November 18 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Genesis 41:1–7

Devotional

Pharaoh’s nightmare has too often been my waking experience. My days of laziness have ruinously destroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealous industry. My seasons of coldness have frozen all the genial glow of my periods of fervency and enthusiasm. And my fits of worldliness have thrown me back from my advances in the divine life. I needed to beware of lean prayers, lean praises, lean duties, and lean experiences because these will eat up the fat of my comfort and peace.

If I neglect prayer for ever so short a time, I lose all the spirituality to which I had attained. If I draw no fresh supplies from heaven, the old corn in my granary is soon consumed by the famine that rages in my soul. When the caterpillars of indifference, or worldliness, or self-indulgence, completely desolate my heart and make my soul languish, then all my former fruitfulness and growth in grace avails me nothing whatsoever.

How anxious should I be to have no lean-fleshed days, no ill-favoured hours! If every day I journeyed towards the goal of my desires I would soon reach it. But backsliding leaves me still far away from the prize of my high calling. It robs me of the advances which I had so laboriously made.

The only way in which all my days can be like the “sleek, fat cows,” is to keep feeding them in the right meadow, to keep spending them with the Lord, in his service, in his company, in his fear, and in his way. Why should not every year be richer than the past, in love, and usefulness, and joy? I am closer to the celestial hills! I have had more experience of my Lord! And I should be more like him!

O Lord, keep far from me the curse of leanness of soul; do not let me have to cry, “My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!” but may I be well-fed and nourished in your house, that I may praise your name.

[July 3]

Extracted from C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (public domain), language modernized by Larry E. Wilson.