Keeping in line with what I was pondering yesterday, Spurgeon’s devotional today brings out the idea about knowing how to abound, which I’ve never thought about before! He says it’s more of a trial when we are abounding then when we are abased…… very interesting!
“I know how to abound.”
— Philippians 4:12
There are many who know “how to be abased” who have not learned “how to
abound.” When they are set upon the top of a pinnacle their heads grow
dizzy, and they are ready to fall. The Christian far oftener disgraces
his profession in prosperity than in adversity. It is a dangerous thing
to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to
the Christian than the refining pot of prosperity. Oh, what leanness of
soul and neglect of spiritual things have been brought on through the
very mercies and bounties of God! Yet this is not a matter of
necessity, for the apostle tells us that he knew how to abound. When he
had much he knew how to use it. Abundant grace enabled him to bear
abundant prosperity. When he had a full sail he was loaded with much
ballast, and so floated safely. It needs more than human skill to carry
the brimming cup of mortal joy with a steady hand, yet Paul had learned
that skill, for he declares, “In all things I am instructed both to be
full and to be hungry.” It is a divine lesson to know how to be full,
for the Israelites were full once, but while the flesh was yet in their
mouth, the wrath of God came upon them. Many have asked for mercies
that they might satisfy their own hearts’ lust. Fulness of bread has
often made fulness of blood, and that has brought on wantonness of
spirit. When we have much of God’s providential mercies, it often
happens that we have but little of God’s grace, and little gratitude
for the bounties we have received. We are full and we forget God:
satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven. Rest assured
it is harder to know how to be full than it is to know how to be
hungry-so desperate is the tendency of human nature to pride and
forgetfulness of God. Take care that you ask in your prayers that God
would teach you “how to be full.”
“Let not the gifts thy love bestows
Estrange our hearts from thee.”
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