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Morning and Evening

December 23, Morning

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Friend, go up higher." — Luke 14:10 · KJV

When first the life of grace begins in the soul, we do indeed draw near to God, but with great fear and trembling. The soul, conscious of guilt and humbled by it, is overawed with the solemnity of its position; it is cast to the earth by a sense of the grandeur of Yahweh, in whose presence it stands. With unfeigned bashfulness it takes the lowest room. But in after life, as the Christian grows in grace — though he will never forget the solemnity of his position, nor lose that holy awe which must surround a gracious man in the presence of the God who can create or destroy — yet his fear has all its terror taken out of it; it becomes a holy reverence, no longer an overshadowing dread. He is called up higher, to greater access to God in Christ Jesus. Then the man of God, walking amid the splendors of Deity, and veiling his face like the glorious cherubim with those twin wings, the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, will, reverent and bowed in spirit, approach the throne; and seeing there a God of love, of goodness, and of mercy, he will realize the covenant character of God rather than His absolute Deity. He will see in God His goodness rather than His greatness, and more of His love than of His majesty. Then the soul, bowing still as humbly as before, will enjoy a more sacred liberty of intercession; for while prostrate before the glory of the infinite God, it will be sustained by the refreshing consciousness of being in the presence of boundless mercy and infinite love, and by the realization of acceptance "in the Beloved." Thus the believer is bidden to come up higher, and is enabled to exercise the privilege of rejoicing in God and drawing near to Him in holy confidence, saying, "Abba, Father." So may we go from strength to strength, and daily grow in grace, till, raised at length into Your image, we see You face to face.