Morning, December 14
Go To Evening Reading
“They go from strength to strength.”
Psalm 84:7
They go from strength to strength . There are various renderings of these words, but all of them contain
the idea of progress.
Our own good translation of the authorized version is enough for us
this morning. “They go from strength to strength.” That is, they grow stronger and stronger. Usually, if we are walking,
we go from strength to weakness; we start fresh and in good order
for our journey, but by-and-by the road is rough, and the sun is hot,
we sit down by the wayside, and then again painfully pursue our weary
way. But the Christian pilgrim having obtained fresh supplies of grace,
is as vigorous after years of toilsome travel and struggle as when
he first set out. He may not be quite so elate and buoyant, nor perhaps
quite so hot and hasty in his zeal as he once was, but he is much
stronger in all that constitutes real power, and travels, if more
slowly, far more surely. Some gray-haired veterans have been as firm
in their grasp of truth, and as zealous in diffusing it, as they were
in their younger days; but, alas, it must be confessed it is often
otherwise, for the love of many waxes cold and iniquity abounds, but
this is their own sin and not the fault of the promise which still
holds good: “The youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly
fall, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be
weary, and they shall walk and not faint.” Fretful spirits sit down and trouble themselves about the future.
“Alas!” say they, “we go from affliction to affliction.” Very true, O thou of little faith, but then thou goest from strength
to strength also. Thou shalt never find a bundle of affliction which
has not bound up in the midst of it sufficient grace. God will give
the strength of ripe manhood with the burden allotted to full-grown
shoulders.