There are a thousand things that can derail a day. You could sleep in and miss your train, argue with your spouse, slip into that sin again, dent your car, spiral into unproductivity, make stupid mistakes. That’s without even considering the tragedies that can fall on you like a guillotine in the span of a breath.
With each new day, there’s no telling whether one or all of these things will happen. How do you handle not knowing? You might live in constant anxiety, doubting your ability to cope if things go wrong. Or maybe you breeze through the day, only calling on God for help when the worst happens.
God is not a backup generator, idly waiting to spring to life when our usual supply of strength fails. We desperately need him every single day – even on the days that feel easier.
But God is not a backup generator, idly waiting to spring to life when our usual supply of strength fails. We desperately need him every single day. We feel this more sometimes: like when we’ve botched the job interview or gossiped about a friend behind their back. Yet even on the days that feel easier, we need God’s grace to keep enduring.
Charles Spurgeon writes: “Beloved Christian reader, in matters of grace you need a daily supply. You have no store of strength. Day by day must you seek help from above.”[1]
We can prepare our hearts and minds for hard days. Our daily Bible reading, meditation, prayer, and Scripture memorisation are important investments which gradually change us over the years. Like the psalmist, we can store up God’s Word in our hearts to keep us from giving in to temptation (Psalm 119:11).
But ultimately, we rely on God to work in us, applying the Word to our hearts by his Spirit. Do you ever doubt God will do this? Do you fear God won’t give you endurance for the trial, or strength to resist temptation, or joy in sorrow?
There is good news for you. Spurgeon’s quote continues:
It is a very sweet assurance that a daily portion is provided for you. In the Word, through the ministry, by meditation, in prayer, and waiting upon God you shall receive renewed strength. In Jesus all needful things are laid up for you. Then enjoy your continual allowance. Never go hungry while the daily bread of grace is on the table of mercy.
Every day of our lives, we receive more mercy than we could ever grasp or deserve. I see three applications from Spurgeon’s words:
1. Seek God every day
In his book Habits of Grace, David Mathis describes spiritual disciplines as the channels God gives us through which his grace reliably flows. He writes:
He often showers his people with unexpected favour. But typically the grace that sends our roots deepest, truly grows us up in Christ, prepares our souls for a new day, produces lasting spiritual maturity, and increases the current of our joy streams from the ordinary and unspectacular paths of fellowship, prayer, and Bible intake given practical expression in countless forms and habits.[2]
God’s grace is a free gift. We should rejoice that he meets us in our sin, and avail ourselves of his appointed means of grace. It would be foolish to complain of thirst while ignoring the fountain of living water he offers.
Everyone has a different routine that works best for them for Bible reading and prayer. My ideal time is first thing in the morning. Before I check my phone and allow all the cares of the day to press in, I desperately need to hear the voice of my Lord. I always find the grace I need.
2. Be thankful for grace
The very essence of grace is that we don’t deserve it. If it wasn’t for Jesus, all we would receive from the hand of God would be judgment: “… for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.” (Romans 2:8)
Whatever pain we suffer in this life is light and momentary compared to what we deserve. Let’s remember this, and celebrate that God has not only given us life but also abundant earthly blessings. Whenever you can trace the hand of God’s mercy, rejoice and praise him.
3. Don’t worry about tomorrow’s grace
Spurgeon writes:
We do not need tomorrow’s supplies; that day has not yet dawned, and its wants are as yet unborn. The thirst which we may suffer in the month of June does not need to be quenched in February, for we do not feel it yet; if we have enough for each day as the days arrive we shall never know want.
Right from the beginning, God has daily provided for his people. The sun rises each day to give us warmth, light and life. The earth continues to turn. When the Israelites wandered through the wilderness, God rained manna from heaven to keep them alive. Now our daily bread is Jesus himself—and he is sufficient for every sorrowful day.
[1] Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, February 14 (morning reading).
[2] David Mathis, Habits of Grace, Crossway, Wheaton, 2016, p. 29.
