Morning & Evening Ministries

morning-evening-daily-devotional-reading

M&E Email Opt-in

Get M&E Daily Readings Delivered to Your Inbox!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

© 2023 Morning & Evening Ministries, Inc.

  • About
  • M&E Daily Readings
  • M&E Radio
  • Advent
  • Donate

September 24, 2021 by Bill Neff

https://www.morningandevening.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ME150_2015-09-24.mp3

Morning & Evening Daily Devotional Reading– September 24

by Charles H. Spurgeon, Revised and Edited by William C. Neff

“For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on our way, because we had told the king that the good hand of our God is upon all that seek Him; but His power and His wrath are against those who turn away from Him.”

—Ezra 8:22

For many reasons it would have been desirable for Ezra to have the King’s protection for his people as they traveled back to Judah. But a holy shame would not allow Ezra to seek it. He feared that the heathen king would think his professions of faith in God were mere hypocrisy or that the God of Israel was not able to preserve His own worshippers. Ezra couldn’t bring his mind to lean on human ability in a matter so evidently of the Lord, so the caravan set out with no visible protection, guarded by God Himself– who is the sword and shield of His people.

I’m afraid that few believers feel this holy jealousy for God. Even those who walk by faith to some extent occasionally mar their record by craving aid from man. It’s a most blessed thing to have no props, but to stand upright on the Rock of Ages, upheld by the Lord alone.

Would any believers seek state endowments for their Church if they remembered that the Lord is dishonored by their asking Caesar’s aid? Should we run so hastily to friends and relatives for assistance, if we remembered that God is magnified by our implicit reliance upon Him.

“But,” someone may say, “doesn’t God use these means to accomplish His will?” Of course He does! But our fault seldom lies in neglecting to use them, but rather, in too frequently trusting in the means themselves rather than in God. Learn, dear Christian, to glorify the Lord by not using human means, if by using them, you would dishonor His Name. [M&E]

Print Friendly

Filed Under: Anxiety, Guidance, Security, Unbelief

Post Categories

  • Adoption (3)
  • Angels (2)
  • Anger (1)
  • Anxiety (19)
  • Atonement (15)
  • Baptism (1)
  • Bible (8)
  • Bill's Favorites (4)
  • Christ (Person & Work) (44)
  • Christian Liberty (2)
  • Christian Living (71)
  • Christmas (3)
  • Church (22)
  • Comfort (11)
  • Confession (5)
  • Confidence (22)
  • Consecration (34)
  • Contentment (15)
  • Covenant (11)
  • Death (9)
  • Doctrine (5)
  • Evangelism (7)
  • Faith (61)
  • Family (1)
  • Fatherhood of God (2)
  • Fear (6)
  • Fellowship (3)
  • Freedom (2)
  • Giving (1)
  • God's Attributes (24)
  • Good Works (22)
  • Gospel (5)
  • Gossip (1)
  • Grace (64)
  • Guidance (9)
  • Happiness (11)
  • Healing (2)
  • Heaven (39)
  • Hell (3)
  • Holiness (4)
  • Holy Spirit (26)
  • Humility (9)
  • Joy (14)
  • Justification (11)
  • Kingdom of God (3)
  • Law (4)
  • Love (God's) (28)
  • Meditation (3)
  • Mercy (5)
  • Peacemaking (1)
  • Perseverance (18)
  • Power (17)
  • Prayer (25)
  • Predestination (11)
  • Pride (4)
  • Providence (12)
  • Regeneration (10)
  • Repentance (15)
  • Salvation (30)
  • Sanctification (39)
  • Satan (6)
  • Security (17)
  • Service (13)
  • Sin (53)
  • Sovereignty (11)
  • Spiritual Warfare (8)
  • State & Government (3)
  • Suffering (35)
  • Temptation (6)
  • Trials (80)
  • Truth (4)
  • Unbelief (23)
  • Uncategorized (766)
  • Union with Christ (75)
  • Wealth (10)
  • Wisdom (4)
  • Witness (4)
  • Word of God (1)
  • Worship (43)
  • Wrath (God's) (5)

Recent Posts

  • Morning & Evening Devotional Reading– February 7–Morning February 7, 2023
  • Morning & Evening Devotional Reading– February 7– Evening February 7, 2023
  • Morning & Evening Devotional Reading– February 6–Morning February 6, 2023

Archived M&E Posts

  • February 2023 (14)
  • January 2023 (62)
  • December 2022 (62)
  • November 2022 (60)
  • October 2022 (62)
  • September 2022 (59)
  • August 2022 (63)
  • July 2022 (62)
  • June 2022 (59)
  • May 2022 (62)
  • April 2022 (60)
  • March 2022 (58)
  • February 2022 (34)
  • January 2022 (1)
  • December 2021 (31)
  • November 2021 (30)
  • October 2021 (31)
  • September 2021 (31)
  • August 2021 (31)
  • July 2021 (47)
  • June 2021 (60)
  • May 2021 (33)
  • April 2021 (30)
  • March 2021 (31)
  • February 2021 (28)
  • January 2021 (31)
  • February 2020 (1)
  • December 2017 (1)