Spurgeon: October AM
* 10/05/AM
"He arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of
that meat forty days and forty nights."
--1 Kings 19:8
All the strength supplied to us by our gracious God is meant
for service, not for wantonness or boasting. When the prophet
Elijah found the cake baked on the coals, and the cruse of water
placed at his head, as he lay under the juniper tree, he was no
gentleman to be gratified with dainty fare that he might stretch
himself at his ease; far otherwise, he was commissioned to go
forty days and forty nights in the strength of it, journeying
towards Horeb, the mount of God. When the Master invited the
disciples to "Come and dine" with Him, after the feast was
concluded He said to Peter, "Feed my sheep"; further adding,
"Follow me." Even thus it is with us; we eat the bread of
heaven, that we may expend our strength in the Master's service.
We come to the passover, and eat of the paschal lamb with loins
girt, and staff in hand, so as to start off at once when we have
satisfied our hunger. Some Christians are for living on Christ,
but are not so anxious to live for Christ. Earth should be a
preparation for heaven; and heaven is the place where saints
feast most and work most. They sit down at the table of our
Lord, and they serve Him day and night in His temple. They eat
of heavenly food and render perfect service. Believer, in the
strength you daily gain from Christ labour for Him. Some of us
have yet to learn much concerning the design of our Lord in
giving us His grace. We are not to retain the precious grains of
truth as the Egyptian mummy held the wheat for ages, without
giving it an opportunity to grow: we must sow it and water it.
Why does the Lord send down the rain upon the thirsty earth, and
give the genial sunshine? Is it not that these may all help the
fruits of the earth to yield food for man? Even so the Lord
feeds and refreshes our souls that we may afterwards use our
renewed strength in the promotion of His glory.