Sing, O barren
I wanted to post this encouraging evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon.
Floral Grandeur
Isaiah 54:1
Sing, O barren.
Though we have brought forth some fruit unto Christ, and have a joyful hope that we are "plants of His own right hand planting," yet there are times when we feel very barren. Prayer is lifeless, love is cold, faith is weak, each grace in the garden of our heart languishes and droops. We are like flowers in the hot sun, requiring the refreshing shower. In such a condition what are we to do? The text is addressed to us in just such a state. "Sing, O barren, break forth and cry aloud." But what can I sing about? I cannot talk about the present, and even the past looks full of barrenness. Ah! I can sing of Jesus Christ. I can talk of visits which the Redeemer has aforetimes paid to me; or if not of these, I can magnify the great love wherewith He loved His people when He came from the heights of heaven for their redemption. I will go to the cross again. Come, my soul, heavy laden thou wast once, and thou didst lose thy burden there. Go to Calvary again. Perhaps that very cross which gave thee life may give thee fruitfulness. What is my barrenness? It is the platform for His fruit-creating power. What is my desolation? It is the black setting for the sapphire of His everlasting love. I will go in poverty, I will go in helplessness, I will go in all my shame and backsliding, I will tell Him that I am still His child, and in confidence in His faithful heart, even I, the barren one, will sing and cry aloud. Sing, believer, for it will cheer thine own heart, and the hearts of other desolate ones. Sing on, for now that thou art really ashamed of being barren, thou wilt be fruitful soon; now that God makes thee loath to be without fruit He will soon cover thee with clusters. The experience of our barrenness is painful, but the Lord's visitations are delightful. A sense of our own poverty drives us to Christ, and that is where we need to be, for in Him is our fruit found.
Wall tapestry courtesy of All Posters
15 comments:
Thank you Cathy for this reminder that we are to bear much fruit for Christ...
Matt 3:8 tells us Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance
I look forward to your postings each day.
Thank you, sweet Mimi. Your scripture is great. I try to post something that will also minister to others.
Cathy,
Isn't it wonderful that even in backsliding that our gracious Lord loves and forgives us? What an awesome God we serve....
Thanks for the visit, comment and creatively making my name.....
Betty, yes it is. I loved what you said about our awesome God. You are welcome. Some friends were able to transfer their names, but I did not know how to make it easy for them!
Oh, this was so lovely for me to read... often times I feel like this, fritless, weak in my love for Him... this devotional gives me great hope. Thank you so much, Cathy- I am so happy to have found you!
Regina Clare Jane, I am very happy it ministered to you. You are welcome. I have other posts on hope. :-) And I am glad you visited me too!
Yes, in times of drought we can stir our hearts with remembrances of the wondrous things Christ has done.
Sing, believer, for it will cheer thine own heart, and the hearts of other desolate ones.
God inhabits the praises of His people. There in the sacrifice of praise, He will meet us when our hearts are sad. As we lift Him, He will lift us because we can never out give God.
Cathy, I am so pleased to see a scripture tag along your sweet blog. It looks great. But...I messed up the link for the code. Sorry. It's been corrected so you may want to copy and repaste the correct one. Thank you.
Sparrow's Song, Thank you for the nice comment. I will try to fix the link, but sometimes I am not very good at it. I have to keep trying at it! I do love your little tags though. I wanted to use another one, but could not get it centered or to show up right- the little gold one- maybe about the word?
Thank you for visiting my blog again, Cathy, and for your comments. It's interesting to say you love the way the KJV sounds - I'm thinking that you love that style of language? It's just that that I *don't* like about it! I even found this entry of your blog difficult to read (alhough I love and wholeheartedly agree with the message). Did you like Shakespeare at school too?
No, Dear, no Shakespeare for me! In fact, I was not good in English in school. I loved math and music.:-) It's probably just that I am used to reading the KJV. And thank God, the Holy Spirit helps me.:-) Spurgeon was one of those old great preachers, I believe, also loving the KJV.
Cathy,
You have the tags perfect. Well done!
On the KJV - I love it too. My new bible for Mother's Day was the KJV/Amplified Parallel Bible. The KJV is the style of Word that I first learned about God through 27 years ago when I came to Christ in an adult commitment. That's what is in my heart. So anything that the Spirit brings to remembrance is going to be through that poeticly written God breathed KJV translation first. For me, any other translation must line up with that.
1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God...
That's like music to my soul.
Thank you for expressing how I feel about the KJV. You said it so well. It is poetic and beautiful.
About your tags, there were a couple of others I wanted to use- bird ones, but the right side was not all showing. :-(
Sparrow's Song, I got the tag right after several + attempts. :-) lol
Beautiful words, and so very comforting. I love the last sentence: "A sense of our own poverty drives us to Christ, and that is where we need to be, for in Him is our fruit found."
Thank you for sharing this. I love your blog and am so thankful to be able to read it!
Beka, You are welcome. I am so glad to see you visiting and enjoying my blog. I am happy you were blessed. I love your blog too. :-)
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