In the year 2002 my son Robert gave Don and I a book for Christmas entitled “Morning by Morning” by Charles Spurgeon. Finally last year, 2006, I decided to read this devotional guide.There was a paragraph for each day of the year with a very short, very uncommon scripture text. I found each paragraph to be a tremendous blessing to me. Through these devotionals the Lord was able to give me “the lift” I needed for each day. I have highlighted the phrases that were of special meaning to me and gone back many times when faced with a need to remember the rich insights.

One of these was the entry for Feb. 20th entitled “God, that comforteth those that are cast down” 2 Cor. 7:16. It read “And who comforteth like Him? Go to some poor, melancholy, distressed child of God; tell him sweet promises, and whisper in his ear choice words of comfort; he is like the deaf adder, he listens not to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely… you will bring forth no psalm of praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful sonnets. Be let God come to His child; let Him lift up his countenance, and the mourner’s eyes glisten with hope…Christian, when thou art dry, go to God, ask Him to shed abroad His joy in thy heart, and then thy joy shall be full. Do not go to earthly acquaintances, for you will find them Job’s comforters after all; but go first and foremost to thy “God, that comforteth those that are cast down,” and you will soon say, “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”

I had first heard of Charles Spurgeon from my grandfather when I was a girl. Unlike myself, my grandfather read quite a bit and I remember him always having a pile of books beside his chair and more piles in his bedroom, much to my grandmother’s chagrin. I am now, out of curiosity, reading a biography of this incredible “preacher.” Maybe later I can tell you what factors in his life contributed to his literary success.