He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? –Romans 8:32

Nearly fifty years ago I purchased a little paperback book entitled Faith’s Checkbook”, by Charles Spurgeon. It quickly became one of my favorities because it is filled with nuggets of truth such as this:

If this is not a promise in form, it is in fact. Indeed, it is more than one promise, it is a conglomerate of promises. It is a mass of rubies, and emeralds, and diamonds, with a nugget of gold for their setting. It is a question which can never be answered so as to cause us any anxiety of heart. What can the LORD deny us after giving us Jesus? If we need all things in heaven and earth, He will grant them to us: for if there had been a limit anywhere, He would have kept back His own Son.

What do I want today? I have only to ask for it. I may seek earnestly, but not as if I had to use pressure and extort an unwilling gift from the LORD’s hand; for He will give freely. Of His own He gave us His own Son. Certainly no one would have proposed such a gift to Him. No one would have ventured to ask for it. It would have been too presumptuous. He freely gave His Only-begotten, and, O my soul, canst thou not trust thy heavenly Father to give thee anything, to give thee everything? Thy poor prayer would have no force with Omnipotence if force were needed; but His love, like a spring, rises of itself and overflows for the supply of all thy needs.

This doesn’t mean God will grant every foolish thing we might desire. He is too wise to do that. However, we can have blessed assurance that we will receive whatever is for our good and His glory. That ought to produce peace in your heart. No one is earning their way with God–what we receive is “freely given”, a gift of grace. It would do us good to start everyday and face every problem with this in mind. It’s hard to have a bad day when you have such a precious promise.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3

This was the Psalmist’s determination in the morning — and it should be ours.

Preserved and protected through the night — we should look up with gratitude, and praise our God for His goodness.

Aware of our dependence and needs — we should look up and beg mercies of our Almighty God for the new-born day.

Sensible of our foes and dangers — we should look up and pray to be kept, guided, and sanctified by our ever-present God.

If we look within — it will dispirit us;
if we look around — it may distract us;
if we look back — it may awaken fears;
if we look forward — it may arouse foreboding!
But if we look UP to God — it will preserve . . .
the head from swimming,
the heart from sinking,
the feet from slipping, and
the hands from hanging down!

Beloved, let us look up!
There our loving Father is!
There our interceding Savior is!
There all our supplies are!
There our everlasting home is!

Let others look where they will, “I will look up!”

If we look up to God in faith — then He will look down upon us in mercy; and looking, He will supply all our needs! (James Smith)

Man, apart from God, is a miserable creature. Search as he may, and he does, he cannot find the fulfillment he longs for. Like the troubled sea, he cannot rest. I know–it seems that some have found the pot of gold at rainbow’s end, but things are not what they seem to be. Don’t be fooled by all the glitz and glamor of those who live the life style of the rich and famous. They are no closer to finding peace and contentment than the bum on the street. Regardless of their outward appearance there is something missing and, whether they admit it or not, they know it. They are always discontent. The more they get the more they want, and the more apparent it becomes that “all is vanity”. They know that something, something more important than anything else, is missing.

Christians know that that “something” is actually “Someone”–Christ! They have drank from the Fountain of Living Water and they thirst no more. They have eaten the Bread of Life and they hunger no more. They have discovered that contentment is found only in Christ. Their Savior satisfies! Although they have their “ups and downs” like everyone else, they know their Foundation is sure and they are at peace–even when the storms are raging.

What about you? When you’ve run your mad race throughout the day, searching for satisfaction, and finally put your head on the pillow at night, just how satisfied are you? How do you feel? Do you have a calm sense of peace that makes life an enjoyable experience? Or do you feel restless, as though there is no rhyme or reason in life? Are you sick and tired of not having a sense of purpose? Are you bored with going through the same old same old everyday, as though there is nothing better?

Well there is good news. When life is not as it should be, the first step toward a better life is getting dissatisfied with life as it is. Until we acknowledge the problem we can’t solve the problem. If you are fed up with your life as it is, run to Him who is seeking you. Open the door of your heart and give Him entrance while He is knocking. Receive Him and you will be received into God’s family as a joint-heir of Christ! Live for Him who died for you, lest you waste your opportunity. Give your life away and you will find it. Instead of feeling empty you will have life more abundant, full and free.

Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.– Colossians 3:2

What you love best reveals what you value most. Sadly some folks have set their affections on the wrong things. One result of this error is stunted spiritual growth. Although saved, they still think and conduct themselves like babes in Christ. Their immaturity then leads to many other problems.

Concerning this matter, J. C. Ryle wrote:

“The man whose soul is growing, takes more interest in spiritual things every year.

He does not neglect his duty in the world. He discharges faithfully, diligently and conscientiously–every relation of life, whether at home or abroad. But the things he loves best, are spiritual things.

The amusements and recreations of the world, have a continually decreasing place in his heart. He does not condemn them as downright sinful–he only feels that they have a constantly diminishing hold on his own affections–and gradually seem smaller and more trifling in his eyes. Spiritual companions, spiritual occupations, spiritual conversation–are of ever-increasing value to him. Would anyone know if he is growing in grace? Then let him look within for increasing spirituality of taste.”

Near Lincoln, Kansas, stands a group of gravestones that boggles the imagination. A farmer named David, a self-made and determined man, managed to amass a considerable fortune, but had few friends and no relatives for whom he cared.

When his wife died, David erected an elaborate statue showing both her and himself sitting at the opposite ends of a loveseat. So pleased was he with this monument that he commissioned the sculptor to create another, this time showing him kneeling at her grave with a wreath in his hand. And that made such a fine impression upon him that he set out to erect still another tombstone depicting his wife kneeling at his future graveside with a wreath. He even put wings on her back as she now resided in another world. So, as time passed and one idea led to another, he eventually spent over a quarter of a million dollars on monuments to his wife and himself.

David had no interest in aiding his fellowmen or benefiting his nearby town. Nor did he become a blessing to the church, for he used all of his resources on shrines to self. He died at the age of 92, a resident of the poorhouse, and his cherished stones are slowly but surely sinking into the Kansas soil, victimized by vandalism and neglect, weathered by time.

When I read that story I thought–that’s just like sinful human nature! Perhaps you don’t have the resources to do what David did, but you make the same mistake. Rather than seeking to glorify God by rendering service to others you seek only to gratify the flesh. Fact is—you can never find satisfaction by seeking it. Fulfillment in life comes only by knowing you have done your best to do your God-given duty. The best monument a person can leave is a life well lived, and you can’t do that without making yourself servant for Christ’s sake.