Morning, July 6, slightly edited from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

“But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” — Proverbs 1:33

Divine love is rendered clearly visible when it shines in the midst of judgments. Beautiful is that lone star which smiles through the rifts of the thunder clouds; bright is the oasis which blooms in the wilderness of sand; so fair and so bright is love in the midst of wrath. When the Israelites provoked the Most High by their continued idolatry, he punished them by withholding both dew and rain, so that their land was visited by a severe famine; but while he did this, he took care that his own chosen ones should be secure. If all other streams are dry, yet one shall be reserved for Elijah; and when that fails, God shall still preserve for him a place of nourishment; indeed, the Lord did not have simply one “Elijah,” but he had a remnant according to the election of grace, who were hidden by groups of fifty in a cave, and though the whole land was subject to famine, yet these groups in the cave were fed, and fed from Ahab’s table too by His faithful, God-fearing steward, Obadiah. Let us from this draw the inference, that come what may, God’s people are safe. Let the solid earth convulse and shake, let the skies themselves be torn in two, yet amid the wreck of worlds the believer shall be as secure as in the calmest hour of rest. If God cannot save his people under heaven, he will save them in heaven. If the world becomes too hot to hold them, then heaven shall be the place of their reception and their safety. You be confident, when you hear of wars, and rumors of wars. Let no agitation distress you, but be quiet from the fear of evil. Whatever comes upon the earth, you, beneath the broad wings of Jehovah, shall be secure. Stay yourself upon his promise; rest in his faithfulness, and bid defiance to the blackest future, for there is nothing in it dreadful for you. Your sole concern should be to show forth to the world the blessedness of giving ear to the voice of wisdom.