THE TROUBLED HEART

THE TROUBLED HEART

In light of what is happening all around us in the world, I felt that this devotional this morning written many years ago by Susannah Spurgeon was particularly timely:

"Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

"From whose lips do these tender words fall like 'rain upon the mown grass?' Whose heart has such intimate knowledge of my need, and such profound sympathy with my weakness, as thus to meet both with the grace of his exceeding love?

It could be no other than 'Jesus Christ himself', my gracious Lord and Master, who thus speaks, and I shall do well to ponder each weighty sentence as I listen to his loving voice.

LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED. Dear Lord, these words of yours, though so sweet, are imperative. They are a command, and should be instantly obeyed. Perhaps I have never before looked upon them in this light, never realized that, in carrying a troubled spirit about within me, I am acting in direct DISOBEDIENCE to your wishes!

'Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things from Your law.' Say the words over again to me, dear Lord! Speak 'as one having authority,' and, with your gracious command, issue also the mighty power which will enable me to fulfill it. How often must I have grieved you by my want of trust in your tender love and care! How often must you have marveled at my foolishness in attempting to bear burdens which might have been cast at your feet.

LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED. Truly, I hear a grave note of rebuke and disappointment mingling with the music of these sweet words on my Lord's lips. It may indeed be so, dear Master, for after all that you have done and said, my heart should never be troubled, I ought not to let it be afraid.

And yet how soon does fear overtake the steps of joyful assurance, how quickly do I pass out of the light of your presence into the deep shadow cast by the mountain of my sin!

Lord, help me to reason with myself about this, for a few moments, or rather to say, 'Come now, and let us reason together,' for then I know that your infinite love with conclusively silence my fears, and hush all my anxious restlessness of my soul.

WHY should my heart be troubled? Is it on account of the overwhelming sense of sin and unworthiness which sometimes threatens to crush all the spiritual energy out of my life? Then, I have but to turn again to the 'fountain of the blood,' and there see all my iniquities pardoned because laid upon the Sin-bearer, all my guilt forgiven because He suffered in my stead.

Can I keep a troubled heart when he died that I might have peace through believing? Can I have trusted HIM with my soul's salvation, and yet permit myself to doubt whether he has truly saved me?

WHY should my heart be troubled? Is it the things which seem temporal, which are distressing me? The cares of this life, the struggle for daily bread, perhaps, or if not that, the thousands of stresses and disappointments which are the lot of our poor humanity?

Come again to your dear Lord, my soul, and bring to his feet all the perplexes and grieves you; you will surely hear him say, 'LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED, NEITHER LET IT BE AFRAID; all your sorrows are known to me, and I am guiding and directing ALL that concerns you. Is it more difficult to trust my love in earthly sorrows than for eternal joys?'

WHY should my heart be troubled or afraid? There is nothing on earth or in hell that can harm a soul who believes in Jesus. Every fear is put to flight by his perfect love. Even the fear of death -- so great a bondage in some lives -- is lifted quite away when 'God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.'

Blessed Lord, help me to be obedient to your command, and to receive meekly your well-deserved rebuke, glorifying you from know on in my daily life by a restful faith, which NOTHING can disturb or dismay! The soul that on Jesus hath leaned fro repose', ought never to know trouble or fear."

Timely words from the pen of Susannah Spurgeon from MORNING DEVOTIONS BY SUSANNAH SPURGEON: Free Grace and Dying Love, published by BANNER OF TRUTH TRUST

Great quote: The right way to pray is to stretch out our hands and ask of One who we know has the heart of a Father.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer