest." If fears and anxieties arise at any time from an awakened conscience, they can only be safely and surely quieted when we run to the Crucified One. In the blessed truth of Christ's substitutionary death, which is acceptable to God to pay the penalty for our sins, and has been fully accomplished by the Lord Jesus, our minds find peace. Justice is honored and law is vindicated in the sacrifice of Christ. Since God is satisfied with Christ's death on our behalf, we may be satisfied too....

The INTELLECT is another source of unrest, and in these times there are many things that attempt to trouble the mind. Doubts, stinging like the bites of mosquitoes, are suggested on almost every page of the literature of the day. Many men are drifting like vessels that have no anchors, and they come into collision with us. How can we rest? One scheme of philosophy eats up the other, each new form of heresy devours the last. Is there any foundation? Is anything true? Or is it all a fairy tale? Are we doomed to be the victims of an ever-changing lie? O soul, do not seek an answer to this by learning of men, but come and learn of Jesus and you will find rest! Believe Jesus, and let all the rabbis contradict you if they must. The Son of God was made flesh; He lived, He died, He rose again, He lives, He loves. This is true, and all that He teaches in His Word is assured truth. The rest may blow away like chaff before the wind. A mind in pursuit of truth is a dove without a proper resting place until it finds its rest in Jesus....

In Christ we are AT REST. At rest concerning our duties, for He instructs us and helps us in them. In Him we are at rest about our trials, for He sympathizes with us in them. With His love, we are at rest as to the movements of Divine Providence, for His Father loves us and will not allow anything to harm us. Concerning the past, we rest in His forgiving love. As to the present, it is bright with His loving fellowship. As to the future, it is brilliant with His expected coming. This is true of little things as well as the great. He who saves us from the battle-ax of satanic temptation, also extracts the thorn of a domestic trial. We may rest in Jesus concerning our sick child, our business trouble, or grief of any kind. He is our Comforter in all things, our Sympathizer in every form of temptation. Do you have this all-covering rest? If not, why not? Jesus gives it; why do you not partake of it? Do you have something you could not bring to Him? Then flee from it, for it is not a fit thing for a believer to possess. A disciple should know neither grief nor joy that he could not bring to his Lord...

Dr. Horatius Bonar's sweet hymn, which is so suitable for a sinner coming to Christ for the first time, is equally appropriate for a weary believer returning to his Savior's arms. The weary Chrstian can also sing:
"I heard the voice of Jesus say,
Come unto Me, and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down,
Thy head upon my breast.
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad."

I trust some bit of truth from his words helped you. I trust that some needed to be turned back to Jesus as the focus of their lives, rather than the stirring cauldron of opinions and untested ideas. Jesus, as the author of Hebrews tells us, "Fix your eyes on Jesus..." To fail to do so is to risk losing the peace He offers to all who will come to Him - and keep their eyes fixed on Him.

In His Grace, Pastor Jeff

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts In Memory of Tim Keller

Dear Friends, News broke last Friday (May 19) that pastor Tim Keller had gone home to be with Jesus. I must say that his commitment to a gospel-centered understanding and application of Scripture, his determination to reach this generation, his encouragement to live out the Gospel through our lives and words and actions, his keen insights into contemporary culture, and his gracious way of engaging even with those he disagreed with – have been an inspiration to me and multitudes of others. He was truly a gift of God to many pastors and parishioners in our day. Therefore, today, in honor of his life and ministry, I offer you a mere sampling of 20 Tim Keller quotes. But I warn you that although reading Keller can be insightful and refreshing, it can also be a bit convicting and unsettling. Through his insights you will learn to see old things in a new light (which stirs the spirit!), but you will also discover that you do some of what you do for reasons other than what you had th

Thoughts From Horatio Spafford

Dear Friends, I like stories. True stories. And not always stories that have a happy ending. In fact, I have gained much solace from stories that were very sad (like this one), but were helpful because they were about real people, struggling with raw emotions, and real issues, in an imperfect and fallen world where our ultimate hope must rest elsewhere. This morning I read a story I've read before. It's one I have even shared from the pulpit before. And I know that many of you (like me) have already heard as well. But then I thought, "Maybe some do not know it." And if you happen to be one, you need to read on! I pass this story along for you. For those who have not heard the story behind the writing of the hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul" by Horatio Spafford. Because once you know the story behind it, it's hard to ever sing it again in the same way. And even if you already know it, it is always helpful to pause and think once again about a

Thoughts From Priscilla Shirer

Dear Friends, During difficult times have you ever been tempted to focus only on the negative, the lack, the struggle, the sense of hopelessness? And if you were tempted to do so, did it blind you to what you did have? Did it cause you to overlook the blessings that were there all along, even in the midst of those times of lack? It’s not hard to do so. Our mounting concerns during difficult times can blind us to God’s supply. This week’s “thought” speaks to that situation. It comes from the devotional book entitled “Awaken” by Priscilla Shirer. A friend gave it to me a couple weeks back and I’m just starting to go through it. This particular devotion is entitled “What Do You Have?” and is based on II Kings 4:2 where a widow owes money, is confronted by creditors who come and threaten to take her two sons and sell them into slavery, in order to cover her debt. When Elisha finds out, he asks her: “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” Priscilla’s