I believe that some of us who were kept by God a long while before we found Him love Him better perhaps than we should have done if we had received Him directly, and we can preach better to others - we can speak more of His loving-kindness and tender mercy.
Interpretation
Those who find faith after a long wait may appreciate and share it more deeply.
In this quote, Charles Spurgeon reflects on the deeper appreciation and understanding of faith that can come from a prolonged period of searching or waiting. He suggests that those who encounter God later in life may have a richer experience of His love and mercy, enabling them to share this understanding more effectively with others. The struggles and delays in finding faith may foster a greater sense of gratitude and compassion, leading to a more impactful message when preaching about spiritual matters.
In practice
During a sermon on faith, one might use this quote to illustrate the depth of learning that comes from a long spiritual journey.
Amusement should be used to do us good “like a medicine”: it must never be used as the food of the man...Many have had all holy thoughts and gracious resolutions stamped out by perpetual trifling. Pleasure so called is the murderer of thought. This is the age of excessive amusement: everybody craves for it, like a babe for its rattle.
When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honor to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle.
It is far easier to fight with sin in public than to pray against it in private.
You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed your glorying in yourself.
After faith comes repentance, or, rather, repentance is faith's twin brother and is born at the same time.
["All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant."] The original Hebrew word that has been translated "paths" means "well-worn roads' or "wheel tracks," such ruts as wagons make when they go down our green roads in wet weather and sink in up to the axles. God's ways are at times like heavy wagon tracks that cut deep into our souls, yet all of them are merciful.
A right heart leans on Christ, hangs on Christ, builds on Christ and cleaves to Christ.
In the homes of many Western Christians, hours are sometimes spent listening to worldly music. In our homes loud music can also be heard, but it is only to cover the talk about the gospel and the underground work so that neighbors may not overhear it and inform the secret police. How underground Christians rejoice on those rare occasions when they meet a serious Christian from the West!
Our Father's commitment to us, His children, is unwavering. Indeed He softens the winters of our lives, but He also brightens our summers.
My father has been faithful to the calling that God gave him: that is, to preach the Gospel... He has presented Christ to every person that God has put before him.
Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ.
Only trust in God can transform doubts into certainty, evil into good, night into radiant dawn.
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