The Promises of God: A New Edition of the Classic Devotional Based on the English Standard Version

by Charles H. Spurgeon, Tim Chester (Revised by)

Overview

For a century and a half, Charles Spurgeon's classic daily devotional on God's promises has comforted the hearts of God's people. For each day of the year, Spurgeon reflects on a specific promise of God from Scripture that strengthened his own heart in times of severe depression and suffering. In this volume, Tim Chester allows Spurgeon speak to a new generation—updating archaic words, shortening sentences, and using modern word ordering—while maintaining Spurgeon's passionate and pastoral voice. These devotional readings will propel modern Christians to renewed faith in the promise-making and promise-keeping God of the Bible.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433563270
Publisher:	Crossway
Publication date:	06/24/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Charles H. Spurgeon (1834–1892) was an English Baptist pastor at New Park Street Chapel, London (which later became the Metropolitan Tabernacle), for thirty-eight years. As the nineteenth century's most prolific preacher and writer, his ministry legacy continues today. 

Charles H. Spurgeon (1834–1892) was an English Baptist pastor at New Park Street Chapel, London (which later became the Metropolitan Tabernacle), for thirty-eight years. As the nineteenth century's most prolific preacher and writer, his ministry legacy continues today. 

Tim Chester (PhD, University of Wales) is a faculty member of Crosslands and a pastor with Grace Church, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. He is an author or coauthor of over forty books, including  A Meal with Jesus;  Reforming Joy; and, with Michael Reeves,  Why the Reformation Still Matters.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

JANUARY

January 1

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Genesis 3:15

This is the first promise to fallen humanity. It contains the whole gospel and the essence of the covenant of grace, God's eternal plan to save his people. It has been in good measure fulfilled. The seed of the woman, who is our Lord Jesus, had his hell when his heel was bruised, and a terrible bruising it was. How much more terrible will be the final bruising of the serpent's head! This was mostly done when Jesus took away sin, vanquished death, and broke the power of Satan. But it awaits a still fuller accomplishment at our Lord's second coming and in the day of judgment.

To us the promise stands as a prophecy that we will be afflicted by the powers of evil in our bodily life, and thus bruised in our heel. But we will triumph in Christ, who sets his foot on the old serpent's head. Throughout this year we may have to learn part of this promise by experience as we experience the temptations of the devil and the unkindness of the ungodly, who are the devil's offspring. They may so bruise us that we are forced to limp with our sore heels. But let us grasp the second part of the text and we will not be dismayed. By faith let us rejoice that we will yet reign in Christ Jesus, the woman's offspring.

January 2

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Romans 16:20

This promise follows yesterday's promise. It is clear that we are to be like our covenant Head, Jesus, not only in his being bruised in his heel, but also in his conquest of the evil one. Even under our feet is the old dragon to be bruised. The Roman believers were suffering from conflict in the church. But their God was "the God of peace," and he gave rest to their souls. The archenemy tripped up the feet of the unwary and deceived the hearts of the simple. But he would get the worst of it, for he would be trodden down by those whom he had troubled. This victory would not come to the people of God through their own skill or power, but God himself would bruise Satan. Though it would be under their feet, yet the bruising would be through the Lord alone.

Let us bravely tread upon the tempter! Not only lesser spirits, but the prince of darkness himself must fall before us. In unquestioning confidence in God, let us look for speedy victory. "Soon!" Happy word! Soon we will set our foot on the old serpent! What a joy to crush evil! What dishonor to Satan to have his head bruised by human feet! Let us by faith in Jesus tread the tempter down.

January 3

The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.

Genesis 28:13

This promise is no one's private possession. It belongs not to one saint, but to all believers. If, my brother or sister, you can in faith lie down upon a promise and take your rest upon it, it is yours. Where Jacob came and stayed and rested, there he took possession. Stretching out his weary length upon the ground, with stones for his pillow, he little realized that he was entering into ownership of the land. Yet this is what happened. He saw in his dream that wonderful ladder which, for all true believers, unites earth and heaven. And surely where the foot of the ladder stood he must have a right to the soil, for otherwise he could not reach the divine stairway. All the promises of God are "Yes" and "Amen" in Christ Jesus. And, as he is ours, so every promise is ours if we lie down upon it in restful faith.

Come, weary one, use your Lord's words as your pillow. Lie down in peace. Dream only of him. Jesus is your ladder of light. See the angels coming and going on him between your soul and your God. And be sure that the promise is your own Godgiven inheritance. So it will not be robbery for you to take it for yourself, as if it had been spoken especially to you.

January 4

I will make you lie down in safety.

Hosea 2:18

Yes, the saints are to have peace. The passage from which this gracious word is taken speaks of peace "with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground" (Hos. 2:18). This is peace with earthly enemies, mysterious evils, and little annoyances! Any of these might keep us from lying down, but none of them will do so. The Lord will utterly destroy those things that threaten his people: "I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land" (v. 18). Peace will be profound indeed when all the instruments of discord are broken to pieces.

With this peace will come rest. "For he gives to his beloved sleep" (Ps. 127:2). Fully supplied and divinely quieted, believers lie down in calm repose.

This rest will be a safe one. It is one thing to lie down, but quite another to "lie down in safety." We are brought to the land of promise, the house of the Father, the chamber of love, and the heart of Christ: surely we may now "lie down in safety." It is safer for a believer to lie down in peace than to sit up and worry. "He makes me lie down in green pastures" (Ps. 23:1). We never rest till the Comforter makes us lie down.

January 5

I will strengthen you.

Isaiah 41:10

When called to serve or to suffer, we take stock of our strength. And we find it to be less than we thought and less than we need. But do not let our hearts sink within us while we have such a word as this to fall back on. For it guarantees us all that we can possibly need. God has strength omnipotent. That strength he can share with us, and his promise is that he will do so. He will be the food of our souls and the health of our hearts. And so he will give us strength. There is no telling how much power God can put into a person. When divine strength comes, human weakness is no longer a hindrance.

Do we not remember periods of labor and trial in which we received such special strength that we wondered at ourselves? In the midst of danger we were calm, under bereavement we were resigned, in slander we were self-contained, and in sickness we were patient. The fact is, God gives unexpected strength when unusual trials come upon us. We rise out of our feeble selves. Cowards play the man, foolish ones receive wisdom, and the silent receive words to speak at the very moment they need them. My own weakness makes me shrink, but God's promise makes me brave. Lord, "strengthen me according to your word" (Ps. 119:28).

January 6

I will help you.

Isaiah 41:10

Yesterday's promise secured us strength for what we have to do, but this promise guarantees us help in situations where we cannot act alone. The Lord says, "I will help you." Strength on the inside is supplemented by help from the outside. God can raise up for us allies in our warfare if it seems good in his sight. And, even if he does not send us human assistance, he himself will be at our side, and this is better still. Our Ally is better than legions of mortal helpers.

His help is timely: he is "a very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1). His help is very wise: he knows how to give each person help suited just for them. His help is most effective, though the help of people is empty. His help is more than help, for he bears all the burden and supplies all the need. "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Ps. 118:6).

Because he has already been our help, we feel confidence in him for the present and the future. Our prayer is, "O Lord, be my helper!" (Ps. 30:10). And our experience is, "The Spirit helps us in our weakness" (Rom. 8:26). Our expectation is, "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord" (Ps. 121:1–2). And our song will soon be, "You, Lord, have helped me" (Ps. 86:17).

January 7

You will see greater things than these.

John 1:50

This promise was spoken to a childlike believer who was ready to acceptJesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel, after just one convincing piece of argument. Those who are willing to see shall see. It is because we shut our eyes that we become so sadly blind.

We have seen much already. The Lord has shown us great and unsearchable things for which we praise his name. But there are greater truths in his Word, greater depths of experience, greater heights of fellowship, greater works of usefulness, greater discoveries of power and love and wisdom. These we are yet to see if we are willing to believe our Lord. The capacity to invent false doctrine is ruinous, but the power to see the truth is a blessing. Heaven will be opened to us, the way there will be made clear to us in the Son of Man, and the angelic movement between the upper and the lower kingdoms will be revealed to us. Let us keep our eyes open toward spiritual objects, and expect to see more and more. Let us believe that our lives will not drivel down into nothing. But instead let us believe that we will be always growing, seeing greater and still greater things, until we behold the Great God himself, and never again lose sight of him.

January 8

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:8

Purity, even purity of heart, is the main thing to be aimed at. We need to be made clean on the inside through the Spirit and the Word, and then we will be clean on the outside by consecration and obedience. There is a close connection between the affections and the understanding. If we love evil, we cannot understand that which is good. If the heart is foul, the eye will be darkened. How can those who love unholy things see a holy God?

What a privilege it is to see God! A glimpse of him is heaven below! In Christ Jesus the pure in heart see the Father. We see him, his truth, his love, his purpose, his sovereignty, and his covenant character. Yes, we see God himself in Christ. But this is only apprehended as sin is kept out of the heart. Only those who aim at godliness can cry, "My eyes are ever toward the Lord" (Ps. 25:15). The desire of Moses, "Please show me your glory" (Ex. 33:18), can only be fulfilled in us as we purify ourselves from all iniquity. "We shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure" (1 John 3:2–3). The enjoyment of present fellowship and the hope of this coming vision of God are compelling motives for purity of heart and life.

Lord, make us pure in heart that we may see you!

January 9

Whoever brings blessing will be enriched.

Proverbs 11:25

If I want my soul to flourish, I must not hoard up my stores, but must distribute to the poor. To be tight and miserly is the world's way to prosperity, but it is not God's way. For God says, "One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want" (Prov. 11:24). Faith's way of gaining is giving. I must try this again and again. And I may expect that as much prosperity as will be good for me will come to me as a gracious reward for a generous course of action.

Of course, I may not be sure of growing rich. I will "be enriched," but not with more riches than my soul can bear. Too many riches might weigh me down, tethering my heart to the treasures of this world or tying me down so I am no longer nimble in the service of God. Just as too much food can lead to heart disease, so too many riches can lead to soul disease. We must be learn to be content with the earthly treasure which God in his wisdom allows us to enjoy and look forward to the heavenly treasure that awaits the children of God.

But there is a mental and spiritual wealth which I greatly desire. And these come as the result of generous thoughts toward my God, his church, and my fellow men. Let me not be stingy, lest I starve my heart. Let me be bountiful and generous; for in this way I will be like my Lord. He gave himself for me: Will I grudge him anything?

January 10

One who waters will himself be watered.

Proverbs 11:25

If I carefully consider others, God will consider me. In some way or other he will recompense me. Let me consider the poor, and the Lord will consider me. Let me look after little children, and the Lord will treat me as his child. Let me feed his flock, and he will feed me. Let me water his garden, and he will make my soul a watered garden. This is the Lord's own promise: may I fulfill the condition, and then may I expect its fulfillment.

I may care about myself until I grow morbid. I may watch over my own feelings until I feel nothing. I may lament my weakness until I grow almost too weak to lament. It would be far more profitable for me to become unselfish, and out of love to my Lord Jesus begin to care for the souls of those around me.

My water tank is getting very low. No fresh rain comes to fill it. So what should I do? I will open the outlet, and let its contents run out to water the withering plants around me. What do I see? My cistern seems to fill as it flows. A secret spring is at work! While all was stagnant, the fresh spring was sealed. But as my reserves flow out to water others, the Lord considers my needs. Hallelujah!

January 11

When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant.

Genesis 9:14–15

Just now clouds are plentiful enough, but we are not afraid that the world will be destroyed by a deluge. We see the rainbow often enough to prevent us having any such fears. The covenant that the Lord made with Noah stands fast, and we have no doubts about it. Why, then, should we think that the clouds of trouble, which now darken our sky, will end in our destruction? Let us dismiss such groundless and dishonoring fears.

Faith always sees the bow of covenant promise whenever sense sees the cloud of affliction. God has a bow with which he might shoot out his arrows of destruction. But look! It is turned upward. It is a bow without an arrow or a string. It is a bow hung up for show, no longer used for war. It is a bow of many colors, expressing joy and delight. It is not a bow blood red with slaughter or black with anger.

So let us be of good courage. God never darkens our sky so as to leave us without a sign of his covenant. And, even if he did, we would trust him, since he cannot change, or lie, or in any other way fail to keep his covenant of peace. Until the waters go over the earth again, we will have no reason for doubting our God.

January 12

For the Lord will not cast off forever.

Lamentations 3:31

The Lord may cast away for a season, but not forever. A woman may leave off her favorite jewelry for a few days, but she will not forget it, nor throw it in the wastebasket. In the same way, the Lord will not cast away those whom he loves. For, "having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end" (John 13:1). Some talk of our being "in grace" and "out of it," as if we were like rabbits that run in and out of their burrows. But, it is not so. The Lord's love is far more serious and enduring.

He chose us from eternity, and he will love us throughout eternity. Jesusloved us so much that he died for us, and we may therefore be sure that his love will never die. His honor is so wrapped up in the salvation of the believer that he can no more cast us off than he can cast off the robes of his office as the King of glory. No, no! The Lord Jesus, as a Head, never casts off the members of his body. As a Husband, he never casts off his bride.

Did you think you have been cast off? Why did you think such evil of the Lord who has betrothed you to himself? Cast off such thoughts, and never let them lodge in your soul again. "God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew" (Rom. 11:2). "He hates divorce" (Mal. 2:16 NKJV).

January 13

Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

John 6:37

Has there ever been a case of our Lord's casting out a coming one? If there is, we would like to know about it! But there has been none, and there never will be. Among the lost souls in hell there is not one that can say, "I went to Jesus, and he refused me." It is not possible that you or I should be the first to whomJesus will break his word. Let us not entertain so dark a suspicion.

Suppose we go to Jesus now about the evils of today. Of this we may be sure — he will not refuse to give us an audience or cast us out. Those of us who have often been to him, and those who have never gone before — let us go together, and we will see that he will not shut the door of his grace in the face of any one of us.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "The Promises of God"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Tim Chester.
Excerpted by permission of Good News Publishers.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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