Sunday, February 06, 2005
Sunday Thoughts
Sometimes, one can find great things from small passages. I ran across this from one of Charles Spurgeon's old sermons and thought it worth sharing on this Lord's Day,
HANDS FULL OF HONEY-- JUDGES 14:8,9
But, beloved it is written, "As he is, so are we also in this world." All that are true Christians are, in a measure, like the Christ whose name they bear, and it is to his image that we are finally to be conformed. When he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; and meanwhile, in proportion as we see him now, "we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" <2 Cor 3:18>. The Samson type may well serve as the symbol of every Christian in the world. The believer has been helped by divine grace in his spiritual conflicts, and he has known "the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith" <1 Jn 5:4>. He has thus been made more than a conqueror through Him that loved us, and now he stands in the midst of his fellow-men inviting them to Jesus. With the honey in his hands, which he continues still to feast upon, he displays the heavenly sweetness to all that are round about Him, saying, "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him" <Ps 34:8; 84:12; Jer 17:7>. I have before now met with that popular artist Gustave Dore, and suggested subjects to him. Had he survived among us, and had another opportunity occurred, I would have pressed him to execute a statue of Samson handing out the honey: strength distributing sweetness; and it might have served as a perpetual reminder of what a Christian should be-- a Conqueror and a Comforter, slaying lions and distributing honey. The faithful servant of God wrestles with the powers of evil; but with far greater delight he speaks to his friends and companions, saying, "Eat ye that which is good, and let your souls delight themselves in sweetness" <Isa 55:2>. Set the
Three touches may suffice. First, the believer's life has its conflicts; secondly, the believer's life has its sweets; and, thirdly, the believer's life leads him to communicate of those sweets to others. Here is room for profitable meditation.
Let's win our conflicts every day. Let's set this day aside especially to savor our sweets. Let's go out tomorrow and share our sweets.
HANDS FULL OF HONEY-- JUDGES 14:8,9
But, beloved it is written, "As he is, so are we also in this world." All that are true Christians are, in a measure, like the Christ whose name they bear, and it is to his image that we are finally to be conformed. When he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; and meanwhile, in proportion as we see him now, "we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" <2 Cor 3:18>. The Samson type may well serve as the symbol of every Christian in the world. The believer has been helped by divine grace in his spiritual conflicts, and he has known "the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith" <1 Jn 5:4>. He has thus been made more than a conqueror through Him that loved us, and now he stands in the midst of his fellow-men inviting them to Jesus. With the honey in his hands, which he continues still to feast upon, he displays the heavenly sweetness to all that are round about Him, saying, "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him" <Ps 34:8; 84:12; Jer 17:7>. I have before now met with that popular artist Gustave Dore, and suggested subjects to him. Had he survived among us, and had another opportunity occurred, I would have pressed him to execute a statue of Samson handing out the honey: strength distributing sweetness; and it might have served as a perpetual reminder of what a Christian should be-- a Conqueror and a Comforter, slaying lions and distributing honey. The faithful servant of God wrestles with the powers of evil; but with far greater delight he speaks to his friends and companions, saying, "Eat ye that which is good, and let your souls delight themselves in sweetness" <Isa 55:2>. Set the
Three touches may suffice. First, the believer's life has its conflicts; secondly, the believer's life has its sweets; and, thirdly, the believer's life leads him to communicate of those sweets to others. Here is room for profitable meditation.
Let's win our conflicts every day. Let's set this day aside especially to savor our sweets. Let's go out tomorrow and share our sweets.
