ASSURANCE and ANSWERED PRAYER
Psalm 35:3b
“Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
“David knew where to obtain full assurance…” Spurgeon went on to pray as perhaps David did when he asked God to say to his soul that HE is his salvation… “Lord, I have sinned; I deserve not thy smile; I scarcely dare ask it; but oh! Say to my soul, even to my soul. “I am thy salvation. Let me have a present, personal, infallible, indisputable sense that I am Thine, and that Thou art mine.” (Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, evening-March5)
I fell upon this scripture this morning in my bible. I had written this quote from Spurgeon in the margin next to this scripture. For a time I struggled with assurance of salvation. I purchased so many books on the subject of assurance and would be encouraged for a while but still had a nagging fear in my mind. Then I read this devotion by Spurgeon and thought to myself, ‘I will pray this prayer. I will ask GOD for HIS assurance.” Needless to say God answered my prayer and gave me a deep seated assurance that I am HIS and HE is mine.
As one who LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to read great books of sound doctrine it is often to those that I go to seek some piece of truth. It is so kind of God to give us these resources to teach us sound biblical doctrine. But I realize, now, that in reading these books I have a responsibility to allow these great books to direct my eyes back to God’s Word. I believe most authors desire to do that, to direct our eyes to the cross, to the word of God. Spurgeon’s great little devotional directed my eyes to Psalm 35 and it was there that God prompted me to pray and ask God for assurance!
So, this little scripture reminds me of 2 things today:
1) How sweetly God answered my prayer to be assured of HIS salvation! He showed me that David, himself, needed that assurance and that it is from GOD that I should seek that assurance.
2) That God has given us great resources to teach us but we should not let those be our primary source of learning about God but we must allow them to direct our eyes to the Word of God.
I’m still a bibliophile, but I know that it is God’s Word, first and foremost that will teach me.
“Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
“David knew where to obtain full assurance…” Spurgeon went on to pray as perhaps David did when he asked God to say to his soul that HE is his salvation… “Lord, I have sinned; I deserve not thy smile; I scarcely dare ask it; but oh! Say to my soul, even to my soul. “I am thy salvation. Let me have a present, personal, infallible, indisputable sense that I am Thine, and that Thou art mine.” (Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, evening-March5)
I fell upon this scripture this morning in my bible. I had written this quote from Spurgeon in the margin next to this scripture. For a time I struggled with assurance of salvation. I purchased so many books on the subject of assurance and would be encouraged for a while but still had a nagging fear in my mind. Then I read this devotion by Spurgeon and thought to myself, ‘I will pray this prayer. I will ask GOD for HIS assurance.” Needless to say God answered my prayer and gave me a deep seated assurance that I am HIS and HE is mine.
As one who LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to read great books of sound doctrine it is often to those that I go to seek some piece of truth. It is so kind of God to give us these resources to teach us sound biblical doctrine. But I realize, now, that in reading these books I have a responsibility to allow these great books to direct my eyes back to God’s Word. I believe most authors desire to do that, to direct our eyes to the cross, to the word of God. Spurgeon’s great little devotional directed my eyes to Psalm 35 and it was there that God prompted me to pray and ask God for assurance!
So, this little scripture reminds me of 2 things today:
1) How sweetly God answered my prayer to be assured of HIS salvation! He showed me that David, himself, needed that assurance and that it is from GOD that I should seek that assurance.
2) That God has given us great resources to teach us but we should not let those be our primary source of learning about God but we must allow them to direct our eyes to the Word of God.
I’m still a bibliophile, but I know that it is God’s Word, first and foremost that will teach me.
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