70-Year Old Sermon

One of my favorite devotionals is entitled FROM THIS VERSE. Author, Robert J. Morgan, writes a daily entry about how certain scripture passages were used by God in the lives of various people. I'm always refreshed and encouraged to see how the Word of God has transformed lives.

Today's story is about Charles and Grace Fuller. In 1932 they were going through very tough times. Their young son was near death, suffering from pnemonia. The Great Depression had hit them hard. They were struggling to remain solvent financially and were fighting off bankruptcy. They were forced to sell off many possessions in order to pay their bills. Grace faced major surgery and Charles was forced from his pastorate. A severe earthquake had struck their home in Southern California and their financial woes multiplied.

Grace could stand the strain no longer and desperately cried out to God for help. Entering her husband's study she was led to a certain book of Spurgeon's sermons and found a message he had preached 70 years earlier from Jeremiah 33:3.

Later she wrote, "When I called upon God in desperation in August, 1933, He answered me by directing me unmistakably to the library shelf on which this book stood and to this sermon. It brought great cimfort and enabled me to trust God and to await the unfolding of His plans for us."

Grace later related that God lifted her burden so remarkably that when Charles returned from another hard day with the lawyers trying to ward off bankruptcy, she was able to say to him, "never mind how black things look now. God has assured me that He has great and mighty things in store for us in the future - things which we can't ever imagine now."

Later Charles and Grace would look back on that moment and could trace the faint beginnings of their incredible ministry of radio, evangelism and education. From that time on Charles would add this verse under his signature.

NOTE: Charles Fuller went on to found The Old Fashioned Revival Hour (radio) and Fuller Seminary.

So, dear friends, no matter how dark things are today...God knows your circumstances and is not oblivious to your plight. I took special comfort from this reading today because Carol and I are in a similar situation. We are selling off some possessions to stay afloat. Praise God that Christ captains our ship and will guide us around the rocks that threaten.

TRUST HIM TODAY!

"Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." - Jeremiah 33:3