Pray with Spurgeon

Daily Newsletter from SpurgeonBooks

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

Conceive him now in the highest heavens, with the keys of heaven and earth and hell swinging at his side, holding the silver scepter by which he governs all creation; can you conceive him, when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father? And yet he, that same one, comes down from the grandeur of heaven, and the splendor of infinite honor, and he washes, absolutely washes, in a slave’s garb and after a menial manner, the feet of his disciples! Oh, that we felt a tender admiration worthy of this miracle of love!

PRAY FOR THE NATIONS

This week, we’re praying for the Tagale of Sudan.

The Tagale are almost entirely Muslim. They believe that they can earn the love of Allah by keeping the five pillars of Islam. They do not know that only Jesus can save.

Pray that the Tagale would finally hear the good news that Jesus saves by grace alone.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Have a Fresh Encounter with the Shocking Grace of Jesus

This week, we’ve been reflecting on Jesus’ incredible love, shown in his willingness to wash our feet. I hope these prayers and devotionals have renewed your wonder at the incredible love of Jesus.

For another great resource to help you re-realize how surprising Jesus is, check out Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels by Rebecca McLaughlin. This book will help you see the glories and compassion of Jesus with renewed clarity by highlighting stories about his life from the New Testament. This book is like a 3–D, full-color picture of Jesus, putting his character and kindness on full display. I hope you will grab a copy, because I know it will increase your joy in him.

Buy Confronting Jesus:

• Amazon (Paperback, Kindle, or audiobook editions)

• ChristianBook (Paperback edition)

FAITH’S CHECKBOOK

Spurgeon’s classic devotional, The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith, contains a promise of God for every day of the year. Pray with Spurgeon Plus subscribers receive the daily readings every weekday.

If you want to strengthen your faith in God’s promises (and support this ministry!), subscribe to Pray with Spurgeon Plus here.

“Don’t let your heart envy sinners; instead, always fear the LORD. For then you will have a future, and your hope will not be dashed.” (Proverbs 23:17–18)

When we see the wicked prosper we are prone to envy them. When we hear the noise of their celebrations and our own spirit is heavy, we almost think that they have the best of it. This is foolish and sinful. If we knew them better, and especially if we remembered their end, we should pity them.

The cure for envy lies in living under a constant sense of the divine presence, worshiping God and communing with him all the day long, however long the day may seem. True religion lifts the soul into a higher region where the judgment becomes more clear and the desires are more elevated. The more of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet. The fear of God casts out envy of men.

The death-blow of envy is a calm consideration of the future. The wealth and glory of the ungodly are a vain show. This pompous appearance flashes out for an hour and then is extinguished. Is the prosperous sinner any better off for his prosperity when judgment overtakes him? As for the godly man, his end is peace and blessedness, and nothing can rob him of his joy, so let him leave envy behind and be filled with sweet contentment.

Something to think about today if you’re feeling envious of sinners: Their end is destruction.