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Morning and Evening

January 22, Evening

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Doth Job fear God for nought?" — Job 1:9 · KJV

This was Satan's wicked question about that upright man of old, but there are many today of whom it might justly be asked; for they love God after a fashion because He prospers them, but if things went badly they would give up all their boasted faith. As long as they can see that since their supposed conversion the world has gone well with them, they will love God in their poor worldly way; but let them meet adversity, and they rebel against the Lord. Their love is love of the table, not of the host — a love for the cupboard, not for the master of the house. The true Christian, by contrast, expects his reward in the life to come and expects to endure hardship in this one. Remember Christ's words: every branch in Him that bears fruit, the Father prunes, that it may bring forth more fruit. If you bear fruit, you will have to endure affliction. "Alas," you say, "that is a hard prospect." But this affliction works out such precious results that the Christian who undergoes it must learn to rejoice in tribulation; for as his tribulations abound, so his consolations abound through Christ Jesus. Rest assured, if you are a child of God you will be no stranger to the rod. Sooner or later every bar of gold must pass through the fire. Do not fear, but rather rejoice that such fruitful times are in store for you; for in them you will be weaned from earth and made fit for heaven, delivered from clinging to the present and made to long for those eternal things so soon to be revealed. When you feel that, as far as this life goes, you serve God for nothing, then you will rejoice in the infinite reward of the future.