An Audience of One

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NLT)

Have you ever been discouraged? Did you know discouragement is one of Satan’s favorite tools? Why? Because Satan is a liar, and discouragement is a lie posing as the truth, to cause us to believe something, usually about ourselves, that is untrue.

A few days ago I read one of Charles H. Spurgeon’s sermons entitled, The Immutability of God. Immutability means “never changing, never varying, unchangeable.” So even the reference to Jesus in the Hebrews passage is an affirmation of His deity, for only God is Immutable.

Spurgeon gave numerous examples of how Christ’s immutability has meaning and value in our lives. He spoke of God’s unchanging love, power, purpose, and many other attributes. He was comparing things that God has done in the past, and using them as affirmation that He will always do and be those things in the future.

He said, for example: “Was He powerful? Was He the mighty God when He spoke the world out of the womb of non-existence?” Then later Spurgeon said: “He has not become an Almighty tyrant, whereas He was once an Almighty Father; but His strong love stands like a granite rock, unmoved by the hurricanes of our iniquity.”

I’m not sure how you respond to those kinds of statements, but what went through my mind was: “And I think I’M a writer?” Who thinks like that? Who can paint such wonderful pictures with words? Who, by God’s grace can move the hearts of men like Spurgeon? Certainly not me. And my first thought was: “I could never write like that, what’s the use of even pretending to be a writer?” Whine! Whine! Whine! Poor me, all wrapped up in self-pity!

You see what can happen? See how Satan works? The first thought was one of discouragement, but that first thought, thank God, was fleeting. Then the Lord turned my mind to: “Wow! What a mighty God we serve. What a tremendous treasure God gave us through the amazing gifts of C. H. Spurgeon.”

The truth is, if I used words like Spurgeon today, few people would take the time or make the effort to read them. But what was astounding was, in the footnote it said that he was only 20 years old when he preached that sermon to 2,000 people. He came to the Lord when he was 15 and had no formal education. God educated him and taught him, through strenuous self-study, what he needed to know and shaped him into the man he needed him to be, to reach the people to whom God would send him to preach. And, yes, his words still challenge and move the hearts of men and women today. Why? Because they’re God’s words channeled through a human mind.

And here’s the miracle of our unchanging God – He’s still doing the same thing today! Do you want to know where? Are you sitting down? IN YOU! “Yeh, but I’m only a _____________,” And you can fill in the blank.

The truth is, EVERY believer has a commission from the Lord to spread the word of who Jesus is, what He died to accomplish, and that He’s coming soon to call His Bride home to be with Him forever. Don’t let the enemy of your soul lie to you and make you believe for a second that you’re anything but exactly what you need to be to accomplish exactly what He’s called, equipped, and commissioned you to be.

As for me, God alone knows who will read what I write, so He gives me exactly what needs to be said, for exactly the person He knows will read my posts. Am I disappointed I can’t write like Spurgeon? Not at all. Why not? Because I write for an audience of One. His name is Jesus, and if I please Him, I’m good with that.

Blessings, Ed 😊