October 31

Morning

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. — Ps 51:10 BSB

A backslider, if there is even a spark of spiritual life left in him, will long for restoration. In seeking renewal, the same grace is needed as when we first came to Christ. We needed repentance when we first turned to Him, and we certainly need it again now. We needed faith to come to Him at the beginning, and only that same faith can bring us back to Him today. We required a word from the Most High to quiet our fears then, and we will find we need that same word now. No man can be renewed without a fresh and true manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power, just as it was when he first believed, because the work is just as great now, and human frailty is just as much in the way as ever.

Let your own weakness, O Christian, be the reason that drives you to pray earnestly for help from God. Remember how David, feeling his powerlessness, did not remain silent or idle, but ran to the mercy-seat with his cry, "Renew a right spirit within me." Let the truth of your own inability not make you complacent but stir you up to earnestly seek help from the God of Israel. Pray with sincerity, as though pleading for your life, "Lord, renew a right spirit within me!" Those who sincerely ask God for this will prove their honesty by using the means God has provided for renewal. Be much in prayer, spend time in the Word of God, kill the sins that have driven your Lord from you, and be vigilant to guard against sin’s future uprisings. The Lord works through His appointed ways; sit by those ways, ready for His presence. Stay faithful in all the ordinances that strengthen and nourish your graces, and knowing that all power must come from Him, never cease crying, "Renew a right spirit within me!"

Evening

I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. — Hos 13:5 BSB

Yes, Lord, You knew me even in my fallen, sinful state, and You still chose me for Yourself. When I was detestable and self-condemned, You took me in as Your child and met my deepest needs. Blessed forever be Your name for such free, rich, and abounding mercy!

Since then, my inner life has often felt like a wilderness, but You have still called me Your beloved. You have poured streams of love and grace into my soul, bringing joy and fruitfulness even in barren times. Even when my outward circumstances have been bleak and I have wandered in dry lands, Your presence has comforted me. You have known my soul in times of trouble, for no affliction has ever dimmed the light of Your love.

Gracious Lord, I magnify You for Your unwavering faithfulness in every trial. I grieve that at times I have forgotten You and grown prideful, when all I have is owed to Your gentle love and care. Have mercy on me for this, O Lord!

My soul, if Jesus acknowledged you in your lowest state, be sure to acknowledge both Him and His cause now that you stand in a place of blessing. Do not let worldly success cause you to shrink from the truth or from the humble church you have been part of. Follow Jesus into the wilderness if need be—carry the cross with Him when persecution rises. He owned you, O my soul, in your poverty and shame; never be so disloyal as to be ashamed of Him now. O for more sorrow at the mere thought of being ashamed of my dearest Lord! Jesus, my soul clings to You!