Morning By Morning #297

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked.

John 6:67

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Many people have forsaken Christ, not walking with Him any longer. But what reason do you have to make a change? Has there ever been a reason in the past? Hasn’t Jesus proven Himself to be your all-sufficient Lord? He appeals to you this morning, asking, “Have I been a desert to [you]?” (Jer. 2:31). When your soul has placed simple trust in Jesus, have you ever been disappointed? To date, haven’t you found your Lord to be a compassionate and generous friend, and hasn’t your simple faith in Him given you all the peace your spirit could desire? Can you even dream of a better friend than He has been to you? Then why would you change the old tried and true for the new and false?

Can anything in the present compel you to leave Christ? When we find ourselves besieged by the troubles of this world or by the even more difficult trials within the church, it is one of the greatest blessings to find ourselves within the sweet embrace of our Savior, placing our head upon His shoulder. This is the joy we have today—that we are saved in Him—and since this joy is so satisfying, why would we ever think of changing?

Who would be foolish enough to trade pure gold for worthless dross? We would never renounce and forgo the sun until we find a better light; nor would we leave our Lord, hoping for a better one to appear. And since this can never happen, we will hold onto Him with an everlasting grasp and will place His name “like a seal on [our] arm” (Song 8:6).

As for the future, can you think of anything that could arise that would render it necessary for you to commit mutiny or desert your old flag to serve another captain? Surely not! Whether our life is long or short, Jesus never changes. If we are poor, who better to have than Christ who can make us rich? When we are sick, what more could we desire than to have Jesus attend our bed of sickness? Even when we face death, isn’t it written that “neither death nor life,…neither the present nor the future,…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38 – 39)?

Thus, we can respond with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” (John 6:68).

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Peter, who was quick to put his foot in his mouth at times, nevertheless answered the Lord’s question on this particular occasion with one of the most glorious responses in all of Scripture: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). It’s as though Peter is saying, “You alone are the source of eternal life!”

Let each of us consider what our answer would be to Peter’s penetrating question, if for some foolish reason we decided to walk away from the Lord. “To whom shall we go?” May the words of this psalm be ours today and always:

When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:4 – 8